Smarter, and More Efficient - plastic injection molding press

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

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.

FIG 6 Scanning electron micrograph of a typical three-layer foam structure, with a 1.3 mm total thickness, outer solid skin layer of 0.17 mm, foam layer of 0.92 mm and inner solid skin layer of 0.21 mm.

Blow pressure was then applied, typically lower than for solid molding, sometimes in multiple stages. The lower pressure at these thicknesses does not introduce the need for greater cooling time or a change in mold venting. In the process, minor calibration or crushing of the structure takes place to leave the final product as shown in Fig. 5. For example, the final foam parison from Fig. 4 is 2.16 mm, which is calibrated (compressed) by nearly 50% during the blow process to leave a final thickness of 1.12 mm, shown in Fig. 5.

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

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

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.

Trexel, a market leader in foaming technologies for lightweighting, and W. Müller, a market leader in blow molding multilayer head design, have partnered to create a lightweighting solution for inclusion of PCR and lowering the cost of bottle production without significantly sacrificing mechanical properties. Trexel has been delivering both physical and chemical foam lightweighting solutions for injection and blow molding. Its MuCell physical foaming technology is now standard or optional on many OEM injection molding platforms. With a recent focus on packaging solutions in injection molding, plus the company’s history of foaming blow-molded automotive ducts with the accumulator-head process, Trexel has implemented a MuCell foaming solution for extrusion blow molding (EBM) on shuttle and wheel machinery. Trexel is now working with brand owners on scale-up bottle projects.

Of particular importance to the process is the ability of the Trexel SCF (supercritical fluid) delivery system to respond to pressure fluctuation that may arise from the addition of some lower-grade PCR to the extruder. Trexel’s proprietary system will “learn” process patterns and react to real-time events to keep foaming levels consistent to ensure process stability and consistent bottle geometry. To enable this, simple process timing signals from the blow molding machine are used.

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).

When it comes to establishing a footprint in the medical technology sector, it's good to keep in mind the principles of the "20-mile march," says Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (Bolton, ON, Canada). History buffs will remember that setting a consistent, forward-moving pace for his team, in good weather and bad, resulted in Roald Amundsen beating Robert Scott and his weary band of explorers to the South Pole in 1911.

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.

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

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

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 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

FIG 2 Left: Solid, natural color. Middle: Foamed with no TiO2. Right: Foamed with 2 wt% TiO2 in outside skin. Foaming adds opacity with less or no need for pigment.

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.

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

FIG 1 Retrofit of Trexel’s B-Series gas-metering equipment to add blowing agent to the polymer melt through a port in the extruder barrel. (Images: Trexel Inc.)

Follow these best practices to minimize loss of time, material and labor during color changes in molding containers from bottles to jerrycans. The authors explore what this means for each step of the process, from raw-material infeed to handling and reprocessing tails and trim.

Hamilton Plastics taps into its 30-plus years of know-how in high-barrier films by bringing novel, custom-engineered, nine-layer structures resulting from the investment in two new lines.

"Seamless integration" is a hallmark of Husky's systems approach and one-stop solution for customers, explains Zhang. Three divisions operate within Husky: Beverage packaging and closures; medical and specialty packaging, which includes specialty closures, formed in part as a result of the acquisition of KTW in 2011 and Schöttli; and hot runners and controllers. "From Hylectric hybrid injection molding systems to the molds, Husky is able to provide seamless integration that results in performance, productivity and output improvements."

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.

It is anticipated that in the future Trexel’s SCF delivery system controls will be integrated into the W. Müller control system to provide a one-stop foaming add-on which will convert an existing monolayer system to a full multilayer foam system.

Use of recycled plastics materials is a critical factor in the move toward a fully closed-loop economy in the plastic industry. Simply put, producers must reduce their energy and raw-material consumption to meet strict new legislation touted for introduction in 2025, as laid out in the proposed packaging regulation published in November 2022 by the European Commission. Cosmetic products that are contact-sensitive, for example, will contain 40% postconsumer regrind (PCR) and all other bottle packaging will contain 35% and 65% by 2030 and 2065, respectively. This is a tall order.

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.

The result was a foamed bottle that is 6 g lighter, with an overall density of 0.830 g/cc and a core density of 0.760 g/cc. Nominal thickness of the outside layer was the same as in the solid structure, and extra thickness to maintain stiffness came from the foamed layer. The cycle time in this instance was reduced by 2.5 sec. The final metrics of the bottle are shown in the table in Fig. 5, which notes savings in bottle weight, cost and cycle time. It should be noted there are multiple ways to quantify the savings. Cycle time may remain constant (same volumetric output) but with reduced material consumption; or alternatively there might be similar material (weight) throughput as with a solid wall, but with increased volume output —  more bottles per hour. In this case study, it was a mixture of both.

