March 2014 Issue
February 2014
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
APPLICATION: Polycarbonate Adds Style to Electric-Car Charging Stations
Two tough, flame-retardant PC grades lend style and ease-of-use to new electric-car charging stations.
Read MoreINJECTION MOLDING: Open House at RJG’s New SE Training Center
On April 22, RJG Inc., Traverse City, Mich., will host an open house at its new Southeast Training Center in Woodstock, Ga.
Read MoreUse Your Gauge to Solve Processing Issues Upstream
Gauging systems have an often-overlooked but equally important role beyond measuring web thickness: They can be used as a diagnostic tool to troubleshoot the process. Here's how.
Read MoreMilacron reestablishes West Coast presence with new tech center
Milacron has a new West Coast home in Irvine, Calif., formally opening its new High Impact Technical (HIT) Center, with more "HITs" planned for the future.
Read MoreROBOTS: Sepro America Moves to Larger Facility
Sepro America, LLC has moved to a new building in Warrendale, Pa., that's nearly double the size of its previous space.
Read MoreMilacron Expands Aftermarket Business—Again
Milacron LLC, Cincinnati, recently completed the purchase of Industrial Machine Sales, Inc. (IMSI) and its sister company, Precise Plastics Machinery (PPM), both of Southlake, Texas.
Read MoreMATERIALS: Nexus to Distribute Chinese PET
San Francisco-based Pacific Rim Traders (PRT), the sales and service arm in the Americas for China’s Dragon Special Resin Co.’s PET resins, has chosen the Nexus Resin Group, Mystic, Conn., as its exclusive distributor.
Read MoreAdditive Manufacturing: Materials for ‘Real-World’ Parts
Developments in materials have helped pave the way for processors to make ‘real world’ parts from what is collectively known as 3D printing. Here’s a comprehensive review of the materials available.
Read MoreDouble-digit gains for North American plastics equipment
Shipment of plastics equipment in the third quarter of 2013 jumped 20%, according to SPI data, reflecting gains seen the world over.
Read MoreTeknorApex Buys Viking Polymers, Expands Rigid PVC Compounding
Teknor Apex Co., Pawtucket, R.I., significantly broadened its rigid PVC compounding business through its recent acquisition of custom compounder Viking Polymers, Jamestown, N.C.
Read MoreMATERIALS: APS Elastomers: New Name for Expanded TPE Supplier
Alliance Polymers & Services LLC and its manufacturing arm, APS Compounding, Romulus, Mich., have consolidated to form APS Elastomers.
Read MoreFive-Layer Line Gives Processor More Flexibility, New Opportunities
Processor bumps it up from three-layers to boost quality, flexibility and enter new markets.
Read MoreLeverage Your Cooling Power
You can predict the amount of heat you'll need to remove from parts before ejection with reasonable accuracy if you know polymer thermal properties and certain other rules of thumb.
Read MoreShutting Down & Starting Up An Injection Molding Machine
Whether your press is going down for repairs, a holiday, or a slow production schedule, proper shut-down and start-up procedures must be followed.
Read MoreSwitch Over To Consistent Quality
A new process-control method picks up variations in melt quality and viscosity during the injection phase and equalizes them within the same shot.
Read MoreNews in Molding Simulation at K 2013 Show
At October's K 2013, suppliers of injection molding simulation software displayed solutions addressing a number of hot topics, as well as technology to speed up handling of larger models and multiple iterations.
Read MoreThe Truth About Reshoring
Reshoring is not just a buzzword, it’s an economically driven correction to a supply chain that had become unbalanced.
Read MoreMelt Flow Rate Testing–Part 8
Here are the steps to take in cases where the MFR is not provided by the polymer supplier.
Read MoreThe ‘Total Package’ in Thermoforming
Here's how a leading edge custom former evolved from a CAD/CAM business.
Read MorePrices Up, Except for PP
Prices of PE, PS and PVC were on the way up last month, while PP prices could be headed in the other direction.
Read MoreExtruding High-Temperature Resins
Older extrusion lines might not be suitable for processing materials up to 750 F. Here's what you need to know to get started.
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