Exhibitors and presenters at the plastics show emphasized 3D printing as a complement and aid to more traditional production processes.

Second quarter started with price hikes in PE and the four volume engineering resins, but relatively stable pricing was largely expected by the quarter’s end.

In a time where sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, the food and beverage packaging industry is required to be at the forefront of this innovation. By adopting circular packaging processes and solutions, producers can meet regulatory requirements while also satisfying consumer demand and enhancing brand reputation. Join Husky to learn more about the broader implications of the circular economy — as well as how leading brands are leveraging this opportunity to reduce costs, increase design flexibility and boost product differentiation. Agenda: The cost and operational benefits of embracing circularity Key materials in circular packaging — including rPET and emerging bioplastics How to design a circular food and beverage package Strategies for selecting sustainable closures to future-proof packaging solutions Optimization and streamlining of production processes for enhanced efficiency How Husky Technologies can enable your sustainable success

Join Engel in exploring the future of battery molding technology. Discover advancements in thermoplastic composites for battery housings, innovative automation solutions and the latest in large-tonnage equipment designed for e-mobility — all with a focus on cost-efficient solutions. Agenda: Learn about cutting-edge thermoplastic composites for durable, sustainable and cost-efficient battery housings Explore advanced automation concepts for efficient and scalable production See the latest large-tonnage equipment and technology innovations for e-mobility solutions

Another all-electric 275-ton Fanuc Roboshot is molding medical vials from a 48-cavity tool using a Mold-Masters hot runner system. Post-molding, a platen-mounted robot removes the 48 vials and places them on conveyor above the clamp, with the parts separated into “lanes.” Stirn says this setup helps “containerize” production for traceability while minimizing floor space impact.

Across all process types, sustainability was a big theme at NPE2024. But there was plenty to see in automation and artificial intelligence as well.

In this three-part collection, veteran molder and moldmaker Jim Fattori brings to bear his 40+ years of on-the-job experience and provides molders his “from the trenches” perspective on on the why, where and how of venting injection molds. Take the trial-and-error out of the molding venting process.

Sustainability continues to dominate new additives technology, but upping performance is also evident. Most of the new additives have been targeted to commodity resins and particularly polyolefins.

In this collection of articles, two of the industry’s foremost authorities on screw design — Jim Frankand and Mark Spalding — offer their sage advice on screw design...what works, what doesn’t, and what to look for when things start going wrong.

The DME section of the booth has a 170-ton Q series servo-hydraulic machine with automation as well as a high amount of DME products inside the tool, including collapsible cores and some serialization devices for part identification. Running a BioLogiQ bioresin, the machine is molding a phone holder. Stirn says the Q series promotes energy efficiency and automation integration. The machine has a small, heated sprue built-in, and a DME controller and hot runner, for the single-cavity tool.

Introduced by Zeiger and Spark Industries at the PTXPO, the nozzle is designed for maximum heat transfer and uniformity with a continuous taper for self cleaning.

Take a deep dive into all of the various aspects of part quoting to ensure you’ve got all the bases—as in costs—covered before preparing your customer’s quote for services.

A 55-ton all-electric Fanuc Roboshot with DIY Robots automation is set up for an LSR application in partnership with a cold-deck runnerless tool from M.R. Mold & Engineering and metering from Nexus to create very small umbrella-type diaphragms from a four-cavity tool. How small are the parts? Small enough that Milacron hasn’t been able to weigh them individually, but combined they weigh just 0.9g. Milacron turned to DME and its machining expertise to fabricate an 8-mm plunger system for the application to dose in material with precision. The positional accuracy of the plunger is due in no small part to the machine. “No machine controls motion like a Roboshot,” Stirn says.

Learn about sustainable scrap reprocessing—this resource offers a deep dive into everything from granulator types and options, to service tips, videos and technical articles.

Additive technology creates air pockets in film during orientation, cutting down on the amount of resin needed while boosting opacity, mechanical properties and recyclability.

Processors with sustainability goals or mandates have a number of ways to reach their goals. Biopolymers are among them.

Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.

