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

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

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.

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.

Johnson pointed out that design engineers are often able to design innovative products on screen, but that it does not necessarily translate in the molding process. “A design at the micro scale requires careful attention to what otherwise might not be a big deal for larger parts,” he said. “You can design things in CAD that you cannot mold.”

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

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

The expansion rate of miniaturized, high-precision engineering components debunks the claim that micro-molding is niche. Demand for wearable smart devices and implantable sensors enabled by small components with tight tolerances continues unabated.

According to Johnson, OEMS interested in procuring micro-molded components tend to have pain points that revolve around two aspects: geometry and scale.

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

A showroom displays just some of the totes, containers and shelving US Merchants produces at molding facilities across the U.S. Photo Credit: Plastics Technology

US Merchants’ Ontario, California, injection molding facility features 46 1,200-ton LS Mtron injection molding machines. Photo Credit: US Merchants

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.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the medical devices industry, where efforts to optimize form factors—smaller, faster, cheaper—are limited only by the ability to innovate. Medication delivery systems, point of care delivery systems, microfluidics and electronic components make up only a smattering of examples.

Today, US Merchants operates seven facilities in California, with additional sites in Virginia, Texas, Canada and Arizona, as well as a planned expansion into the U.K. The company has standardized on LS Mtron injection molding machines, and it credits the Korean press maker and several other vendors with helping it transition from a molding newbie to an old plastics hand.

Now the owner of hundreds of injection molding machines, Jeff Green speaks frankly about his company’s molding knowledge when he acquired his first presses in 2014. “We didn’t know anything about injection molding,” Green says. “I knew as much about injection molding as you know about flying a 747 airplane.”

Working closely with Steve Gwon and his machinery distribution company E Solution Inc., Hirate and US Merchants soon switched over to LS Mtron injection molding machines. Eventually, Gwon and Hirate would help US Merchants not only source machines but molds, hot runner controllers, auxiliaries, robots, chillers, material handling systems, gantry cranes, mold tilters and more. Beyond sourcing, they also gave the rookie molder advice on everything from part design and employee recruiting to laying out and commissioning new plants.

Beginning in retail himself in 1979 with a tennis store in Beverly Hills dubbed with the pun-intended name — The Merchants of Tennis — Green grew into the wholesale business at a time in the early ‘80s when warehouse club chains were just getting started. One of Green’s patents is for the Pallet Program he devised as a means for those retailers to turn pallets of shrink-wrapped and boxed-up goods into ready-to-go, point-of-purchase displays with nothing more than a box cutter.

As US Merchants’ business has grown, so has its capabilities, driven by Green’s intense interest in maximum control over everything that can impact his business. “You could say I’m something of a very controlling individual,” Green says. “I always felt that we need to control our own destiny. When you have to farm things out to third parties, you’re only asking for issues with delivery and excuses why something can’t be done.”

In June 2023, US Merchants opened a facility in Glendale, Arizona, covering nearly 640,000 square feet, which will have 69 LS Mtron presses when fully commissioned, including 2,500-ton and all-electric machines. A second facility is coming to Houston, and the company will be opening its first international molding facilities in Montreal and the U.K. The molding operation we tour in Ontario, which was purchased in 2017, has 46 1,200-ton LS Mtron presses divided into three rows.

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

The upshot, according to Johnson, is that designing micro-molded components is situational and designers who are bound strictly by a set of rules will stymie their own capability and creativity, which will restrict the outcomes. The one micro-molding design rule worth noting, he said, is to “start with your ideal…it really comes down to what you are ultimately trying to accomplish.”

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

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.

Allegheny Performance Plastics specializes in molding parts from high-temperature resins for demanding applications as part of its mission to take on jobs ‘no one else does.’

In terms of sustainability measures, monomaterial structures are already making good headway and will evolve even further.

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.

