July 2012 Issue
June 2012
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Lanxess Expanding Nylon Production & Compounding
Lanxess AG (U.S. office in Pittsburgh) plans to build a new world-scale nylon plastics plant in Antwerp, Belgium.
Read MoreShould You Profile Injection Velocity?
If you can get by with one velocity, use only one, because fill time is easier to reproduce, and it is easier to set up the process.
Read MoreRecycled Plastics Prices Unstable In First Half of 2012
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Recycled plastic prices are plummeting as virgin materials’ prices slide lower and lower.
Read MoreTPE Replaces Rubber in Resealable Closure for Infusion Bags
WEB EXCLUSIVE: A two-component, injection molded resealable closure for infusion bags has been developed by Bolivia’s Matriplast SA using a special TPE from Kraiburg TPE in Germany (U.S. office in Duluth, Ga.). Matriplast specializes in plastic containers and products for the pharmaceutical industry and is also now aiming to produce high-end products such as the new ASEPTIcap closure.
Read MoreSub-Micron Additives Make Strides (Just Don’t Say ‘Nano’)
High-surface-area, sub-micron-size additives have been making significant commercial strides in thermoplastic applications, albeit generally later than had been expected just a decade ago.
Read MoreTOOLING AT NPE: Hot Runners & Coinjection Grab Spotlight
Tooling innovations at NPE focused primarily on multi-cavity closure and medical applications, though there was also a substantial emphasis on large automotive and appliance parts.
Read MoreNovel Blending System Fights Material Separation
Processors have been fighting a battle against material separation in blends for years.
Read MoreNordson: Emerging New Force in Plastics
In a span of two weeks last month, Nordson Corp. spent $400 million to expand its interests in plastics.
Read MoreCompression Blow Forming Process in Commercial Production
Expectations of higher productivity, improved quality, and energy savings for a novel blow molding process are now being realized in commercial production at Amcor Rigid Plastics in Youngsville, N.C.
Read MoreThis Molder Wants Only the Tough Jobs
Need someone to injection mold fluoropolymers, highly filled PEE K, Torlon, or Ultem in complex shapes, tight tolerances, multiple cavities, and high volumes? “We love doing this,” says Tom Mendel, president of Performance Plastics Ltd. (PPL) in Cincinnati. “We’re not for everybody.
Read MoreTungsten-Filled Compounds Slash Catheter Manufacturing Costs
WEB EXCLUSIVE: A new line of thermoplastic marker bands for fluoroscopic illumination of catheter tips used in minimally invasive medical procedures is said reduce costs by eliminating traditional gold or platinum marker bands.
Read MoreOn-Line Modeling Tool for Easy Tie-Layer Selection
WEB EXCLUSIVE: DuPont Packaging, Wilmington, Del., has introduce the second in a series of online predictive modeling tools that promises to simplify tie-layer material selection, a critical step in multilayer packaging design.
Read MoreWhen It Comes to Nylon, Don’t Do the Math
Chemistry is seldom as simple as it looks. Polymer chemistry takes the complexity up a notch. Nylon chemistry is about much more than doing the math.
Read MoreAvoid Four Common Traps In Granulation
Today, more than ever, granulation is an important step in the total production process. Our expert explains a few of the many common traps to avoid when thinking about granulators
Read MoreResin Prices Still Heading South
A sharp decline in U.S. energy prices and tabs for all key feedstocks, along with dismal-to-lackluster domestic and global demand, have brought significantly more attractive pricing for the four commodity thermoplastics and downward movement for four high-volume engineering resins.
Read MoreLectro Engineering’s Lee Williams Dies
Ralph (Lee) Williams, CEO and owner of Lectro Engineering Co., St.
Read MoreNew Services for Injection Molders
At NPE2012, three firms announced new or expanded services for molders:•Milacron’s Servtek aftermarket business in Cincinnati offers a new capability for ordering spare parts online 24/7.•Ube Machinery Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich., is offering three new services to help molders deal with difficult economic conditions.
Read MoreMolders Try Cross-Training To Build Crucial Skills In-House
Despite high unemployment, many plastics processors still can’t find qualified workers to fill open positions that require specialized skills. So some are looking at further developing the skills of the employees they already have.
Read MoreU.S. Medical Development Center For Ritemp Cooling Technology
Novel conformal cooling technology from Ritemp Pty.
Read MoreIn-Mold Label Is Also Food Package’s Seal
At April’s NPE2012 show in Orlando, Fla., in-mold labels (IML) showed they can fulfill new roles, such as providing barrier protection (see our March show preview). They also can provide air- and water-tight seals, eliminating the need for a foil or film sealing membrane.
Read MoreGet Smarter on Extruder Sizes
Processors tend to recommend a much larger extruder than what’s really necessary for the job and the capabilities of the downstream equipment.
Read MoreGlass-Like Colored COC for Pharma Packaging, Medical Devices
WEB EXCLUSIVE: A collaboration between Clariant Masterbatches, Holden, Mass., and Topas Advanced Polymers, Florence, Ky., is bringing bright, clear colors to pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices made of TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). Clariant’s new precolored compounds and color concentrates are part of the Mevopur family of products developed for companies whose applications require risk control, product consistency, and regulatory compliance. “Topas COC has become the material of choice for pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices,” says Barbara Canale, healthcare market-development manager for Topas Advanced Polymers. “It offers high shine even in thick sections and, unlike resins such as polycarbonate and polyester, has a non-reactive surface.
Read MoreStainless-Steel Film Can Replace the Real Thing
AkzoNobel’s Specialty Finishes business has developed a new type of PVDF cast film aimed at replacing mechanically brushed decorative metals.
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