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 consequences of this productivity gain are multiple. TK Mold was able to increase its production from 189,788 pieces to 242,250 pieces produced per month, equating to an increase in monthly revenue from this application of RMB 92,871, or approximately €12,000.

BASF is pursuing all options to source products along the nylon 66 value chain, including the planned acquisition of Solvay’s nylon 66 business.

Material availability and cost concerns in the household-appliances market led Lanxess to evaluate alternative materials with a customer producing oven handles in a 30% glass-filled nylon 66. In this case, after understanding the part load and impact requirements, Lanxess suggested a nylon 6 with 30% fiberglass and glass beads. The part passed all dimensional, load and impact requirements, and also had the advantage of improved appearance.

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.

As the part is produced in large series, the packaging and the support must also be produced in large series. The challenges therefore relate to cost and productivity. As the final product is considered a high-value item, there are also requirements in terms of the support’s aesthetics.

To demonstrate the benefits AM can bring to the injection moulding process, this article reports on how TK Mold, a customer of GF Machining Solutions’ subtractive and additive systems headquartered in Shenzhen, China (Fig. 1), is using Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) technology and, specifically, how workflow optimisation was able to support the business case for AM mould inserts with conformal cooling.

Arnite PBT was cited as suitable for electrical and lighting applications such as connectors, lighting frame bezels and LED components, as it demonstrates excellent electrical properties, good dimensional stability, and high specific stiffness. Some grades are optimized to meet the toughest outgassing requirements at up to 392 F.

Through the adoption of AM, new design possibilities are available to mould manufacturers. Such design freedoms must be mastered, bearing in mind both the layer-by-layer manufacturing approach as well as the raw material involved in the process – the fine metal powder. These two elements result in a very limited set of constraints to the part design, mainly related to overhang regions, feature size and ease of powder removal. For additively manufactured parts with conformal cooling channels, such constraints may be easily overcome by adhering to a few design guidelines, which have become well-established over the years.

The simulation tools allow the designer to better predict the real-life efficiency, and thus more confidently design, the conformal channels placed inside the mould insert. It theoretically validates that the channels will have a positive impact on the injection process and, ultimately, on the plastic part. TK Mold uses these types of tools to demonstrate the added value of conformal cooling to its customers (internal or external) before the manufacturing of a mould.

Once the program is ready, the insert is clamped inside a Mikron MILL S 400 U Milling machine from GF Machining Solutions. This product is well-established in the mould-making industry and enables a perfectly homogeneous surface finish. The excellent mould surface quality is particularly valuable for plastic parts with a final transparent finish, where flaws can be easily visible. Mirror surface finishing also reduces the need for hand polishing of mould components, reducing lead time. The square sections of the ejector pins required a milling operation (3+2 pre-machining) and a final grinding operation.

As a result, manufacturers expect metal AM providers’ solutions to cover the complete workflow, from design to final part, to deliver moulds that meet precise specifications. Software, AM machines, materials, subtractive technologies, automation and clamping solutions must be combined to provide an efficient ecosystem to drive down costs and complexity.

Before starting to build a mould insert in an AM machine, performing rheology thermal assessments is often done to detect where potential issues may arise. This makes it possible to interpret whether the optimised channels will be effective, particularly whether there is a need to improve the temperature homogeneity to reduce hot spots (Fig. 6).

● DSM Engineering Plastics: Earlier this year, Rob Crowell, chief commercial officer, discussed the merits of four polymers in the company’s portfolio that could relatively easily replace nylon 66. Starting with Akulon nylon 6, he noted that its near-equivalent performance in stiffness and strength to nylon 66, and superior performance in toughness, processability, and heat-aging up to 392 F, suits it to applications where parts are exposed to hot air such as intake manifolds and air ducts; exposed to oil such as oil pans and filters; and parts with high requirements for surface appearance, such as pedals, door handles and power-tool housings.