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

To retrofit the pumping system, a hole is drilled in the existing barrel in a position so there is enough residence time to dissolve nitrogen gas in the melt. Trexel has conducted background research to mathematically define the exact parameters required to ensure homogeneous gas diffusion in such processes through work with its recently patented injection molding screw designs. Because almost 10 times less gas is used in the foam blow molding process than in injection molding, there is usually enough residence time to mix gas with the existing blow molding screw design, and therefore the process will not typically require a new screw and barrel.

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.

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

Of particular importance is the ability of the gas-injection system to respond to pressure fluctuation that may arise from addition of some lower-grade PCR to the extruder.

The challenge is not only the supply, availability and quality of recycled resins but also the development of new processes to enable their use and exploit their potential. With the sudden requirement for PCR and the need for respectable quality, cost will likely be an issue. Brand owners, in particular, are looking for ways to remain cost-competitive with the virgin product configurations of today’s common packaging specifications. Lightweighting through foaming has also gained growing attention and process adoption in recent years as an alternative to downgauging, which may compromise topload performance.

W. Müller has installed two lab foaming systems, one at its headquarters in Troisdorf, Germany, and the second at its U.S. office in Agawam, Mass. They are both equipped with Trexel’s latest B120 SCF delivery system and handled bottle mold for use in demonstrations. Clients may also pick from other standard molds or supply their own molds to test out the technology.

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.

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

Weight was then reduced in the core extruder, as shown in the center bar in Fig. 4; here the tail was too short to actually mold a product. Gas was then injected and the structure was foamed back to a thickness similar to a solid part, as shown on the right-hand bar of Figure 4. Given that stiffness is a key factor that varies as a cube function of nominal thickness, overall thickness can be manipulated to offset the reduction in density, which varies only linearly with stiffness. In essence, foam has a better stiffness-to-weight ratio than solid structures.

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

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

The following case study was used to corroborate and summarize recent work using the demonstration mold. A blow molding system was configured as in Fig. 2 and combined with Trexel’s handled bottle mold as shown in Fig. 3. The die tooling was downsized such that the parison layflat dimension was the same for solid and foamed extrudate – yielding the same amount of flash/top/tail. In some cases, die ovalization may change slightly from that for a solid product.

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.

Three base tests were performed on the test bottle. The drop-impact test was 11.5 ft for the foamed bottle with an ESCR test pass. Topload test results showed that for the same weight (comparing Trials 8 and 11 in Fig. 7), force per mm of thickness was the same for foamed and unfoamed bottles. Furthermore, the foamed bottle showed a 20% increase in total energy absorbed before the peak topload was reached.

"The linkage between Husky and Schöttli will become more evident in time on the websites, but it's important to us that Schöttli's culture and way of working is preserved," says Zhang. "We have maintained the Schöttli brand via the core business and customer interface, because it is such a strong and well-respected brand. While Schöttli has a stand-alone website and business, it is wrapped around Husky's global sales and service network," stresses Zhang.

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.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sam Dix is the R&D director at Trexel and previously of Zotefoams PLC. He has dedicated over 20 years to developing innovative lightweighting solutions for the plastics industry. This has included a wide range of hardware, systems and processes for customers worldwide. Contact: S.Dix@trexel.com; 781-266-7391; trexel.com.

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

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

W. Müller’s multilayer head and extruder systems can be retrofitted to most monolayer systems as well as on a new system. W. Müller, which built its first three-layer head in 1990, brings significant process experience with PCR-laden products through its RECO head series. MuCell is a physical foaming process, depending partially on the pressure events in the head or multiple heads in structure of three or more layers. As noted by Jens Schlueter, president of W. Müller USA, “Although there are many standard three-layer extrusion head designs out in the market, it is essential to have the experience with how to create designs that accommodate the foaming process. Understanding melt flow, melt pressure and how to perfectly dimension the flow channels inside the head is critical to a successful foaming application. Our expertise in providing custom-designed heads for different materials and designs ensures that our customers get the right solution for their needs and particular specifications.”

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.

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.

Editor in chief of PlasticsToday since 2015, Norbert Sparrow has more than 30 years of editorial experience in business-to-business media. He studied journalism at the Centre Universitaire d'Etudes du Journalisme in Strasbourg, France, where he earned a master's degree.

"Swiss precision and quality come at a premium price, and we are not competing on cost but on value and total cost of ownership," explains Zhang. "Our customers recognize the value that the seamless integration [of our medical business] and Swiss craftsmanship on the moldmaking side bring and the total cost of ownership benefits of reliable, risk-free products," Zhang told PlasticsToday.

This integration benefits customers in a number of ways. Zhang cites, in particular, the overlap between the mold and machine, and mold alignment via the machine controller, which understands the alignment of the mold and where it is positioned to optimize its operation.

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

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.

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.

Trexel has addressed a key shortcoming of previous renditions of the foaming technology — in particular, drop-impact resistance has been addressed, while topload strength can be maintained by increasing thickness at the foamed lower density. Foaming will not be suitable for every product, such as monolayer, very thin, heavily embossed or with ultrahigh drop-impact requirements. But the list of successful applications is ever growing and gaining attention.