This month’s resin pricing report includes PT’s quarterly check-in on select engineering resins, including nylon 6 and 66.

Plastics Technology’s Tech Days is back! Every Tuesday in October, a series of five online presentations will be given by industry supplier around the following topics:  Injection Molding — New Technologies, Efficiencies Film Extrusion — New Technologies, Efficiencies Upstream/Downstream Operations Injection Molding — Sustainability Extrusion — Compounding Coming out of NPE2024, PT identified a variety of topics, technologies and trends that are driving and shaping the evolution of plastic products manufacturing — from recycling/recyclability and energy optimization to AI-based process control and automation implementation. PT Tech Days is designed to provide a robust, curated, accessible platform through which plastics professionals can explore these trends, have direct access to subject-matter experts and develop strategies for applying solutions in their operations.

Mike Sepe has authored more than 25 ANTEC papers and more than 250 articles illustrating the importance of this interdisciplanary approach. In this collection, we present some of his best work during the years he has been contributing for Plastics Technology Magazine.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

Say “manufacturing automation” and thoughts immediately go to the shop floor and specialized production equipment, robotics and material handling systems. But there is another realm of possible automation — the front office.

When, how, what and why to automate — leading robotics suppliers and forward-thinking moldmakers will share their insights on automating manufacturing at collocated event.

Multiple speakers at Molding 2023 will address the ways simulation can impact material substitution decisions, process profitability and simplification of mold design.

Stirn says the pail is a great application to utilize coinjection for sandwiching recycled content between layers of virgin resins, but there are others. While 5-gallon pails would normally run in cycle times of 18-25 seconds, Milacron is targeting 18- to 20- second cycles for the show display. “For coinjection, that is phenomenal,” Stirn says. “For a standard monolayer setup that’s competitive, to go that fast with coinjection of two pails is special.”

In the middle of Milacron’s booth, the company has a nonoperating 90-foot extrusion line. The SG75 single-screw extruder is paired with a new pipe head that Milacron is making in-house for the first time. The display also features pullers and saws, plus a new extruder control. At the end of the line, a small cobot picks up finished pipe, stacking and arraying the product.

technotrans says climate protection, energy efficiency and customization will be key discussion topics at PTXPO as it displays its protemp flow 6 ultrasonic eco and the teco cs 90t 9.1 TCUs.

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has released final figures for NPE2024: The Plastics Show (May 6-10; Orlando) that officially make it the largest ever NPE in several key metrics.

Determining the source of streaking or contamination in your molded parts is a critical step in perfecting your purging procedures ultimately saving you time and money.

Core Technology Molding turned to Mold-Masters E-Multi auxiliary injection unit to help it win a job and dramatically change its process.

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

“This system represents a significant leap forward in injection molding technology,” said Plasdan CEO Paulo Silva. “It delivers efficiency gains and productivity improvements, crucial for manufacturers aiming to optimize their operations and minimize environmental impact. The single-machine approach not only cuts operational costs but also supports the industry's move toward more sustainable practices.”

Formnext Chicago is an industrial additive manufacturing expo taking place April 8-10, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Formnext Chicago is the second in a series of Formnext events in the U.S. being produced by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media (our publisher).

Ultradent's entry of its Umbrella cheek retractor took home the awards for Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Economics and Efficiency at PTXPO.

Milacron has filled the corners of its 26,600-square-foot NPE2024 booth with technology representative of its various fellow operating companies and preferred partner brands, including DME, FANUC Roboshot, Mold-Masters and its own injection molding machine line with the debut of its M Series. Milacron’s Andy Stirn says most prominent will be a 1,070-ton M-Series injection molding machine running a SyBridge Technologies 2-cavity tool for 5-gallon pails featuring in-mold label (IML) decoration and up to 50% recycled content via coinjection and a Mold-Masters valve-gated hot runner.

In this collection of content, we provide expert advice on welding from some of the leading authorities in the field, with tips on such matters as controls, as well as insights on how to solve common problems in welding.

While prices moved up for three of the five commodity resins, there was potential for a flat trajectory for the rest of the third quarter.