For flame-retardant applications, Lanxess has positioned its new Pocan BFN2502 unfilled, halogen-free PBT, which achieves a UL 94V-0 rating at an impressive 0.4 mm, to replace halogen-free unfilled nylon 66. According to Chirino, the material meets all flammability requirements, laser-printing evaluations, and joint snap connections, along with excellent mechanical and processing properties, making it very attractive for molders, particularly when no change in tools is needed. ● Solvay: Wilson cited Omnix HPPA, a high-performance PPA, as a clear choice to replace glass-filled nylon 66, as it provides equivalent properties under dry conditions and superior performance after moisture absorption is considered. It can easily be used in hot-water tooling and has similar shrinkage values as nylon 66. It is targeted to structural applications in automotive and food-contact and drinking-water applications in consumer markets.

With it acquisition of DuPont’s engineering resins, Celanese’s resin solutions for automotive electrification, e-mobility and consumer electronics are plentiful.

● Lanxess: Chirino gave some examples of specific replacement applications and newly developed materials to compete with nylon 66. The company supported a customer producing a shifter box in 30% glass-filled nylon 66 by showing that the mechanical properties of the component and the dimensions of the part would be the same if a 35% glass-filled nylon 6 was used. In this case, a 5% increase in glass content overcame the concerns of dimensional and mechanical performance—all while using the existing tooling.

TK Mold uses the above-described process and equipment to produce high-quality hybrid parts, and manufactures around 90% of the moulds requiring AM-enabled conformal cooling by this method. As an example, the hybrid mould insert object of the smartwatch packaging support was achieved from a preform obtained by wire EDM in two different positioning steps. Each preform was then clamped onto the System 3R interface plate ‘AM Carrier’, mated with the DMP machine (Fig. 10). Here the DMP Calibration tool was exploited to correctly reference each preform independently through its set of two locating holes, automatically calculating and applying both translation and rotation corrections to the job file (Fig. 11).

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

First, the size and shape of the internal channels have design constraints. Large overhanging regions require support structures that are impossible to remove from the inside of the part after Additive Manufacturing. Channel diameters are thus constrained in size and self-supporting channel shapes (such as diamond, elliptical, or teardrop, among others) are preferable to the traditional round cross-sections typical when straight-drilled holes are used by traditional methods (Fig. 3).

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

For higher-temperature applications and/or ones in contact with water/glycol, Wilson suggested Amodel PPA as a good alternative that will outperform nylon 66. For applications requiring high-surface quality and extraordinary mechanical strength, he cited Ixef PARA polyarylamide (also known as MXD6 nylon) as a good alternative to nylon 66.

For cases where parts are exposed to demanding loads in hot air, such as charge-air ducts or parts where there is a lot of wear and friction, Szendro noted Ultramid Advance PPA grades, which boast both hydrolysis and chemical resistance plus excellent dimensional stability. Additional opportunities are in demanding engine-cooling applications and thermostat housings

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

In Fig. 7, we can observe the temperature inside the ‘outer channels’, which transport the coolant in the insert. In this image, the latter is located in the middle in a grey colour. We can already see a colder temperature inside the channels, but also more homogeneity between the conventional approach and the conformal approach.

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.

To improve the process, TK Mold’s engineers focused only on the improvement of the most critical mould inserts: those with the most influence in terms of cycle time or part quality. This is where the ROI in metal AM is the highest.

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.

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.

Considering that this case represents just one application, and that TK Mold can use this technology for many moulds and produce them at multiple locations at the same time, AM is very quickly paying for itself. As a result, TK Mold is now operating its AM machine at a very high capacity, in order to meet the demand for various optimised inserts.

With AM, cooling channels can be set at a constant distance from the surface of the part to achieve uniform cooling, and deliver two main advantages:

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.

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

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

As a last step, the AM build was performed in 3D Systems’ LaserForm® Maraging Steel – a proven material for the mould and die sector thanks to its wear resistance – on a DMP Flex 350 machine.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

GF Machining Solutions and 3D Systems have partnered to develop an end-to-end solution that enables manufacturers to more efficiently produce complex metal parts. This is accomplished by seamlessly integrating metal AM into existing manufacturing processes through the development of an optimised workflow. Here, each step of the workflow is illustrated as it applies to the custom solution created for TK Mold.

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.

Binder Jetting's position as an accepted mass production technology for precision metal components is on the near horizon. The coming success will,...»

When it comes to presenting a review of the world's largest international exhibition for AM, one can go about it in two ways: very broad generalisa...»

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.

