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Arburg Welcomes CT Governor Lamont to Black Forest - arburg press

Author：gly Date: 2024-09-30

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.

According to Bentz, price isn’t the only reason to consider 3D printing. “Traditional manufacturing techniques,” he says, “require high up-front expenses for tooling and long-term, high-volume production of a component to amortize those initial expenses. But if there is a mistake in the product, or the market changes, so that the product must be modified, companies may lose the entire investment in molds and tooling. This high risk also makes entry into high-volume production challenging for small or new businesses.

Study shows the plastic compounding process is being used to boost electrical properties and UV resistance while custom compounding is increasingly being used to achieve high-performance in plastic-based goods.

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.

Resin supplier Celanese turned to startup Rafinex and its Möbius software to optimize the design for an engine bracket, ultimately reducing weight by 25% while maintaining mechanical performance and function.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

In the eight months he’s been on the job, Stutzman walks the floor every day, and virtually every day he has seen a new part in production as the company maintains several hundred active molds. When Plastics Technology visited, the manufacturing floor — which features 30 injection molding machines (mostly Nissei, ranging from 20 to 500 tons), seven CNC machining work cells for post-mold processing, and 40 ovens for post-curing parts molded from Solvay’s Torlon PAI resin — was humming with production of an array of parts. Seal rings; a satellite bound insert- and over-molded part; nylon gears and brake pistons; an Ultem transmission component; and an elastomer pad whose surface texture, imparted by the mold, imitates the grip of a gecko’s feet, were among just a few of the jobs in production.

Israeli startup Largix has developed a production solution that can 3D print PP and PE without melting them. Its first test? Custom tanks for chemical storage.

Allegheny is IATF 1649, AS9100, ISO 9001 and ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulation) certified, in addition to earning Supplier Gold and Quality Clinic accreditation from United Technologies Corp. Aerospace Systems. These acknowledgments of capabilities will help lead the company’s next stage of growth as it pursues and wins jobs in electric vehicle charging, drones, UAVs and advanced missile systems. The company estimates that it currently has nearly 50,000 molded parts in space, with the number growing all the time.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Allegheny also recently converted a used piece of equipment into a friction and wear test stand, enabling it to perform lubricated and dry tribology testing. These capabilities and Allegheny’s extensive research database make it a sought-after partner of resin suppliers as they test new materials and applications. Its collaborations with Solvay over the years on the processing and functionality of Torlon have helped create best manufacturing practices for the specialized material.

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

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.

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

But since this part was 3D printed, the gear, pulley, and shaft were combined into a single part. During production, the build would pause to insert the metal bearing. Then the build would continue and the part would be built around the bearing.

They utilize an FDM-type of process in which extruded thermoplastic filaments are deposited in thin layers. Called the SlantBox, these “commoditized” printers are mounted in racks and all connected to the cloud for maximum productivity. They have a build volume of 10 by 8 by 9 in. and precision of 100 to 300 microns. They are designed to run continuously with much greater reliability than standard 3D printers. “We design them to be assembled and implemented quickly, but also rigid and tough enough to produce 95% good parts,” Bentz says. By addressing typical 3D manufacturing defects stemming from bed inconsistency or nonuniform extrusion rates, Bentz claims his production is more consistent from part to part and throughout an individual part than is commonly found in the market.

Using high-temperature materials means that Allegheny runs oil through the molds instead of water, with longer cycles required and more expansion and contraction of the molds over time, demanding vigilance in preventive maintenance. How hot do these resins run? As we pass a hot runner temperature control unit in front of a press, the display’s set point reads 750°F.

But few have pursued this technology as a means of commercial production of custom parts. For the most part, injection molders have left that field open to companies specializing in low-volume, high-value parts for aerospace and medical uses.

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

Allegheny’s expertise in high-temperature materials has placed it at the forefront of metal-to-plastic conversion in the automotive and aerospace industries. Shoup — who’s been with Allegheny for 28 years, including the last 18 in the Performance Plastics molding division — has seen these plastics wins firsthand, and the impact they’ve had on Allegheny’s portfolio, with the 2009 recession and subsequent “transmission wars” in auto as an inflection point. Shoup estimates that, prior to the recession, Allegheny’s business broke 70/30 aerospace to automotive, while today those figures are flipped, as both markets grew overall with auto outpacing aero.

With it acquisition of DuPont’s engineering resins, Celanese’s resin solutions for automotive electrification, e-mobility and consumer electronics are plentiful.