The aim of this presentation is to guide you through the factors and the numbers that will help you determine if a robot is a smart investment for your application. Agenda:  Why are you considering automation? What problems are you trying to solve? How and why automation can help Crunch the numbers and determine the ROI

Plasdan’s equipment will be integrated with a Nissei NEX360V-100LE all-electric molding machine to function in a single cycle — without the need for multiple machines or manual assembly. The setup reduces machine time, labor and energy requirements, and uses less floor space.

The plastic injection molding system from Plasdan with an integrated Nissei press reduces cycle times and labor and energy requirements.

A three-material molding system from Plasdan will demonstrate the production of complex assemblies with two add-on injection units and in-mold robotics at NPE2024.

As reported in our Keeping Up section last month, Milacron LLC invited Plastics Technology to its Batavia, Ohio, headquarters for an exclusive preview of its new Elektron line of all-electric injection presses ahead of their official debut at Milacron’s open house Apr. 24-25.

After successfully introducing a combined conference for moldmakers and injection molders in 2022, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology are once again joining forces for a tooling/molding two-for-one.

Next to the DME area, Milacron is promoting its various aftermarket capabilities, including control technologies for retrofitting, information on its Industry 4.0 M Powered real-time monitoring and analysis program, as well as a general aftermarket display. “Aftermarket is a big part of our business and value proposition,” Stirn says.

August 29-30 in Minneapolis all things injection molding and moldmaking will be happening at the Hyatt Regency — check out who’s speaking on what topics today.

Resin drying is a crucial, but often-misunderstood area. This collection includes details on why and what you need to dry, how to specify a dryer, and best practices.

Discover how artifical intelligence is revolutionizing plastics processing. Hear from industry experts on the future impact of AI on your operations and envision a fully interconnected plant.

Join KraussMaffei for an insightful webinar designed for industry professionals, engineers and anyone interested in the manufacturing processes of PVC pipes. This session will provide a comprehensive understanding of the technology behind the production of high-quality PVC pipes: from raw material preparation to final product testing. Agenda: Introduction to PVC extrusion: overview of the basic principles of PVC pipe extrusion — including the process of melting and shaping PVC resin into pipe forms Equipment and machinery: detailed explanation of the key equipment involved — such as extruders, dies and cooling systems — and their roles in the extrusion process Process parameters: insight into the critical process parameters like temperature, pressure and cooling rates that influence the quality and consistency of the final PVC pipes Energy efficiency: examination of ways to save material and energy use when extruding PVC pipe products

Join this webinar to explore the transformative benefits of retrofitting your existing injection molding machines (IMMs). Engel will guide you through upgrading your equipment to enhance monitoring, control and adaptability — all while integrating digital technologies. You'll learn about the latest trends in IMM retrofitting (including Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits) and discover how to future-proof your machines for a competitive edge. With insights from industry experts, it'll walk you through the decision-making process, ensuring you make informed choices that drive your business forward. Agenda: Maximize the value of your current IMMs through strategic retrofitting Learn how to integrate digital technologies to enhance monitoring and control Explore the benefits of Euromap interfaces and plasticizing retrofits Understand how retrofitting can help meet new product demands and improve adaptability Discover how Engel can support your retrofitting needs, from free consultations to execution

Despite price increase nominations going into second quarter, it appeared there was potential for generally flat pricing with the exception of a major downward correction for PP.

NPE2024: Coinjection of postconsumer resin, in-mold decoration, LSR micromolding and bioplastics processing are just some of the machine displays at Milacron's booth.

Plasdan’s end-to-end automated cycle moves products quickly through the cycle, eliminating the cost of unfinished work-in-process inventory. The company’s multi-injection molding solutions ultimately save operating costs and reduce environmental impact.

While the melting process does not provide perfect mixing, this study shows that mixing is indeed initiated during melting.

See Plasdan’s equipment at Nissei America’s booth, W2401, at NPE2024 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center from May 6 to 10.

Nissei touts its NEX-V series and its “N-Constellation” IoT technology as turning the injection molding machine into a network hub that connects auxiliary equipment and collects real-time operation data.

