September 1999 Issue
September 1999
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Fly-Ash Filler Stages a Comeback
Fly ash, a silica and alumina residue collected from the chimneys of coal-fired power plants and incinerators, is both a waste product and a promising low-cost filler for plastics.
Read MoreNot Safe Enough
The overall safety record for plastics processing is nothing to brag about. Though injury rates are falling little by little, accidents in plastics plants remain well above the average for all U.S. manufacturing. In this special report, we turn the spotlight on the hazardous conditions that result in so many injuries.
Read MoreSeeking A New Equilibrium
In the past year, the Society of the Plastics Industry has lost roughly a dozen major resin suppliers to a rival group, the American Plastics Council (APC).
Read More3-D Solid Modeling Puts Thermoforming Tools in the Fast Lane
Molds for custom thermoformed packaging can be made at least 50% faster, with higher quality and lower manufacturing costs, says Computer Designs Inc., a moldmaker in Whitehall, Pa.
Read MoreGet Smart About Metal Detectors
Whether you are recycling plastic goods or processing virgin materials, producing a product free from metal contaminants is more important today than ever. Trends to thinner walls, tinier hot-runner nozzles, and more costly and sophisticated machinery and tooling mean that even the smallest piece of tramp metal can cause expensive problems.
Read MoreThe Safest Plants: What's Their Secret
How do some plastics-processing plants win awards for consistent excellence in safety? It's not magic but careful application of policies and practices that keep their lost-time work injuries to a fraction of the industry average. One essential is not to put productivity ahead of safety.
Read MoreToggle Machines Get New Controls And Enhanced Process Capabilities
From new machine controls to automotive skin-insert molding to electric machines, the latest molding-machine technology from Ube Machinery Inc. was on display during a recent open house at the company's Ann Arbor, Mich., headquarters.
Read MoreGet Custom Hot Halves in a Hurry
If you need a complete bolt-on hot-runner system on short notice, and off-the-shelf systems come up short in design flexibility, there's a solution available from Husky Injection Molding Systems of Milton, Vt.
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