To overcome these challenges and find ways to profitably integrate this new technology into their operations, manufacturers can pre-machine a so-called preform and then, using AM, produce a portion of the part with value-added features in the location where the technology can prove most beneficial.

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

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

Thanks to their expertise in multiple fields and processes, GF Machining Solutions and 3D Systems are able to offer industrial solutions that make this possible. Their joint offering is further enhanced by the availability of dedicated products and tools, such as the Additive Molding module of 3D Systems’ 3DXpert software for the design and analysis of conformal cooling channels, and the DMP Calibration tool offered with the DMP machine series for the manufacturing of hybrid parts through the automated, user-error-free alignment of preforms and substrates to the highest accuracy inside the AM machine.

By enabling the generation of conformal cooling paths within inserts, the adoption of AM in the mould and die sector has repeatedly been proven as an effective way to enhance the yield of moulding processes in terms of both productivity and part quality. This is confirmed by the application case study from TK Mold, and its now firmly established use of AM mould inserts in everyday production.

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

Reach a truly international audience that includes component manufacturers, end-users, industry suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

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.

In the last couple of years, a developing global supply/demand squeeze in nylon 66 has led some engineering thermoplastic suppliers, compounders and distributors to be on the ready to address continued capacity constraints and higher prices with alternative engineering resins. Chief among these options are nylon 6, PBT, and high-performance nylons like PPAs, as well blends containing increased recycle content. While there are varying projections, most sources anticipate the nylon 66 tightness to continue through to at least part of 2020.

Some sources contacted opted to give a brief summary of materials they are offering as nylon 66 replacements when warranted.  Others provided a more comprehensive description of their alternative materials for specific applications:

For applications requiring additional flexibility or better impact resistance, there are toughened and elastomer-reinforced grades in the Amodel PPA and Ryton PPS portfolios that offer potential alternatives to unfilled nylon 66 grades.

Added Steve Bowen, president of PolyOne’s PlastiComp business: “The supply of nylon 66 has been tightening for over a year, which has required close management to ensure there are no supply disruptions for us. Our long-term partnerships with key suppliers are helping us navigate during this critical period. We have been able secure sufficient nylon 66 material necessary to maintain our core business while also growing some additional segments.”

Additive Manufacturing has proven to be a valuable solution for the optimisation of the cooling process, because it allows for the creation of cooling channels that closely follow the moulding surface – this is known as conformal cooling. These moulding surfaces can be highly complex and are therefore difficult to cool. AM enables the design and manufacture of parts that incorporate cooling channels that would be impossible to produce using conventional manufacturing technologies.

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While AM technology is helping many companies in the mould and die sector achieve new cost savings and efficiencies through conformal cooling, the economic viability of many applications requires other approaches. Indeed, for structural reasons, these applications typically include parts that require large amounts of mould material – in the case of AM, metal powder. This can make large parts costly to manufacture, as an AM insert’s price will be directly linked to the volume of material required for the AM process.

Once the optimised insert is finished, it replaces the conventional insert inside the mould, and the injection process can begin. This article’s observations focus on two elements: cycle time and part quality. The first element influences productivity and the second element influences waste costs.

Established in 1983, TK Mold is a subsidiary of TK Group (Holdings) Limited, a well-regarded manufacturer of plastic moulds and parts for a variety of industries including healthcare and consumer goods. TK Mold manufactures plastic moulds and parts for mobile phones, healthcare applications, smart homes, packaging and precision electronics. In addition to its Shenzhen base, TK Mold has three other factories in Suzhou and Huizhou, China, and Braunschweig, Germany.

While PolyOne has seen few customers making a switch from nylon 66, they are increasingly asked for market data, price forecasts, and details on supply constraints.

The resin constraints are primarily related to tight supplies of key precursor adiponitrile (ADN), for which current global capacity, estimated at about 3.8 billion lb, is produced by four major players: Ascend Performance Materials and Invista in the U.S.; Butachemie, a joint venture of Invista and Solvay in Germany; and Japan’s Asahi Kasei. An explosion in 2015 at a Chinese ADN plant took out 18% of global capacity. The ADN issue appeared to have landed prominently on nearly everyone’s radar from hurricane season 2017 through 2018, starting with unplanned disruptions in production of ADN and nylon 66, all of which have been largely resolved by now, according to Houston-based IHSMarkit’s Brendan Dooley, global director for engineering resins.

