March 2013 Issue
February 2013
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Cooling Tips for Crystalline Polymers
If a little cooling is good, is a lot of cooling better?
Read MoreMore Gloss, Fewer Weld Lines With Variothermal Molding
A higher mold surface temperature during filling is required to achieve high-gloss surfaces or perfectly replicated microstructures and nanostructures, as well as erasing ugly weld lines. Instrumented tests quantify the results achieved by this process.
Read MoreMilacron Buys Mold-Masters; Nypro Has a New Owner, Too
Two of the industry’s biggest names changed hands last month as mergers and acquisitions continue to grab headlines in plastics.
Read MorePackaging Powerhouse Does It All
Materials formulation, cast and blown film extrusion, sheet extrusion, printing, and laminating come under one roof at this processor.
Read MoreNew Technology Permits PVDF Foaming
New technology from Arkema Inc., Philadelphia, allows foaming its Kynar PVDF fluoropolymers, paving the way for new applications for foam-core pipe and sheet in aerospace, aircraft, and automotive.
Read MoreSustainable Sheet: Placon Closes the Loop on PET Recycling
Placon reprocesses up to 12,000 lb/day of PCR PET to produce its EcoStar line of sheet.
Read MoreMitsui to Boost PP Compounding to Meet U.S. Automotive Demand
Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (U.S. office in Rye Brook, N.Y.) has augmented its expansion plans for production of PP automotive compounds and TPOs in the U.S. by an additional 30 million lb/yr through its affiliate, Advanced Composites, Inc., Sidney, Ohio.
Read MoreUnique Extruder Reclaims Nylon 11 Oil Pipe
A British recycling company has found an interesting application for the MRS Extrusion System from Gneuss (U.S. office in Matthews, N.C.). K2 Polymers Ltd. in Loughborough, U.K., which specializes in recycling engineering resins, is using the MRS (Multi Rotation System) to reprocess nylon 11 regrind heavily contaminated with oil.The regrind came from deep-sea oil pipes that were scrapped after having been recovered from the sea floor at a depleted oilfield.
Read MoreNew U.S. Distributor for Elix Polymers ABS
Polymer Z, Birmingham, Mich., has been named the North American distributor of precolored ABS resins and ABS- and SAN-based polymer modifiers from Spain’s Elix Polymers.
Read MoreMake Thinner Stretch-Hood Films at Lower Cost
WEB EXCLUSIVE: A new, more sustainable stretch-hood solution developed by the Belgian polymer plant of Houston-based ExxonMobil Chemical Co. is now being expanded by the company to the resin packaging operations of all of its polymer plants, and can easily be extended to other stretch-hood applications, the company says.
Read MoreCoping with Weak Weld Lines
Weld lines cause significant reject rates and are a common problem that all molders face.
Read MoreSustainable Injection Molding: Amcor and the Big Picture
How the world’s biggest producer of PET packaging measures the environmental footprint of its operation.
Read MorePublic, Private Sectors Join for Film Recycling
The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources and two national business groups have announced a first-of a-kind, state-led partnership to expand film recycling.
Read MoreFirst Two-Cavity Injection Molded Fenders Made with Noryl GTX
The 2012 Outlander Sports crossover from Mitsubishi Motor Corp. features what is reportedly the industry’s first two-cavity injection molded fenders.
Read MoreExclusive: Milacron Launches New All-Electric Press Series
At press time last month, Milacron LLC, Batavia, Ohio, gave Plastics Technology an advance look at a line of all-electric machines being launched globally this month.
Read MoreSustainable Thermoforming: Efforts at Dordan
Family-owned former has been in the forefront of sustainable thermoforming and package design for years. Has it been worth the effort?
Read MoreMachine Safety Is a Moving Target
Plastics processors and other manufacturers have to keep up with a lot of new federal, state, and local regulations on all sorts of subjects—taxes, health insurance, environmental protection, and lots more, not the least of which is worker safety.
Read MoreDimensional Stability after Molding—Part 3
Any process that involves melting and re-solidifying a polymer involves a compromise between achieving the perfect structure and producing a part that can be sold at a price that the market is willing to pay.
Read MoreHow to Select a Plastics Assembly Process
To make the proper choice, each application must be considered on its own. Each has its own particular characteristics and requirements.
Read MorePP Prices Spike, Others Rise, Too
Prices of four commodity thermoplastics rose in late January and early February, and new increases were announced for this month in PP, PE, and PVC.
Read MoreThe Business Advantage of Sustainability
Companies promote their sustainability commitment in various ways, but beneath the promises and promotional materials should be a true corporate commitment to sustainability goals that provide meaningful environmental, economic, and social benefits.
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