Start by picking a target melt temperature, and double-check data sheets for the resin supplier’s recommendations. Now for the rest...

This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.

Successfully starting or restarting an injection molding machine is less about ticking boxes on a rote checklist and more about individually assessing each processing scenario and its unique variables.

While the major correction in PP prices was finally underway, generally stable pricing was anticipated for the other four commodity resins.

Milacron has three material partners for the project, with Shell supplying virgin HDPE for the skin and the core uses postconsumer resin (PCR) from KW Plastics and LyondellBasell that has been reclaimed, reprocessed and repelletized, with the PCR core to alternate each day between the two suppliers. To support this level of production, Milacron’s booth includes a 20-by-30-foot “Resin Room” with two 30-ton air-cooled chillers and a complete material handling system, including surge bins and vacuum pumps. Stirn notes that the company coinjected a pail at NPE2015, but it was from only a single-cavity mold running at 45-48% PCR core level.

The Mold-Masters hot runner controls are fully integrated into the Milacron’s injection molding machine control, with plans to utilize different resins and mixes of materials, including in different colors, to showcase how the coinjection technology can hide or reveal the core in a very controlled manner.

During live demos at Nissei America’s booth at NPE2024, Plasdan will discuss with attendees how they can integrate the company’s solutions into existing manufacturing setups. The demo will feature two add-on Ergoline injection units, which Plasdan designed in a slim footprint to overcome assembly constraints. These units can be mounted angular on tool, vertical on a fixed platen, or horizontal on the non-operator side.

Mold maintenance is critical, and with this collection of content we’ve bundled some of the very best advice we’ve published on repairing, maintaining, evaluating and even hanging molds on injection molding machines.

Across the show, sustainability ruled in new materials technology, from polyolefins and engineering resins to biobased materials.

Featuring twin injection units and a high-base machine design, the cell showcases the potential to free drop the buckets onto a conveyor running below the press, which is still common for many pail molders. Here, backside automation provides label insertion, with key stats on the label, as well as part removal and full inspection.

Plastics Technology covers technical and business Information for Plastics Processors in Injection Molding, Extrusion, Blow Molding, Plastic Additives, Compounding, Plastic Materials, and Resin Pricing. About Us

In this collection, which is part one of a series representing some of John’s finest work, we present you with five articles that we think you will refer to time and again as you look to solve problems, cut cycle times and improve the quality of the parts you mold.

In a partnership with Kurz, Milacron is introducing its new M series two-platen servo-hydraulic machines. In a touch display application geared toward the automotive or appliance markets, Kurz-supplied decorative and functional foil is fed through the open tool for back molding. The 500-ton cell has three integrated robots, including one that enters the mold with an infrared heater used to heat the foil. Another robot removes the molded part from the press and places it on a fixture for trimming. The finished part is then moved to another fixture where it’s backlit to show the different patterns and buttons that are revealed as it is interacted with by consumers.

Join Wittmann for an engaging webinar on the transformative impact of manufacturing execution systems (MES) in the plastic injection molding industry. Discover how MES enhances production efficiency, quality control and real-time monitoring while also reducing downtime. It will explore the integration of MES with existing systems, emphasizing compliance and traceability for automotive and medical sectors. Learn about the latest advancements in IoT and AI technologies and how they drive innovation and continuous improvement in MES. Agenda: Overview of MES benefits What is MES? Definition, role and brief history Historical perspective and evolution Longevity and analytics Connectivity: importance, standards and integration Advantages of MES: efficiency, real-time data, traceability and cost savings Emerging technologies: IoT and AI in MES

Geoff Giordano is a tech journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in all facets of publishing. He has reported extensively on the gamut of plastics manufacturing technologies and issues, including 3D printing materials and methods; injection, blow, micro and rotomolding; additives, colorants and nanomodifiers; blown and cast films; packaging; thermoforming; tooling; ancillary equipment; and the circular economy. Contact him at [email protected].

Mixed in among thought leaders from leading suppliers to injection molders and mold makers at the 2023 Molding and MoldMaking conferences will be molders and toolmakers themselves.