April 2006 Issue
April 2006
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Your Business Outlook - April 2006
According to our Injection Molding Business Index, total output by domestic injection molders held close to steady in 2005.
Read MoreSmall Fuel Tanks: New Emissions Rules Spur Hunt for Barrier Solutions
Coex blow molding has the inside track, but makers of small gas tanks and jerry cans are also looking at fluorination and other monolayer systems. Rotomolders, too, are considering multilayer alternatives.
Read MoreMoving Die Parts Change Profile Shapes 'On the Fly'
Change one tubing lumen into two, or two lumens into three, or even split one tube into two in a “Y” shape: These are some of the dramatic alterations that can be made “on the fly” with a novel articulated die concept available for license from Specialty Silicone Fabricators, a medical tubing maker in Paso Robles, Calif.
Read MoreRaising Interest Rates and Rising Inflation
From a policy-making perspective, the U.S. economy has entered into a vexing phase of the current business cycle.
Read MoreYour Business in Brief - April 2006
Details Set for Bioplastic PlantArcher Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), Decatur, Ill., and Metabolix, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., have selected Clinton, Iowa, as the site for the first commercial plant to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic.
Read MoreMolder Saves Energy and Maintenance Headaches With New Type of Quiet-Running Chiller
The first plastics molder to use a radically new kind of chiller was looking for improved reliability to keep its plant running 24/7.
Read MoreHow to Get a Handle on Materials-Handling Problems
The best way to avoid materials-handling problems is to design and install the system properly in the beginning.
Read MoreFlat or Slipping
Prices of most commodity resins were flat or slipping downhill in February and March.
Read MoreSlip Agents: Extended Performance Range for Polyolefin Films
Newer specialty slip masterbatches go beyond traditional capabilities to provide greater thermal stability, reliability, and ability to hold COF steady during laminating.
Read MoreAuto Glazing: Window of Opportunity for Molders
This emerging market promises to be big but challenging. Polycarbonate car windows require specialized machinery, high-end processing capability, premium polymers, advanced coating technologies, and innovative mold and runner designs.
Read MoreWhy It’s So Good To Be in Plastics
Give me one good reason why you like being in the plastics business.
Read More