“I don’t say I have the best standard in the world, but we live or die by what our standard is, so we don’t cut corners. That doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes — we make mistakes like everybody else. We try to learn from our mistakes and not let them happen a second time, but we don’t make mistakes because we’re trying to cut corners to make a larger margin. If I give you a better price, it’s coming out of my margin, never out of the quality of the product.”

“My personal belief is quality stands the test of time,” Green says, “and so we as a company don’t cut any corners. I believe that making the highest quality product in the industry, you have the longest staying power.” With its molded products, that ethos extends to the removal of any flash and, if need be, to avoid warp and produce a tote that closes cleanly and securely off the press, longer cycle times.

The resulting vertical integration propelled by this mindset extends into some unexpected areas. To wit, the company’s original 245,000-square-foot facility in Ontario, California, includes a carpentry shop that designs, builds and installs all the office furniture for all of US Merchants’ facilities. Outside the shop, an “Arizona Project ‘22” poster hangs, marking its recent work to fully furnish the company’s newest outpost. US Merchants sent its own carpenters to the new facility where they took measurements for all its furnishings before coming back to California to build all the desks, shelving and more, and then return to Arizona to install it. When it’s not building furniture for the company, the carpentry shop also designs and constructs trade show booths for US Merchants, as well as store point-of-purchase displays.

Accumold also connects clients and resin suppliers so they can explore different materials that may be suited to the requirements of a unique component. “The aim is to give clients manufacturer-ready components,” he said.

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

At the end of the three rows of machines at the Ontario injection molding facility, some totes and other molded products are marked NCM (nonconforming materials) and will be scrapped. Khemlani notes NCM represents less than 1% of the company’s output, with the parts in question not meeting US Merchants rigid and rigorous standards, which are another core tenet of Green’s business philosophy.

Through a series of case studies, his presentation showed how knowledge of materials, processing knowledge, dimensional tolerances, thin walls, injection speed and assembly played into the design for micro-manufacturing (DfMM) process before components can be produced.

And, rather than abandoning an idea that seems too complicated, Johnson’s advice is to discuss it with an expert micro molder. Understanding the material properties and the experience of matching the material with the appropriate geometry can make all the difference, he said.

True to the adjective in its name, Dynamic Group has been characterized by constant change, activity and progress over its nearly five decades as a medical molder and moldmaker.

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.

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.

Central to successful design for micro-molded components and parts is having a clear understanding of the end-user’s stated and unstated needs. That’s because producing components and devices from design parameters for small or micro parts come with a unique set of challenges and opportunities—and these are not typically associated with traditional injection molding techniques, argued Aaron Johnson, vice president of Marketing & Customer Strategy at Accumold, during a Nov. 30 Virtual Engineering Week presentation.

US Merchants’ newest Glendale, Arizona, facility covers nearly 640,000 square feet and will have 69 LS Mtron presses when fully commissioned.

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.

Another guiding principle for Green and his wife, Marie, who is also his business partner since the tennis shop, is to use that reputation for attention to detail and quality to secure order commitments prior to taking on new jobs or new markets. “Our formula, my wife and mine, has not changed since we started our business with our little tennis store,” Green says. “We don’t really do anything unless we have a commitment. Typically, a customer of ours will come to us and say, ‘Can you make…?’”

Consider PEEK (polyetheretherketone) as an example. Commonly used in implantable devices, this material is 30% glass fiber reinforced and pelletized for injection molding. The downside to using it is that it cannot fill ultra-thin areas. The same holds true for Ultem, another durable thermoplastic used in micro-optics applications, and a go-to for aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

Nowadays, many of those new requests make use of the company’s now extensive injection molding capabilities, including new sizes of totes and a line of molded plastic glassware. “If you ask me: have I ever made a drinking glass before — the answer would be no. Do I feel that the drinking glasses that we’re going to be coming out with are going to be exceptionally good and very well received? Absolutely.”

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

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.

“We don’t make mistakes because we’re trying to cut corners to make a larger margin. If I give you a better price, it’s coming out of my margin, never out of the quality of the product.”