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.

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.

With thirty-seven years of mould design and fabrication experience, the company is dedicated to providing the best performance injection mould solutions and final plastic parts. As both a mould maker and a parts producer, the company quickly grasped the advantages of metal AM and invested in it to develop mould inserts with conformal cooling channels. TK Mold’s mould-making and injection capabilities uniquely position the company to benefit from using these inserts to produce final parts – the benefits include productivity and quality gains, as well as the ability to deliver more efficient solutions to its customers.

Moreover, as this case study demonstrates, for companies to fully grasp the end-to-end value offered by this disruptive manufacturing technology, and thus quickly achieve ROI, AM should not be evaluated as a ‘stand-alone’ process. For the technology to shift to the full industrial scale, its integration with conventional, well-established manufacturing processes is crucial; a complete workflow approach, from design to final part, is required.

The injection data collected in Fig. 14 show that the total injection cycle time varies between 21.70 and 21.79 seconds with a traditional insert. With the optimised insert, the cooling time of the plastic is reduced and cycle times stabilise between 16.98 and 17.01 seconds. This represents a significant cycle time reduction of 22%.

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

Solvay’s Wilson said the nylon 66 supply tightness has opened their eyes to a risk they previously had not seen. “I think the industry had taken it for granted that there would be an unlimited supply of nylon 66, and this thinking has now clearly shifted. An automotive customer commented to me that until the situation is resolved they are actively steering development projects away from nylon 66 and into other resins, even if it requires some part redesign.”

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

The good news, according to Dooley, include the some key ADN capacity additions. At Pensacola, Fla., Ascend, the world’s largest fully-integrated nylon 66 player, brought on 110 million lb of ADN in 2017; is soon slated to bring on another 80 million lb; and plans a 360-million-lb expansion by 2022. The 2019 ADN plant retrofits by Invista and Butachemie will each result in a 10% output increase. And Invista Shanghai is scheduled to bring on stream a new 661-million/lb ADN unit in 2023. Dooley ventures that these actions will translate into some nylon 66 supply improvement by mid-2020. For next year, he projects a continued tight supply/demand balance and potential price relief based on either more supply or less demand.

By midyear 2018, nylon 66 prices were up more than 50% from 18 months before. In 2018 alone, there were first-quarter and third-quarter price hikes of 15-20¢/lb. Fourth-quarter price hikes were underway at press time in some parts of the world, and first-quarter 2019 increases would not be surprising. Planned 2019 outages, according to Dooley, include six-week shutdowns in the first and third quarters at Invista’s Victoria, Texas, plant and Butachemie’s German plant, each for the retrofit of new ADN technology.

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

Although the benefits of AM for efficient cooling are well-documented and have often been presented, adoption has been slow due to initial concerns about material properties, costs, and a lack of knowledge on how to apply the technology in a market segment that is often regarded as quite traditional. In addition to the fact that mould makers are often risk-averse, they are generally under tremendous pressure to manufacture injection moulds at the lowest price possible. The use of additively manufactured inserts in moulds offers significant benefits, but also comes with additional costs. Mould manufacturers must, therefore, demonstrate the value of the additional investment to the final customer. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that adoption of conformal cooling has been higher in companies which manage both mould production and injection moulding. These companies fully understand the value, and actively incorporate AM into their manufacturing workflow, demonstrating return on investment (ROI) and increasing their use of the technology as they further master the process.

● Celanese Engineered Polymers: Last year, the company acquired Italy’s Nylit Plastics, a producer of high-performance nylon resins and compounds, with a specialty in nylon 66. Jeff Helms, global automotive sales director for engineered materials at Celanese, says the firm has customers strongly considering switching to nylon 6 when the parts can function properly at slightly lower temperature limits and with slightly higher moisture uptake. Celanese is also positioning recycled nylon 66, nylon 6 and post-industrial resin (PIR) offerings.

They also touted their long-established strategy of Zytel “Global Grades”—products made to uniform recipes and specifications at the company’s global locations, which allows for backup from alternate sources. They noted that they have developed a flexible network of suppliers for the key raw materials to ensure they are not dependent on a single upstream asset in any of their product lines.  Still, added one company source, “It’s possible that supply will be tight for the next year or two. We have not seen a situation as acute and long-lasting as this has been.”

