March 2008 Issue
March 2008
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Cash From Trash Goes Back to the Workers
Until last November, custom injection molder Hoffer Plastics Corp. in South Elgin, Ill., spent $1000 a month to have its plant waste dumped in a landfill.
Read MoreWhat Happened to Your Ultrasonic Weld Quality?
The most important factor in troubleshooting problems in ultrasonic welding is understanding the fundamentals of the process.
Read MoreNew Material Cures LSR Molding Headaches
For some problems the solution is to be soft but also be strong.
Read MoreThe Final Check
The roar of fighter jets taking off one after another drowned out the frantic screams of the plane captain running towards me, but the look on his face made it obvious there was a problem.
Read MoreYour Business Outlook - March 2008
This should be a good year for film and sheet extruders. According to our Film and Sheet Business Indexes, film markets should shake off their recent sluggishness, and the faster-growing sheet business will pick up additional speed.
Read MoreIs It Something in the Air … Or Maybe in the Water?
I doubt I’m the only one to have noticed that there’s been quite an eruption of anti-plastics headlines in the news lately.
Read MoreCAD Evolution For 3D Mold Design
Specially tailored packages of 3D computer-aided design software have been available to injection mold designers for at least a decade.
Read MoreYour Business Recycle Pricing - March 2008
Recycled resin prices kept rising in the first quarter, even while overall domestic demand was slowing. Strong exports were a key culprit. Will that continue through the next quarter? For most resins, the answer looks to be yes. LL/LDPE might be the exception, though.
Read MoreWeak Demand Softens Prices
Although a number of resins saw price increases in January, weak domestic markets hurt suppliers’ prospects to implement hikes in February and March.
Read MoreYour Business In Brief - March 2008
WEB EXCLUSIVE Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn., has opened a brand-new technical center occupying 2000 sq ft and outfitted with sophisticated instruments for testing and analyzing plastics, including films, fiber, and moldings.
Read MoreAdditives and Colorants Score Dramatic Advances
Among the host of new additives at K 2007 were a number of unusual entries: additives to add scratch resistance or reduce odor, leaps ahead in PP clarifying, specialized antioxidant protection for nanocomposites, a growth enhancer for greenhouse films, and a naturally free-flowing TiO2. In addition, “Green” was the theme of exhibits that highlighted “all-natural” additives for biopolymers, and colors to enliven recycled resins.
Read MoreSeveral 'Firsts' in Expandable Bead Molding
EPS molding machine builders have been busy in R&D. The driver is strong growth in EPS shape molding, especially large parts like fish boxes and insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for construction.
Read MoreCoatings Give Aluminum Molds Cost/Performance Edge Over Steel
New cost-effective technologies are designed to make aluminum an attractive alternative to tool steels in a range of plastics molding processes. One method uses a plasma technique to convert the aluminum surface into a hard, dense, wear-resistant ceramic. Another approach uses electro-deposition to apply a surface coating with high hardness, corrosion resistance, and chemical resistance.
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