“This is where companies like LS Mtron and E Solution have really made a difference,” Green says, “because these people are professionals and experts, and we’ve kind of put ourselves in their hands to help us and direct us in the right direction.”

Jeff Green, president and CEO of US Merchants, grew his business alongside the warehouse club stores that emerged in the ‘80s. Photo Credit: US Merchants

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

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.

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.

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

Back in 2014, one of those manufacturers requested something that wasn’t on the menu, asking US Merchants if it could make it a better 27-gallon storage container. “I do have engineers in my packaging and machine area that understand what injection molding is and they said to me, ‘Jeff, this product requires different equipment than what we currently have,’ and so I said, ‘Will you look into it and let me know what the cost is,’ and I went back the very next day to the customer and said, ‘If you give me a commitment…’ — because we don't do anything unless we have a firm commitment — and that customer gave me a commitment, sight unseen. I guaranteed that the product would be better than what they were currently selling. I went ahead and I bought some equipment, and that’s how I got into the injection molding business.”

Some mechanical properties are inherent in the material, which is usually a starting point for design, said Johnson. In material selection, criteria such as biocompatibility, heat deflection, wear patterns or flexibility are important considerations. Accumold works with common thermoplastic materials, including PEEK, Ultem, glass-filled Nylons, and other medical grade and attenuated materials.

In less than a decade in injection molding, US Merchants has acquired hundreds of machines spread across facilities in California, Texas, Virginia and Arizona, with even more growth coming.

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.

Whereas injection molding is a process for producing parts by injecting molten material into a mold, micro-injection molding focuses on producing small, high-precision parts and components with micron tolerances. In both cases, the process involves injecting molten plastic into the cavities of a steel mold. Once cooled, the parts are ejected.

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.

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

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

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).

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

Micro-injection molding also enables a high level of customization and complexity, making it suitable for specialized and miniaturized applications in the medical devices and automotive industries, where manufacturers must produce millions of parts with consistent levels of quality, precision and reliability.

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

As Machine Design’s content lead, Rehana Begg is tasked with elevating the voice of the design and multi-disciplinary engineer in the face of digital transformation and engineering innovation. Begg has more than 24 years of editorial experience and has spent the past decade in the trenches of industrial manufacturing, focusing on new technologies, manufacturing innovation and business. Her B2B career has taken her from corporate boardrooms to plant floors and underground mining stopes, covering everything from automation & IIoT, robotics, mechanical design and additive manufacturing to plant operations, maintenance, reliability and continuous improvement. Begg holds an MBA, a Master of Journalism degree, and a BA (Hons.) in Political Science. She is committed to lifelong learning and feeds her passion for innovation in publishing, transparent science and clear communication by attending relevant conferences and seminars/workshops.

Over the years and owing in part to Green’s desire for maximum control, US Merchants vertically integrated everything from graphic and package design to thermoforming and thermoform die manufacturing to shipping and logistics with his own fleet of trucks. “Our business started to grow, and not just in packaging,” Green says, “but now we offer a nice menu of items that a manufacturer or retailer can select from, be it packaging or logistics or transportation or buying the product and reselling it, which a lot of manufacturers like. We’re really a turnkey solution for them.”

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.

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.

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.

Producing the highest-quality part requires understanding potential flaws that could affect its application, Johnson said. These details should be a part of the design for micro molding (DfMM) process at the beginning of every project. In essence, at Accumold, the DfMM process includes connecting the client with a project engineer, mold designer and a quality engineer who walk clients through the steps of the process. A considerable amount of time is spent on the front end of projects as a way to fully understand clients’ needs and requirements, he said.

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.

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.

As Johnson sees it, a component or manufacturing part that weighs less than a gram is considered a candidate for micro-molding and can further be defined along three criteria:

“I can give a customer a delivery date,” Green says, “and I know that I can meet that date. Why? Because we control the entire process. We do all that in-house and we control it, so I know that if I give somebody a promise, I’m going to be able to deliver because we do everything in-house.”