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

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

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).

● PolyOne: Company sources say they are offering nylon 6 for industrial and automotive applications, including underhood components, gears, and housings; adding that these two industries are the most open to trying alternatives. The company’s PlastiComp business is also offering blends of nylon 6 and nylon 66 in long-fiber formulations.

Unlike many AM applications, here the manufacturing process begins with the machining of the preforms. In this case, the outer geometry of preform is typically produced by cutting a blank plate with wire electrical discharge machining (EDM). Ejection holes and cooling channels are, on the other hand, previously machined in the blank by deep-hole drilling. It is crucial that all preforms are identical in terms of height, since the Additive Manufacturing process must be conducted on a level plane.Beginning the process with subtractive machining, however, introduces new positioning and referencing challenges. This type of hybrid process must therefore start with the preform fixed on the build platform before the intended AM section is aligned by using a referencing system. The use of this type of referencing is especially challenging because, unlike in CNC machining, in an AM machine there is no physical link between the optics and the target substrate.

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

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.

Additive Manufacturing conferences rarely attract as many industry CEOs as New York's Additive Manufacturing Strategies event, let alone persuade t...»

In October, Ascend released a statement that it says was spurred by “conflicting reports on long-term PA 66 availability” in order to restate its commitment to meeting increased market demand for nylon 66 for the automotive, E/E, cable-tie, consumer and industrial markets. The statement also noted, “The fact remains that PA 66 provides the best mix of value, performance and processability among the various thermoplastics available today. Replacing PA 66 with another material has costs beyond availability and price.” Conceding that nylon 66 availability is “constrained for the short term,” the company said it’s working with customers to help relieve that constraint where possible. It added that its acquisition of Dutch plastics compounder Britannia Techno Polymers, which specializes in proprietary nylon compounds, is running at full capacity to serve its European customers. Similarly, its Foley, Ala., and Greenwood, S.C., plants are producing at optimal levels to support customers with compounds and fiber; and production at Pensacola, Fla., following the mid-July force majeure action, was at around 90% of capacity.

Feedback from nylon 66 customers concerned about long-term fatigue if they switch to an alternative, encouraged Lanxess to develop the new Durethan-Performance “P” nylon 6 compounds. They boast improved fatigue properties and perform considerably better than standard nylon 66 grades. For example, in a fatigue screening test at 248 F, new 30% glass-filled Durethan BKV30PH2.0 reportedly withstood almost 10 times more test cycles than standard 30%-glass nylon 66.

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.

Sustainability has risen to the top of the global manufacturing agenda. Whilst metal AM has long been considered a green technology because of its ...»

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.

● BASF: Szendro discussed three alternatives. For applications that require good electrical properties, good heat aging, weldability, impact performance and damping, he said Ultramid nylon 6 might be a solution. Possible uses include structural components, powertrain applications, and exterior appearance parts such as door handles and pedals.

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

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.

Injection moulding is, without a doubt, one of the most widely-used and successful manufacturing processes. It is most commonly applied to the production of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymer parts, using moulds manufactured from steel alloys, which allows for, in many cases, millions of injection cycles in serial production. The process entails injecting molten material into a cavity shaped like the final part, followed by rapid cooling to ensure hardening. The cooling time must, however, be sufficient for the part to properly solidify so it can be ejected with limited deformation. The cooling aspect of the injection cycle is, therefore, a key factor in achieving high-quality parts while keeping the cycle time efficient. Cooling of the mould insert is achieved by circulating a cold fluid (typically water or oil) through the mould to cool the mould surface.

Westfall Technik has adopted Arkestro’s predictive procurement software to wring savings and more reliable deliveries from a historically challenging supply chain.

