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.

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

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.

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

Multiplying this factor by the reference time of 20,000 hours would give an expected lifetime for the material at room temperature of 1,280,000 hours (a little over 146 years). Even if we dial back the acceleration factor to a level lower than anything we have ever observed, 1.5 for example (to account for what are called cage effects), we still end up with a projected room-temperature lifetime of 26 years. Because the lowest projected continuous use temperature for the nylon 66 is 10oC higher, all these projections would increase by 1.5 to two times, to yield a result of approximately 40-50 years.

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.

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.

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.

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

To give everyone the benefit of the doubt, we can select the low end of the published range — 100oC for the nylon 66 and 90oC for the nylon 12. Additional caution can be employed by assuming the warehouse temperature (in Nebraska) averaged 30oC (86oF) year-round. This assumption also makes the math simpler. Now, consider that for the nylon 12, a difference of 60oC (140oF) between 90oC and 30oC would slow down the rate of oxidation by a factor of 26 (64).

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

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

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.

Of course, these questions can be readily answered by performing tests on the “old” material and a newly minted lot. Molecular weight determinations can be a good place to begin, and as a follow-up, specimens can be molded from the two lots and the mechanical properties can be compared. But, based on the logic we have gone through above, it would be expected that the material that has been sitting on the warehouse shelf for two years will be perfectly serviceable.

Baystar's Borstar technology is helping customers deliver better, more reliable production methods to greenhouse agriculture.

But moisture absorption and removal is a reversible process. Ostensibly, shelf-life concerns would pertain to nonreversible mechanisms. Among these would be loss of volatile constituents such as plasticizers. The principal concern, however, is oxidation. All polymers are susceptible to oxidation to some degree. This will depend upon the chemistry of the polymer and the level of stabilization provided against the mechanism. We understand that the rate of oxidation increases with rising temperature, and a useful rule of thumb that governs this relationship between time and temperature states that with every increase of 10oC the reaction rate doubles, thus reducing the expected life of the material by 50%.

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

This is impressive and meaningful work — much needed on campus and in all communities. Thank you for leading this effort!

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

The impetus behind the recycling project was to give the students an authentic experience in plastics recycling. “Often times we hear that plastic waste is not being handled properly and can end up in our local watershed. The Ocean Cleanup project is a non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic,” says Manusos. “The Ocean Cleanup and movements like “Precious Plastic” have many YouTube videos on how to reuse plastic in a meaningful way rather than throwing it away and having it land in the ocean. Precious Plastics also offers guidance, and schematics on building equipment for plastics recycling, opening a local recycling hub, and running an online store devoted to promoting the sale of plastic goods or equipment needed for these processes.”

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.

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

A few weeks ago, a longtime colleague emailed me with a question about the shelf life of two nylon materials. One was a 30% carbon fiber-reinforced nylon 66, while the other was a 20% glass fiber-reinforced nylon 12. My colleague’s company had inherited these materials along with the associated molds and their customer had no need for additional molded parts until two years after the jobs had been transferred.

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.

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

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.

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.

Coverage of single-use plastics can be both misleading and demoralizing. Here are 10 tips for changing the perception of the plastics industry at your company and in your community.

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

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.

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

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael Sepe is an independent materials and processing consultant based in Sedona, Arizona, with clients throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He has more than 45 years of experience in the plastics industry and assists clients with material selection, designing for manufacturability, process optimization, troubleshooting and failure analysis. Contact: 928-203-0408 • mike@thematerialanalyst.com

This is an exponential relationship, so a rise of 20oC will increase the reaction rate by a factor of 4 (22), a 30oC increase quickens the process by a factor of 8 (23) and so on. We know from studies that the base acceleration rate per 10oC increase is not always exactly 2. It has been observed to be as low as 1.8 and as high as 2.5, but using the generic value of 2 enables a reasonable estimate of how a material will survive exposure to elevated temperatures.

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

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.

“In addition to making durable items, students have the ethical implications for thinking about what they’re doing, what they’re making and how it will be used,” says Manusos. “And they use critical thinking to figure it out from start to finish – how the durable goods should be designed, produced, and put into the hands of others. What we do with the products when they are no longer useful and whether we can design products that can be recycled again are also important considerations.

The recycling process will be presented to Millersville’s Council of Trustees at their Sept. 21 meeting. Millersville students Lauren Coca and Jackson Harral will present with Manusos at the meeting.

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

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.

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

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

In this 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.

It takes a lot of coordination, smarts and a rather large shredder to take post-consumer plastic, like plastic water or soda bottles, and repurpose them into something more permanent. But that’s exactly what’s happening at Millersville University.

“Currently, our students bring in their own plastic waste to be sorted, cleaned, shredded and turned into something different,” explains Dominick Manusos, assistant professor in Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology. “We take the plastic waste, sort it by type and color, clean and wash it, shred it, put it through any number of machines and processes to make something useful.”

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

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

Price relief is expected to continue through the fourth quarter for nine major commodity and engineering resins, driven by widespread supply/demand imbalances.