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

FIG 7 Topload tests show that for foamed and unfoamed bottles of the same weight (trials 8 & 11), topload force per mm of thickness was the same, but the foamed bottle exhibited 20% more total energy absorbed before peak topload was reached. A solid bottle of the same thickness but higher weight showed greater topload strength.

At K 2022 this month, W. Müller is presenting a system for PCR processing in a three-layer coextrusion, using an energy-saving barrel-heating system.

FIG 4 Parison layer structures between solid and foam test bottles. Die tooling was downsized so that the parison layflat dimension was the same for solid and foamed extrudate – producing the same amount of flash/top/tail.

Further work is now being conducted on different materials and shapes for brand owners. This extends to biopolymers, which will not be subjected to the regulations in Europe when they begin to roll out but would benefit from cost reduction. Work is also being conducted on wheel machines where the technology has been run successfully at full scale on larger bottles for applications like household detergents.

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.

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.

Trexel has shown a new and improved way to foam bottles with the ability to reduce the cost of PCR-laden bottles and/or simply to lightweight bottles as an alternative to downgauging which is limited by topload strength. Foam has an improved stiffness-to-weight ratio and provides opacity without adding masterbatch.

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.

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.

When it comes to establishing a footprint in the medical technology sector, it's good to keep in mind the principles of the "20-mile march," says Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. (Bolton, ON, Canada). History buffs will remember that setting a consistent, forward-moving pace for his team, in good weather and bad, resulted in Roald Amundsen beating Robert Scott and his weary band of explorers to the South Pole in 1911. "When the opportunity came along for Husky to purchase Swiss moldmaker Schöttli in 2013, it was in perfect alignment with our vision of the company's 20-mile march as it grew into the medical business," Henry Zhang, Director of Business Development, Medical and Specialty Packaging Business, told PlasticsToday. The flag has not been fully planted yet, but the process is well underway.

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.

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

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

Learn here how to take advantage of new lightweighting and recycle utilization opportunities in consumer packaging, thanks to a collaboration of leaders in microcellular foaming and multilayer head design.

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.

At the beginning of the month, Husky announced the appointment of Johannes Strassner to lead the company's medical business unit, including its mold and tool-making sites in Diessenhofen, Switzerland, and San Dimas, CA. It described the move as a further step in the alignment of its business unit. That alignment, or integration, has been largely completed in the back end of the business, says Zhang, but it is still a work in progress in the customer-facing part of the operations. In particular, the companies' respective websites remain fairly segregated. There's a reason for that, as Zhang explains.

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.

Beyond Plastic and partners have created a certified biodegradable PHA compound that can be injection molded into 38-mm closures in a sub 6-second cycle from a multicavity hot runner tool.

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

An important factor in the technology, as noted, is the homogeneous mixing of gas, but also the synergy of the gas desorption at the instant that pressure is released at the die exit. This creates very small bubbles with an aspect ratio typically no more than 2:1 and cell size less than 100 microns after blowing (Fig. 6). The foam parison continues expanding such that there is ample thickness in the base of the bottle. Unlike traditional nucleating agents, the proprietary nucleant additive in this process does not negatively affect impact strength (if, for example, you were to put it in an unfoamed product). The combination of those factors enables the foam technology to apply to much larger bottles than just 200 ml and pass impact tests.

MuCell technology gains new momentum in blow molded packaging through this partnership of a leader in physical foaming with supercritical gases and a leader in coex blow molding hardware and controls.

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.

FIG 5 Final bottle structures after blowing and foam versus solid metrics (table), showing savings in bottle weight, cost and cycle time.

The multilayer solution involves metering nitrogen into the barrel of the EBM machine and foaming the core layer of a three-layer sandwich such that the layer ratio (by thickness) remains similar to the solid predecessor three-layer design but with reduced weight in the PCR core. There is also reduced core extruder speed associated with a given volumetric bottle output. By specifically coupling the MuCell process with a proprietary patented additive, impact strength, topload and ESCR will pass the necessary industry tests. Typically, there has been an improvement of up to 3 times in impact performance over previous foaming technologies, which is driving the ability to make larger foam-core bottles. The system and method are license-free and may be retrofitted to the existing screw and barrel, as depicted in Fig. 1. In addition to weight savings, TiO2 and other white masterbatches can often be reduced or eliminated, because foam adds an opaque appearance, as shown in Fig. 2.

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 Schöttli is, indeed, a globally respected name in the development and production of high-precision, high-performance molds and injection molding for the medical and other sectors, there is a cost associated with Swiss engineering exceptionalism. Not only are Swiss products pricey to begin with, the strength of the Swiss franc has been a double whammy for export-minded manufacturers.

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.

Foaming can be retrofitted to old machines or installed as new. In the former instance, W. Müller and Trexel have partnered to provide the ability to change a monolayer machine to make multilayer foam structures with minimal capital investment and no royalties.