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.

Visitors to the Reinhardt-Technik booth (Hall A3, Stand 3313) will have the opportunity to view the healthcare sector where LSR processing is prevalent. Manufacturing surgical dental protection covers demands a combination of the thinnest walls and thicker beaded geometries. To accomplish this level of 3-dimensional LSR moulding precision, specialists in healthcare applications EMDE MouldTec supplies the gated 4-cavity mould tool, which fits into the generous tool space of the IntElect 75/420-65.

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.

LSR is regarded as a unique material, in that it remains flexible and elastic down to -50°C, yet also retains its properties up to 200°C. As a result, LSR is used extensively in electronic components, cables etc. where insulation is required, as well as in medical and healthcare products and the consumer goods sector. To support these markets, in the last five years Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has made significant investments developing an all-electric LSR package that inevitably delivers the cleanliness and precise shot control required to handle this low viscosity material. This year’s Fakuma exhibits demonstrate the company’s advanced proficiency in moulding high-specification LSR components, exclaims Aliyev.

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

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

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

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

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.

At Fakuma 2021, Engel’s sim link enables simulation software and injection machine controls to talk to each other in the same language. (Photo: Engel)

To support the high-volume production of individual single wire seals, tooling partner Rico Group reveals its proprietary 256-cavitation LSR mould tool. Combining the direct injection system with double nozzle technology with the IntElect machines optimised clamp force, this LSR package successfully achieves the highest number of cavities in the most compact installation space. The turnkey system coordinates every processing step to efficiently manufacture 256 LSR parts every 15 seconds with minimal flash and material waste. “It’s the definition of high-volume sustainable production,” notes Aliyev.

What I’d really like to see is first-hand experience from a molder with this new integration technology. Where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. That’s where we’ll learn how, and how much, this innovation could help advance the state of the art in injection molding.

Also at K 2019, Arburg unveiled a new digital “filling assistant,” which provides a 3D graphic of the degree of part filling relative to screw position, which can be animated in real time. Huh, I thought. Wonder what you can do with that.

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

At Fakuma 2023, visitors will get the opportunity to see Sumitomo (SH) Demag’s LSR processing competence in two live demonstrations.

Or ... perhaps a process technician at the molding plant could examine the flow simulation on the press control panel and observe exactly when and where the problems occurred during the filling process. Perhaps that examination might suggest some tailoring of the process—maybe an adjustment of the injection speed or pressure profile, correlated with the melt’s arrival at the problem areas in the part. Besides saving time (and perhaps money), this solution might benefit from the molding technician’s closer familiarity with the machine and actual molding than might be the case with the simulation engineer (no offense intended).

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

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.

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

Now this was starting to make sense to me, and it led me back to Arburg’s announcement of its “aXw Control FillAssist” real-time animation of mold filling on the press, correlated with screw position. I’m just spitballing here, but consider this potential scenario:

Depending on whether or not your chosen material is in the simulation database — and sometimes even if it is — analysts will have some important choices to make and factors to be aware of. Learn them here.

Ensuring the material is exposed to a consistent temperature in all 256 cavities, the Rico tool is designed to run on a cold clamping force. This helps to avoid premature curing of the material before every cavity is filled. As a result, it reduces the risk of component and tooling damage, and consequently expensive machine downtime and costly tool repairs.

The eTwin servo-driven piston pumps save processors up to 80% energy compared to air-driven pumps. While the integrated cooling system and pulsation-free volume flow helps to optimise the filling behaviour and prevent the LSR material from curing too soon. The unit also performs automatic venting, purging air from the material before it is fed into the moulding machine and tool. Combined with the IntElect’s high injection dynamics, the repeatable process ensures the highest component quality is achieved time and time again.

Supporting full connectivity, the OPC UA interface facilitates seamless communication between the IntElect machine control and the eTwin Connect dosing system. During every injection cycle, the intuitive, user-friendly multi-touch 15.6 inch HMI capturing all processing documentation, including material pressure, colouring and additive settings, to ensure high-level transparency and traceability.

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.

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

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.

On their main stand, the company highlights its multi-cavity LSR processing competence, including OPC-UA interface compatibility, on an all-electric IntElect 180/570-250 injection moulding machine. Visitors to the Reinhardt-Technik booth (Hall A3, Stand 3313) will have the opportunity to view another market where LSR processing is prevalent, the healthcare sector.

Manufacturing four burr-free dental components every 25 seconds, a Sumitomo (SHI) Demag SAM-C5 robot performs the demoulding task. A special end of arm tool uses compressed air to delicately extract and place the dental covers into containers, ensuring hygiene standards are never compromised.

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.

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

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

So, naturally, I was excited to see it applied directly at the molding press. But the question was, what can you do with it there?