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.

Students get involved in the project from across campus. They may talk about the project in an AEST class, while others have done independent studies or honors theses or become involved through a club. Manusos says the SME club (Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is one of the most involved student organizations with the project.

Manusos applied for and received a $2,500 Positive Energy Fund grant from the University to purchase materials to build an extruder, an injection molder and to upgrade an existing plastics shredder. This will allow the department to scale up its capacity as the MU Sustainability Club scales up its collection.

There is a myth in our industry that nylon exposed to the air becomes “saturated” and will never dry. But saturation comes from immersion in water and results in moisture content levels of 8.5-9% in nylon 6 and 66. Studies have shown that nylon 66 exposed to typical ambient conditions absorbs approximately 2.2-2.5% moisture by weight of polymer and with some patience and time that moisture is removable. Nevertheless, it is true that once out of the original package, nylon can become more challenging to process.

Is there a way to establish an expected shelf life for a material based on published data? In the case of these two materials sitting in my colleague’s warehouse, the answer was yes. The data sheets for both materials published something referred to as a continuous use temperature. This can be a rather loosely defined metric, but it does provide a point of reference for creating an expectation of longevity.

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

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.

Harral says the experience has been a good one for him, “Recycling opens up a huge number of doors in the fields of engineering and art. Personally, I have found huge capabilities in using collected plastic and reconstituting it into an engineering medium, rather than simply putting it in a bin, only to maybe get recycled at a plant.”

“Our efforts are going toward using 100% of recycled plastic collected locally to make new products, tools, and art. This includes things such as cutting boards, keychains, bowls, plates, frisbees, tool handles and so much more,” says Harral.

So here is the question for material suppliers: If their own published data suggests that parts molded from these materials could last for a quarter to half a century at room temperature, what is it that makes the pellets from which we will produce these parts so fragile that their integrity would be called into question after 12 months? There is an obvious problem in logic here. A cynical person might conclude that this discussion about shelf life, at least in this case, is a disingenuous playing of a “get out of jail free” card.

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).

Operating within guidelines from material suppliers can produce levels of polymer degradation. Get around it with better control over either the temperature of the melt or the barrel residence time.

Manusos says the students will get to decide what they will make from recycled plastic this semester. It could be Millersville keychains or maybe Millersville branded coasters. He says they hope to sell the products at the bookstore on campus. Another thing they’ve considered is selling shredded plastic by the pound.

For the nylon 66, the continuous use temperature, as determined by ISO 2578, was given as 100-120oC (212-248oF). For the nylon 12, the published range was 90-120oC (194-248oF). The question then becomes, what time period is referred to by the term “continuous?” Often this refers to a period of 5,000 hours. But, in discussing this property with the material supplier, they offered that continuous in this case referred to 20,000 hours.

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.

The customer was now expressing concern that the raw materials, which were still in their original packaging and had been stored in an indoor warehouse during this time, had expired and that their properties would have been compromised. An appeal to the material supplier brought only a statement saying they would stand behind the material if it was less than a year old.

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.

While the issue of shelf life appears to have no merit in this particular case, there are instances where it can be a concern. This is a combination of the material in question and some questionable practices in storing the materials. We will address these in our next segment.

Is a two-year-old hygroscopic resin kept in its original packaging still useful? Let’s try to answer that question and clear up some misconceptions.

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.

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

“These will be items made out of 100% recycled plastic,” says Manusos. “It’s from plastic from our campus that would have been tossed. It’s a great way to promote sustainability – making a durable item from something that people likely would have thrown away.”

This raises a common conversation in the industry regarding the longevity of raw materials if they are kept in storage for an extended period of time, and there are multiple factors that need to be considered. First, is the material in its original packaging and has that packaging been breached in any way? Has it been been punctured with a forklift, or have stacked gaylords collapsed into one another? This will introduce at least the possibility of contamination. In this case, the potential problems are more significant because these are nylons, which are very hygroscopic materials that can absorb significant amounts of moisture from the atmosphere over time.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

Manusos hopes to grow the program by building additional equipment and working with the Sustainability Club on campus so they can take in plastic from across the campus, from offices, residence halls, the cafeteria, etc., and make it into something useful.

This is great news! I would love to see you make benches and tables from plastics on campus! This campus needs to recycle! All trash bins on campus should have a recylce bin next to it! Thank you for all you are doing!! Go Ville!!

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“AEST is good at engineering, designing and fabricating things,” said Manusos, “so it made sense to build equipment to recycle plastic. A few years ago, our students built a plastic shredder using the Precious Plastics plans; the recent grant dollars were used, in part, to help upgrade that machine. These grant dollars were also used to support the construction of an extruder, which takes the chipped-up plastic and extrudes it into a long filament, similar to a weed whacker trimmer line. This project was largely the work of one of our students who was using the project for his Honors Thesis. This machine, when complete can be used to create the aw filament needed to feed our 3D printers,  or the resulting filament can be chipped up and used in our injection molding machines.”

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.