The challenges of this type of packaging component are quite common, and the number of similar applications is infinite. Concerning this application, TK Mold faced three critical manufacturing challenges:

The generation of conformal cooling paths in adherence to the above design guidelines may quickly become very time-consuming with traditional computer-aided design (CAD) software tools. For this reason, a dedicated software solution such as 3DXpert®– and particularly its Additive Moulding Add-on – is very helpful for mould designers and tooling manufacturers in optimising part quality and reducing design and manufacturing costs.This add-on makes it possible to create conformal cooling inserts and to combine traditional and conformal cooling where appropriate (Fig. 4). This is made possible by a unique set of functionalities that save the user hours of design work before moving to the simulation-based verification and validation stages of the mould design:

Such a solution can also help companies to meet demand without needing to invest in additional new moulds. According to TK Mold, the ROI on the production of this insert by AM is very attractive and, in this specific case, was achieved in fewer than twenty-six days of production.

A different take comes from Alex Fung, president of resin distributor Conventus Polymers: “Customers are concerned that this could continue into 2020. Customers continue to see repeated price increases on nylon 66 and even nylon 6. Sure, there are alternative resins to use such as PBT or nylon 6, but nylon 66 offers a unique combination of properties and value that may make it difficult to replace, so you’ll want make sure you account for these differences. There is no free lunch in plastics.” Fung maintained that the company’s extensive experience in dealing with these kind of supply issues, led it to buy ahead. “We have ample inventory of nylon 6 and nylon 66 grades, so we are welcoming prospective customers.”

In addition to nylon 6 for industrial and automotive applications such as underhood parts, PolyOne’s PlastiComp business is also offering blends of nylon 6 and nylon 66 in long-fiber formulations.

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

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

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Another alternative is DSM’s Stanyl nylon 46 with high stiffness retention up to 554 F and excellent wear and abrasion resistance in combination with low friction at elevated temperatures. It is recommended for parts are exposed to wear and friction (such as gears and chain tensioners), or exposed to demanding loads in hot air (such as charge-air ducts) or oil (such as some engine and transmission components).

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.

EcoPaXX nylon 410, a high-performance biobased nylon, was cited for applications where parts are exposed to water or glycol such as in automotivethermal management. It demonstrates low moisture absorption and excellent chemical resistance, a high crystallization rate for fast and easy processing, and the highest melting point of all biobased nylons at up to 482 F.

Still, nearly all industry sources contacted concede that they have customers expressing concern about the higher prices and the resin tightness. Sources at PolyOne Corp., Avon Lake, Ohio, reported that they saw this concern in early 2017, when nylon started getting tight, with customers asking for market data, price forecasts, and details on supply constraints. By the same token, PolyOne sources maintain that very few customers have switched to other resins. Said one, “We have some customers who are trying nylon 6, but the more dominant switch is from prime to recycled or wide-spec nylon 66.”

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.

A sampling of these and other engineering thermoplastics suppliers, compounders and distributors were asked to weigh in, both on their view of the constrained resin situation and their readiness to assist customers with alternative materials where feasible. Nearly all concede that the automotive sector posed the most concern due to the many applications for which nylon 66 is specified and because specification of any replacement cannot occur overnight.

For electrical and lighting applications such as connectors, housings for electrical control units, and sensors, where better dimensional stability is a requirement, Szendro cited Ultradur PBT grades.

While the nylon 66 tightness may not prove long-lasting, resin suppliers, compounders, and distributors have mobilized to offer processors an array of ‘replacement’ materials.

According to Wilson, Solvay already has several active developments underway to help customers convert to other resins in the company’s portfolio. “Typically, nylon 66 users try to substitute with products based on PP, nylon 6, or PBT. If these polymers cannot meet the technical requirements, or if costly retooling is required, they then turn to high-performance nylons such as our Omnix HPPA, Ixef PARA, or Amodel PPA.” He added that there are several advantages to moving up the performance pyramid from nylon 66 with such materials. Parts can often be made with thinner walls and therefore use less resin making parts lighter with an overall lower cost and without the need for new or modified tooling. Wilson noted that the surge in nylon 66 pricing has significantly narrowed the price gap versus high-performance engineering resins.

TK Mold applies AM to produce mould inserts where conventional subtractive machining is unable to achieve the necessary quality and productivity at a reasonable cost. The example presented here is common in the packaging sector – particularly for products linked to the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Used as an element of the packaging box of a smartwatch, the plastic part is the support for fixing the watch inside the box (Fig. 2).