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.

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.

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

As an example, Allegheny points to a thrust washer it molds from Torlon that’s part of a hydrodynamic bearing for automotive transmissions. This part replaced a metal roller bearing and, to date, the company has made more than 100 million polymer thrust washers. In addition to lower weight and more design freedom (including possible part integration), polymers in applications like this offer lower NVH (noise vibration harshness) than metals, while resistance wise, the coefficient of friction is the same. In terms of wear, Allegheny says that, with proper hydrodynamic lift, polymers can provide unbeatable durability.

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.

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.

Since Stutzman’s hiring, Allegheny has added a network of 17 external sales agents, and laid out a 5-year plan with four key pillars: people, where/how will the company grow, operational excellence and continuous improvement. To support this plan, the company is seeking to update its ERP program, and add other operations and manufacturing software, including MES, this year.

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

Join 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

“We developed experience in these high-temperature materials,” Stutzman says, “and aerospace presented the opportunity. Then in the ‘90s, automotive started to embrace polymers, especially in these critical wear opportunities. That business was slightly different — same materials and same technical challenges, but the scale was different.”

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

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.

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.

Spectrum Plastics Group offers customers two technology hubs — one for extrusion, the other for additive manufacturing — to help bring ground-breaking products to market faster.

Eliminating the need to contact each supplier for every individual quote, a new CRM for automotive supplier Axiom Group tracks past quotes as well as industry history to generate fast, reliable RFQs and more.

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.

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

A year-old company is devoted to large-scale custom 3D printing at prices competitive with injection molding to 20,000 parts.

3D printing reduced four parts to two. Manufacturing cost was dramatically reduced because there was no assembly and none of the tooling that would have been required for the three plastic parts combined with the bearing. Slant 3D is using this approach to develop a “fidget spinner” with an internal bearing.

“We’re at the point now in our business that we need to be able to have some things integrated,” Stutzman says. “Not just ERP and MRP to handle our purchasing — we’re tight on space so we don’t want to have a warehouse full of stuff — but an MES system. I want data off the manufacturing floor and I want it all tied together. The business is going to grow and for us to maintain what we have — our performance financially but also for our customers — we can’t get bogged down doing stuff manually.”

Slant 3D operates a production printer “farm” with close to 100 printers, a number expected to grow to 500 in the next year or two. Bentz claims capacity to produce 5000 to 10,000 parts a week. His printers are self-manufactured to the firm’s own design.

“3D printing puts physical products on equal footing with software products in production costs. They can be constantly updated with no large capital expenditures.”

Allegheny Performance Plastics CEO Robert Stutzman and CTO Greg Shoup on the company’s molding floor, which applies lean and scientific molding principles. Photos: Allegheny Performance Plastics

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.

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.

August 29-30 in Minneapolis all things injection molding and moldmaking will be happening at the Hyatt Regency — check out who’s speaking on what topics today.

Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.

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

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

Slant 3D’s primary material is PLA, though it also uses ABS and TPU to a lesser extent. Twelve colors are offered at present. His clients include robotics companies, architecture firms, and numerous companies looking for promotional items and prototypes in substantial volumes.

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.

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.

3D printing can make “impossible” parts like these gear shafts with a metal bearing inside. The gear, toothed pulley, and shaft are one plastic part that was built around the bearing instead of manufactured separately.

When Stutzman was recruited to lead Allegheny, that curiosity and drive to try something new lent the company a highly appealing atmosphere. “There was this vibe to just get stuff done, move forward,” Stutzman says. “There was excitement, and it wasn’t like, ‘Oh my god, we won this job, and now we have to do it.’ There was this infectious desire to want to move forward.”

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.’

However, Slant 3D has produced some structural parts. The key, Bentz notes, is that such parts must be designed specifically for 3D printing, not simply converted from an injection molded design. He adds that 3D printing has advantages for making so-called “impossible” parts. An example is the gear shafts shown in the photo above. They are built around a metal bearing, making the entire assembly effectively a single part.

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.

What’s more, he notes, his printers are fully automated so they can operate 24/7 without human intervention. “We have no need of robotic systems, because our printers remove the parts themselves (free dropped into bins) and are still lower cost to produce than most desktop 3D printer kits.” Bentz expects to begin marketing the SlantBox to others in the near future, at an anticipated price of $1000 to $1500.

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.

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.

