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.

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 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

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.

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.

Niigata will debut the patented Shot Maker technology at the PTXPO (March 28-30; Chicago), allowing molders to quickly change a press’s shot size by swapping out the barrel’s stroke section.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Installed on a 110-ton MD-S8000 all-electric injection molding machine, the Shot Maker will allow Niigata to change the shot sizes its running at the show from 2.75 to 4.37 to 6.53 oz. Niigata will be demonstrating the Shot Maker by molding a foldable phone holder from a family tool. The 6-cavity tool makes three different sizes of the phone holders, with two cavities forming one holder. The smallest shot size can make one holder, with the medium making four and the largest able to fill all six cavities. The tool was built to show off the both the Shot Maker and Niigata’s Constant Pressure Flow (CPF) mode, which automatically compensates for the unbalanced tool.

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

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

Encompassing the stroke section of the barrel from stroke forward, Shot Maker allows molders to alter that portion of the barrel’s diameter. Steve Cunningham, general manager Niigata USA Injection Molding Div., told Plastics Technology that the machine at PTXPO will have a 30-mm standard barrel, which is also the size of the screw. When the forward stroke section is changed via the Shot Maker, the barrel diameter is altered to either 35 or 40 mm.

Cunningham says Shot Maker targets the molder who can tackle most jobs with a specific tonnage of machine but has some outlier molds that would require a different injection unit or an entirely new press. “I’ve sold machines for many, many years,” Cunningham says, “and I’d sit down with an owner and he’d say, “I want to buy a 110-ton machine, and 80% of my work can be done with smallest screw and barrel, but I do have a few jobs that need the bigger shot size.’”

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

Niigata will display the all-new Shot Maker technology on this 110-ton MD-S8000 all-electric injection molding machine at PTXPO. Photo Credit: Niigata

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

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

A new low-friction, high-hardness coating is poised to expand the range of surface treatments to help tooling stand up to tough moulding challenges. The new diamond-like coating can increase the mould service life by up to 10 times compared to the state of the art.

At the upcoming PTXPO (March 28-30; Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, Ill.), injection molding machine maker Niigata will offer the global debut of its patented Shot Maker technology that allows molders to quickly and easily change the barrel capacity of a press.

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Telephones, PC parts, toys, electrical plugs, and other everyday products like shoes and pens are made with plastics using a process called injection moulding. The technology can produce identical parts at high volumes at a low cost per part. However, its start-up cost is relatively high, mainly because custom tooling is needed. An injection mould can cost anywhere between EUR 100 000 and EUR 300 000, depending on its complexity, material and accuracy.

Sales, service and support, parts and repair will be handled directly from Illinois HQ. Machinery sales vet Cunningham named G.M.

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

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.

New trade show for plastics processors to evaluate new technology will be held for the second time in March in Rosemont, Ill., with some new wrinkles.

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.

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

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

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.

Facing this situation, molders often choose to buy the larger injection unit and subsequently have too big a shot capacity for 80% of their work, which makes it difficult to optimize their processes. Doing so accommodates all the tools that are going to run on the machine, but it often pushes the press out of its “sweet spot”, Cunningham notes.

Another advantage pointed out by Cunningham: whenever you have any issue with the screw tip, you now have fast accessibility for inspection, cleaning, replacement or more. For medical molders that have to certify their machines annually, including the condition of the screw tip, they can now do so in 15 minutes versus the hours that were typically used to pull the entire screw from the machine.

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

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

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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.

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

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

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.

Gregory Lewis will occupy the new position created after the injection molding machine supplier began direct sales in the U.S. in 2019.

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.

A patented option that is only available on a Niigata machine, the Shot Maker works by swapping out the end section of the barrel, while the screw and the barrel’s main section remain in place. Changeable by hand in approximately 15 minutes, the Shot Maker is roughly the size of a large end cap, with the three units currently available measuring approximately 6, 8 and 10 in. in length.

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.

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Prolonging tooling service life is of paramount importance for any moulding project since downtime for repairs jeopardises profit margins. According to estimates, around EUR 10 billion are spent each year for maintenance operations worldwide. During the moulding process, the friction forces developed between the closing surface and those contacting the injected plastic largely account for the damage caused to the surfaces. Ultimately, the mould needs to be scrapped. Put together, these significantly affect the mould’s service life. The EU-funded cleanMOULD project demonstrated novel coatings based on a multilayer diamond-like carbon formulation that prolong the life of injection moulding tools, offering corrosion protection, reduced wear and resistance to friction. “Importantly, our novel coating solutions increase mould performance and extend its operation before the need to take it out of service for preventive maintenance,” reports project coordinator Michael Hvam.

A key attribute of the diamond-like carbon coatings is the ability to resist wear by lowering the friction between sliding surfaces. This largely eliminates the need for surface lubrication and post-finishing, which are deemed primary sources of pollutant releases to the atmosphere for certain industries such as pharmaceutical and food. The coatings are applied using a physical vapour deposition process called magnetron sputtering at temperatures as low as 180 °C. Due to this advanced deposition process, the diamond-like carbon coatings can maintain a very thin, uniform finish (1-5 μm) over the entire mould independently of its geometry. “cleanMOULD’s novel coatings optimise both surface hardness and lubricity to minimise the impact of fretting,” notes Hvam. The high hardness of the newly demonstrated diamond-like carbon coatings, which are 8 times harder compared to other coatings, allows the surfaces to become more resistant to scratches that occur during operation. It goes without saying that the absence of oil lubricants makes mould cleaning much easier: it only requires applying ethanol to a cloth for less than 10 minutes. cleanMOULD’s ‘mould breaking’ has the potential to become a key enabling technology for the entire plastics industry. Overall, the return on investment for cleanMOULD users is expected to be over 20 times the expected coating costs, thus providing a compelling value proposition. Pilot-test results demonstrated a sixfold decrease in the maintenance interval compared to state-of-the-art coatings. No fretting corrosion has been observed on any coated moulds. What’s more, “cleanMOULD’s coating demonstrated a decrease in the moulding cycle time of screw lids from 40 to 36 seconds, which is equivalent to an 11 % increase in productivity,” concludes Hvam.

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

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

Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/418344-diamond-like-carbon-coating-offers-relief-to-plastic-injection-moulds

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

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