Sources at DowDupont, while acknowledging a temporary tightness in the nylon 66 supply chain, report that they have maintained an uninterrupted supply of nylon products and remain confident in their ability to continue supplying long-term customers with Zytel nylon 66 resins. They noted that the company is the only major nylon 66 supplier with world-scale polymerization and compounding in North America, Europe and Asia.

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BASF, meanwhile, is committed to the nylon 66 market, as it continues to see significant global growth potential, according to Mark Szendro, marketing director for performance materials transportation in North America. “We are continuously pursuing all options to source products along the nylon 66 value chain. However, the reality is that demand is outstripping supply and this will continue for the next several years. This is why BASF is investing in the future with our planned acquisition of Solvay’s polyamide business. The purchase would strengthen BASF’s polyamide 66 value chain through increased polymerization capacities and backward integration into the key raw material ADN.”  He added that BASF recognizes the need to pursue alternative materials in the interim and is working closely with customers to identify specific applications that could use alternative materials such as nylon 6, PBT or PPA.

As reported in a PT blog in July, director of applications development Cliff Watkins of resin distributor PolySource, offered key talking points on this issue to inform customers and to discuss its nylon 66 replacement offerings, which include, nylon 6, PBT, PPA, and aliphatic polyketone.

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

With user-defined threshold values, this referencing process offers exceptional repeatability and accuracy without any risk of human error. Furthermore, the use of the laser enables the referencing of multiple parts on the same build platform in a single operation, further accelerating high-volume production. Thanks to this optical system’s exceptional level of accuracy, the final quality of the referencing operation, and thus of the resulting hybrid parts, is higher as well.

A key criterion for selecting a material in the E/E market, particularly for small parts such as connectors, is cycle time. Chirino said Lanxess has seen increased interest in its Pocan XF (eXtreme Flow) PBT and PBT blends. These reportedly have shrinkage and mechanical properties very similar to nylon 66; but because of the low viscosity, these PBTs can be molded at lower temperatures, reducing cooling time in injection molding, which has led to 15% shorter cycles in some cases.

While the adoption of AM is increasing, many manufacturers are still reluctant to take this step. One of the biggest challenges in using AM is the need to integrate the new process into manufacturing workflows built on well-established, mature manufacturing technologies. In particular, in the mould-making segment, additively manufactured components and inserts require – in nearly all cases – additional subtractive machining operations to achieve the very high surface quality required on the mould surface.

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

Additional considerations are the cost savings that are available due to improved productivity by reducing the hourly cost of machine use and increased flexibility in terms of machine capacity. Due to the improvements in thermal homogeneity and the reduction or elimination of hot spots, TK Mold also improved repeatability and final part quality, thereby reducing these waste costs while better satisfying its end customer.

Reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the third quarter marked their highest ever level, eclipsing the previous record set in the second quarter of 2022.

For applications where parts are exposed to demanding loads in hot air such as charge-air ducts, BASF offers Ultramid Advance PPA.

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Additionally, some traditional design considerations for the mould-making sector are still valid in the case of additively manufactured moulds and dies. These mainly concern the minimum distance of channels from part walls for structural resistance, as well as the pressure drop throughout the whole channel path, and ease of cleaning (both mostly influenced by the channel section size, path and number of branches). Leakage is not an option. In these cases, the minimum distance should be large enough to safely process and post-process the mould. Thus, from the design phase, risks can be greatly reduced.

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Driven by brand owner demands and new worldwide legislation, the entire supply chain is working toward the shift to circularity, with some evidence the circular economy has already begun.

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In Fig. 8, we can analyse and compare the potential hot spots during injection with or without conformal channels. Here again, we observe a decrease in the temperature of the hot spots, going for example from 96°C to 86°C. Most important is the much more even temperature gradient, which is the critical factor influencing the quality of the part in terms of warpage and distortion. In this specific case, a productivity increase is the main goal, but customers are always looking for quality improvements.Today, these simulations are more reliable as rheology models have improved, taking cooling geometries into consideration; this type of data was previously not easy to simulate.

Surface and sub-surface porosities are particularly critical for mould and die applications, as they may emerge on the part cavity walls after their subsequent machining, leading to defects on the moulded product; moreover, they may be greatly detrimental for the lifetime of the mould/die, constantly undergoing thermal fatigue while being in operation. Thanks to a finely tuned laminar argon flow, the DMP Flex 350 ensures a high removal rate of fumes which are the main driver of inconsistent density (Fig. 12).