One common means for organizing polymers that’s familiar to those in the industry is the “plastics pyramid.” From a large base of commodity resins, the pyramid builds upward, getting smaller as it goes with engineering plastics in the middle and high-temperature plastics — those with melt temperatures typically above 300°C (572°F) — occupying the smallest space at the pinnacle. Within this capstone, you find resins like PEEK, PEI, PPS, PI, PBI and PAI with familiar trade names such as Ultem, Ryton and Torlon. For these materials, Allegheny offers its customers assistance in selection, design optimization, sample production/testing and cost-competitive production.

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

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

Running three shifts, Monday to Friday, with the occasional Saturday, Allegheny has roughly 50 employees, with the goal to be at 57 by the end of the year. Thanks to automation and process monitoring, Stutzman notes that in Team #2, two employees can keep tabs on 19 machines. All the workers on the floor are cross trained such that they can take on all the production roles: mold setup, process technician, inspection and more.

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.

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.

Stutzman notes that on the floor and throughout the company, there is a culture of genuine teamwork, with no cliques. Over his 25-plus years in molding, he says he’s managed other production floors that operated socially more like a high school, making him feel like the principal.

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

“3D printing allows an idea to go from conception to manufacture quickly and much more affordably. There are no tooling costs or lead time. A company wishing to produce a product need only design it and then pay for the raw materials used to produce it. 3D printing puts physical products on equal footing with software products in production costs. Printing allows products to be produced at very low cost and constantly updated with no large capital expenditures.”

Established in 1936, Allegheny Plastics Inc.’s initial focus was using plastics to print and laminate reusable charts. Based in Leetsdale, Penn., the Allegheny Performance Plastics division has been in injection molding since the 1960s. In 2016, Allegheny executives Greg Shoup and Shevey Westbrook, with the backing of two investment firms, completed a management buyout of the molding unit. Shoup and Westbrook remain at Allegheny, serving as chief technology officer and director of operations, respectively, with Stutzman hired on in October 2022 to act as CEO.

Bentz concedes that surface smoothness is one area in which injection molding has an advantage over most 3D printing. Because 3D printed parts are typically produced in a sequence of layers, they can be weaker in the Z-direction than injection molded parts.

Implementing a production monitoring system as the foundation of a ‘smart factory’ is about integrating people with new technology as much as it is about integrating machines and computers. Here are tips from a company that has gone through the process.

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.

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

Gabe Bentz, president and founder of Slant 3D with some of his dozens of custom-designed and built 3D printers that can produce 5000 to 10,000 parts a week.

That inspection also happens on the floor simultaneous to production. In the middle of the molding cells, an inspection station (including a CMM), moisture analysis and more, resides. “It’s more about quality assurance than quality control,” Stutzman says. A lean manufacturing concept, this cell ensures good parts as they’re molded. Allegheny also operates a full quality control lab in a climate-controlled space off the molding floor.

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.

Injection molded parts for this assembly would have to be designed to interlock and pull apart so that a bearing could be inserted. In this case, what is now manufactured as a single assembly would have to be split into the gear, toothed pulley, shaft, and metal bearing, all of which would be manufactured separately and then assembled together.

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

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

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

Allegheny’s toolroom has the capability to build new tools and maintain existing molds. Photo Credit: Allegheny Performance Plastics

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

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.

Working in collaboration with Solvay and Alpine Advanced Materials, Allegheny developed this test application dubbed TPC-IOM (thermoplastic composite injection overmolding) combining composite tape materials with an injection molded backing.

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.

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

BlueHalo’s Intense Eye UAS has replaced a machined aerospace-grade aluminum chassis with one molded from Alpine Advanced Materials’ HX5 multi-scale reinforced polymer for a stronger, lighter craft.

“The key is that we can’t be everything to everyone,” Stutzman says. “So you focus on a certain type of material offering. The reason being that if you mold PP and PE, thousands of people in the country can do that. You use a commodity material, and you’re one of many — you become a commodity yourself.”

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).

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.

Treated like a clean room, Allegheny ultrasonically cleans, packs and ships parts, which can have no contamination. The final element of this room is dubbed the “supermarket.” Racks hold labeled blue bins full of parts that require some additional processing, typically machining, that workers pull from and refill based on a kanban system to track work in progress.

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

Allegheny has invested in testing technologies to fully vet these materials and applications, including adding a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) unit. Used in troubleshooting, the DSC can determine if a resin is contaminated or not what the supplier said it was. In particular, the DSC can be used to determine the polymer’s crystallization, melt and glass-transition temperatures.