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Given that each dental article weighs just 0.425 grams, and with an LSR shot weight of just 1.7 grams, the exhibit features Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s smallest IntElect injection unit. An LSR eTwin Connect from Reinhardt-Technik delivers material to the needle gate nozzle tool. Material is then injected into each of the four cavities twice. Metering data directly connects to the IntElect processing data via OPC-UA, ensuring a fully traceable and stable production process.

Arburg’s integration of flow simulation on its Gestica controller (aXw Control FillAssist) enables real-time animation of mold filling correlated with screw position. (Photo: Arburg)

The main Sumitomo (SHI) Demag stand (Hall B1, Stand 1105) features a fully electric IntElect 180/570-250 injection moulding machine equipped with an LSR package comprising a twin dosing system, robotics, and vacuum and venting peripheral equipment. In a cycle time of just 17 seconds, this IntElect LSR package manufactures 256 individual 0.06-gram single wire seals with absolute precision and stability. Despite this high throughput, the IntElect machine’s energy consumption remains one of the lowest on the market.

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

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.

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

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

Engel’s sim link data interface for two-way exchange of simulation and process data between Engel machines and simulation programs has been extended to include Simcon’s CADMOULD program.

Next, at K 2019, Engel offered one hint of how this approach could help engineers perform more accurate simulations: Using Engel’s e-connect customer portal, the engineer could go online and select the machine intended for a molding job, and then download from Engel the parameters for machine capabilities—speeds, pressures, acceleration ramps, and temperatures. That way, Engel said, the simulation wouldn’t recommend process values that the machine could not achieve. Sounds sensible, but doesn’t require a display of mold filling on the machine’s control panel.

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

It started coming together clearer for me with Engel’s news from Fakuma 2021 that its sim link machine interface is now available for Cadmould simulation software from Simcon, in addition to Autodesk’s Moldflow. As noted in a recent news item, Simcon illuminated the importance of such integration: For one thing, Simcon pointed out that injection molding simulations can capture process parameters in a format different from that of the actual press control settings, forcing process technicians to translate the information into a format the machine can utilize. Second, if the real-world process is tweaked from what the simulation called for, those changes often never get back to the engineers that ran the simulation, limiting their ability to learn what needed to be adjusted. The benefit of sim link is that it not only translates the simulation software into parameters the machine can understand, but it records and saves any changes to the process from what the simulation specified, so the engineers can see how what Cadmould called for differs from real-world molding of the part.

The molder notices some defects in the molded parts—flash, shorts, burns, weld lines, flow lines, etc.—that may be related to the part or tool design but could possibly be ameliorated with process adjustments.

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.

One response could be to send the affected parts back to the simulation engineer—who may not be on-site at the molding plant—and wait for a proposed solution based on rerunning the simulation with modified process conditions.

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

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

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.

“The market for liquid silicone is growing dynamically, both in terms of applications demanding skills in LSR, as well as volume," observes Rustam Aliyev, the company’s LSR expert and business development director of automotive & electronics.

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.

Molding simulation software is a powerful tool, but what you get out of it depends very much on your initial inputs. Follow these tips to create the most successful simulation possible.

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.

Engel’s simlink will refine offline simulation with results from actual molding and use Engel’s machine data to constrain simulation within the actual machine’s capabilities.

Machine-integrated simulation seems to be still in the developmental stages, and information about its practical utility has trickled out gradually. At Fakuma 2018, the first public appearance of such machine-integrated simulation, Arburg stated that this involves giving the molding press information about the part geometry, which it has never had before. Intriguing, I thought, but not highly illuminating.

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

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

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

“Integrating a high precision dosing system with the IntElect machine and the optimal heat balance attained by the Rico dual tip nozzle delivery system ensures unprecedented distribution of the 15 gram shot weight. The result of the high machine dynamics means that part weight accuracy of 0.059 grams is repeatably replicated in the fastest possible cycle time,” explains Aliyev.

Modular by-design, the LSR eTwin Connect allows for quick configuration of programs and instant software upgrades. To support quick drum changes and for ease of  maintenance, the system also features a roll in device and automatic drum locks.

I’ve been noodling that question around in my head for the last three years, since injection machine suppliers like Arburg, Engel, Wittmann Battenfeld and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag started showing up at trade shows with mold-filling displays on their machine controller screens. I’ve been writing about plastic flow simulation since 1984, and I consider it to be one of the most important technological advances in molding I’ve seen in my career.

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

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.

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.

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

LSR tooling specialist RICO supplies the 256-cavity open tool system. The Elastosil LR 3844/50 material from Wacker Chemie is dispensed via a sophisticated yet compact Industry 4.0-ready LSR eTwin Connect dosing system engineered by another LSR expert - Reinhardt-Technik. This metering and static mixing system guarantees the perfect mixing ratio of two additives, ensuring 99.75% of the LSR material is processed.

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.