For flame-retardant applications, Lanxess has positioned its new Pocan BFN2502 unfilled, halogen-free PBT to replace halogen-free, unfilled nylon 66.

A collaboration between show organizer PLASTICS, recycler CPR and size reduction experts WEIMA and Conair recovered and recycled all production scrap at NPE2024.

3DXpert includes tools such as the ‘heat map’, which allows designers to quickly evaluate the homogeneity and efficiency of the cooling. This does not replace more complete rheology simulations, but allows the user to quickly assess the design quality early in the process.

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.

In conclusion, for the mould and die as well as other sectors, a whole ecosystem has to be considered, encompassing software, AM and subtractive machines, materials, automation and tooling solutions. These must be efficiently combined and integrated to drive design and manufacturing costs down, thus allowing AM technology to express its full potential as an industrial process.

With advocacy, communication and sustainability as three main pillars, Seaholm leads a trade association to NPE that ‘is more active today than we have ever been.’

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.

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In addition, when using AM directly on a section of the final machined geometry, the costly cutting operation needed to remove the insert from the build platform is eliminated. This combination of subtractive and additive technologies – which is proving cost-effective – results in what is now commonly referred to as a hybrid part.

Lastly, the use of dedicated tooling and fixtures, such as those from GF Machining Solutions’ System 3R unit, allows the hybrid parts built in the DMP machine to undergo all the necessary post-processing operations with reduced setup and changeover times, thanks to the standardised part interfaces being compatible with multiple machines.

Although industry sources concede that several nylon 66 component manufacturers and end-use OEMs are evaluating alternative materials, actual replacement to date appears to have been quite limited. One reason, according to Chris Wilson, v.p. and head of crystalline business for Solvay Specialty Polymers, is that making a switch is no small feat. “Switching from nylon 66 to an alternative material is generally not as easy as just dropping a new resin into the machine. Oftentimes, potential impacts on dimensions, part features or the performance of the part need to be considered. Choosing a supplier that can provide technical and application development support should be part of the decision as well.”

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.

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.

To overcome this issue, GF Machining Solutions and 3D Systems have developed a software solution that leverages the power of the meltpool monitoring hardware available on the partners’ DMP series of metal AM machines. In machines such as the DMP Flex 350, DMP Monitoring in-process monitoring software acquires meltpool data during the build process to detect potential defects such as lack-of-fusion pores.The DMP Calibration tool function exploits this light-sensing monitoring hardware for another purpose: scanning preforms to identify pre-machined locating holes in the part surface. The contrast in light reflection between the part surface and such holes allows for an extremely reliable method of establishing the precise location of the preform on the build platform (Fig. 9).

Once the part is built (Fig. 13), final machining operations are required to achieve the expected surface roughness on the final geometry. A first programming stage is performed to generate the tool path for the surface finishing of the required area. A real benefit here is 3D Systems’ Cimatron® software, which provides the technology user with a seamless transition between AM and post-machining.

Jose Chirino, technical director of the Americas region for the high-performance materials business unit of Lanxess, reported that for several months, the company’s sales and technical teams have been engaging in frank discussions with customers about the material selection process. “We’ve found that many times the chosen material is more historical than truly engineered into the application. We have questioned this approach and had success in switching customers who are seeing a surge in their part cost due to raw-material increases and are concerned as well about short and mid-term material availability. But apart from cost and availability issues, many nylon 6 and PBT grades can nowadays meet crucial requirements with regards to properties, such as mechanical or thermal performance, surface quality and flame retardancy.”

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● DowDuPont: While company sources are not aware of any customers who have switched to alternatives, for those that do want to qualify alternative solutions for existing commercial applications in automotive, E/E, industrial or consumer markets, DuPont offers Zytel nylon 6, Zytel HTN PPA, Crastin PBT, Rynite PET, and Delrin POM acetal.

Instead, manufacturers generally have to rely on visual alignment or external coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) to confirm positioning accuracy. Both techniques are time-consuming and, in the case of simple visual alignment, prone to operator error. With variances in excess of 100 µm, these techniques are also unable to provide the accuracy required for most final applications.

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.

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.