There are growing signs that injection molders need to watch their backs. Innovative start-up companies are emerging with large “farms” of 3D printers organized to compete with injection molding for orders of 10,000, 20,000, or even 100,000 parts. We reported in a September 2017 Close-Up on one example of this new type of competition, Voodoo Manufacturing in Brooklyn, N.Y. That article brought a response from a similar new venture, clear across the country. We were contacted by Gabe Bentz, president and founder of Slant Concepts in Nampa, Idaho. His mechanical design and engineering firm had spun off a second venture in October 2016, called Slant 3D, devoted to custom 3D printing in small to medium volumes. He claims it can produce parts that are less expensive than injection molding in volumes under 10,000 parts and reasonably competitive in price at up to 20,000 parts (see accompanying chart).

Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are approaching an inflection point where their production volumes — and functionality — will increasingly point to injection molding.

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.

The Polimotor 2 all-plastic engine project for competitive auto racing is moving right along with Solvay's materials playing a key role.

The manufacturing floor is divided into three “teams,” with all 19 presses in Team #2 utilizing RJG’s eDART process monitoring technology, with molds featuring temperature and pressure sensors. This team focuses on high-volume jobs, while Team #3 targets low-volume/high-mix jobs. Team #1 handles lower volume aerospace work. The Haas CNC machining centers are utilized to machine in part features post injection, where molding them in would have required more expensive tooling with longer lead times.

All that those capabilities and in-house expertise are also reflected in Allegheny’s approach to new product and process development. “I use the phrase ‘geek out,’” Stutzman says. “There’s a technology there that created the excitement — the impetus to want to do something different — that’s really sort of the catalyst that drives (geeking out).”

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.

All that’s necessary is to email Slant 3D a design file, and it can be put into production with little delay. However, Slant 3D also offers design services help get new products ready for production. Slant can do design consultation to judge printability and works with clients to tweak existing designs for optimum printability.

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.

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

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.

Adjacent to the molding floor, Allegheny operates a full tool room with a handful of in-house mold builds each year. The molds that do come in, don’t leave, Stutzman says, with all the maintenance and tuning handled internally. In addition to three full-time toolmakers, the toolroom has an employee focused on preventive maintenance, with two younger employees — including an apprentice and a college student studying mechanical engineering — as Allegheny builds a bridge to the next generation of moldmakers.

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

In satellites, in jets, in automotive transmissions — the parts that Allegheny Performance Plastics molds for the roads, skies and outer space operate at the boundary of the harshest environments that plastics can inhabit. The list of materials that can survive in these environs is short, as is the list of molders that can successfully run them. Allegheny gladly, intentionally calls this rarefied air home. “We don’t like easy; we want difficult,” explains Robert Stutzman, Allegheny CEO. “We want something no one else does.”

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.

“We are working to make 3D printing a large-scale manufacturing option,” says Bentz. “We are doing this by developing hardware, software, and techniques to allow 3D-printing devices to produce parts in volume.”

A growing number of injection molders have adopted 3D printing for prototyping or making conceptual models to present to clients. Some are even making 3D-printed parts for internal use, such as jigs, fixtures, or robot grippers.

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

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

Allegheny’s expertise in high-temperature materials has placed it at the forefront of metal-to-plastic conversion in the automotive and aerospace industries.

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

Just off the plastics machining area, Allegheny houses its “skunk works,” a space for experimentation as well as validation. All new projects are scaled up here, ensuring a repeatable process is introduced to the molding floor once a tool goes into production. The company houses a polymer 3D printer here. For the materials and markets Allegheny works in, Stutzman says 3D printing for production isn’t currently viable, but it does use the machine to trial test fixtures, for instance, before creating final designs. This room also houses certified secondary cleaning processes for parts destined for outer space.

Bentz will give a talk on 3D printing at Plastics Technology’s Molding 2018 Conference, Feb. 27-Mar. 1 in Long Beach, Calif. A representative of Voodoo Manufacturing will also speak there. Details and registration are at moldingconference.com.

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.

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

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.

A collaboration between show organizer PLASTICS, recycler CPR and size reduction experts WEIMA and Conair recovered and recycled all production scrap at NPE2024.

Comparison of injection molding and 3D printing costs. It is assumed that the injection mold costs $5000 and the cost per part, exclusive of mold-amortization, is 20¢. Total cost per molded part, including mold amortization declines with volume, while 3D-printed part cost is constant at an assumed 70¢.