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.

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

His colleagues might agree. “Some laws of physics like electrostatic induction, the triboelectric effect and Lenz Law can make a very small part not go where we need it to go, specifically, downward to the earth via gravity,” wrote his colleague Ron Baiotto in a company blog.

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

In the hallway leading to the conference room, the walls are decorated with two of Green’s formidable collections: sports memorabilia and patents for his packaging and product display concepts that are now ubiquitous at retailers, including the warehouse club stores that he grew alongside starting in the 1980s.

Automation is a must-have for molders of pipettes. Make sure your supplier provides assurances of throughput and output, manpower utilization, floor space consumption and payback period.

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.

When a client specifies a particular material in order to meet an environmental condition, the geometry will need to be adapted to match that choice. In some instances, the processing properties of the material can make or break a project, Johnson said.

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

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.

“When you have to farm things out to third parties, you’re only asking for issues with delivery and excuses why something can’t be done.”

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.

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.

When Plastics Technology visited US Merchants’ original Ontario facility where those first seven injection molding machines are still molding totes, the packaging/logistics side of the operation was packing up everything from skateboards and boots to batteries and bags, with finished pallets marked for delivery to New Zealand, Japan, China and destinations beyond. Forklifts navigated a towering maze of shrink-wrapped pallets ready to be loaded onto trucks, including Green’s own. The full scope of the operations is a bit overwhelming, but it all makes sense to Green. “To an outside person,” Green says, “it looks very convoluted, but the truth of the matter is it’s like a jigsaw puzzle — everything fits into place.”

In a second-story conference room at US Merchant’s Beverly Hills, California, corporate headquarters, I’m seated across from Green at a glass-top table. I’ve just met the president and CEO of US Merchants, but his assessment of my aviation abilities is accurate. Nowadays, Green does know injection molding, and what he’s always known is retail, from sourcing, packaging and merchandising to shipping and logistics.

In terms of geometry, there are basic questions about the mechanical needs that designers should ask: Is the design a moldable shape? Can the design hit the tolerances? Is there a way to open and close or eject the component from the mold? “Sometimes there’s the notion that because it’s small, it doesn’t need some of these [parameters], and yet, the traditional rules of injection molding still apply,” said Johnson.

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

A common query about micro-molding is whether it has any guidelines for micro-molding. A general guideline might include the following rules:

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.

But Johnson noted that providing a set of rules can be limiting, particularly when the rules are based on principles intended for traditional injection molding. “The guidelines break down when you start to push the limits,” he said. “I asked one of our technology managers who’s been here almost 35 years: ‘What’s your guideline to give a customer on aspect ratio?’ He originally told me six to one. Then you could push him and he could say 10 to one, or eight to one—somewhere in that realm.”

You need to pay attention to the inherent characteristics of biopolymers PHA/PLA materials when setting process parameters to realize better and more consistent outcomes.

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.

His employer, Accumold, offers tooling, molding, packaging and metrology. The company operates from a 15-acre campus near Des Moines, Iowa, where its climate-controlled facility is boasts five clean rooms. Parts and components manufactured here are commonly measured in microns; they range from micro-optic molded lens arrays and small mold pupil dilators to micro rotor pinions and micro molded gears, as well as some with micro features that may be molded in and around existing components.

In the foreground, rows of shrink-wrapped pallets ready for delivery. In the background, US Merchants in-house thermoforming lines. Photo Credit: Plastics Technology

Specifically, Green and US Merchants credit Shingo Hirate, president of equipment distributor Hirate America Inc., Anaheim, California, with helping the company understand what would be needed to get started in injection molding. Green and Larry Khemlani, US Merchants VP of Operations, met Hirate while walking a plastics trade show, and Hirate’s willingness to get into the nuts and bolts of starting a molding business from scratch won him a new and prodigious customer. US Merchants would order four full molding machine cells from Hirate shortly thereafter and then another three in quick succession.

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