November 2006 Issue
November 2006
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Pricing Update - November 2006
After a brief surge upward, prices of polyolefins and PVC have softened again.
Read MoreHow to Clean a Flashed Hot Manifold-Part Two
Already a familiar sight on European store shelves, the eye-catching appeal of "IML" is gaining traction among North American injection molders. The latest tooling and automation designs can handle the higher volumes needed here.
Read MoreGlobal Company, Local Creativity
Magna International, Inc. may be a global Tier One automotive parts supplier with over 220 manufacturing divisions and more than 82,000 employees, but it doesn’t stifle creativity at the individual plant level.
Read MoreMicro-Thermoforming Makes Its Debut
Manufacturers of micro-size components that until now relied exclusively on injection molding may have another option to consider.
Read MoreInduction Heated Molds Produce Class A Thermoplastic Composites
Though not widely popular, induction heating has long had its advocates as an efficient method of heating plastics molds.
Read MoreNPE 2006 News Wrap-Up: Fluid Temperature Control: Saving on Energy and Maintenance
At NPE in Chicago, chillers and TCUs were put on a lean energy diet and redesigned for greater durability. Suppliers also added features while taking out cost.
Read MoreSolve Ultrasonic Horn Problems With Finite-Element Analysis
Computer modeling with 3D finite-element analysis (FEA) is used in the plastics industry because it can identify stresses, predict performance, and analyze part failures that can often be missed by traditional 2D modeling methods.
Read MoreNPE 2006 News Wrap-Up: Hot Shots: New Nozzles and Controls Add Sizzle to Runnerless Molding
Electrically driven valve pins, a low-cost alternative to valve-gating, mold-mounted temperature controllers, and new components for fast color changes are some of a host of new components and systems unveiled at the giant NPE 2006 show in Chicago this past June. (Some brand-new introductions since the show are also included in this report.) The news includes runnerless products aimed at everything from micromolding to shot weights up to 17.4 lb.
Read MoreYour Business In Brief - November 2006
Management Buys Out Emabond BusinessSenior management has acquired the Emabond Business Group from Ashland Inc., Covington, Ky.
Read MoreDual Gas-Assist Techniques Advance Large-Part Molding
A novel combination of internal and external gas assist is the secret to injection molding a large panel that is both structural and requires a highly cosmetic surface.
Read MoreDon’t Miss the Plastics ‘Weather Report’
No one can predict the weather for certain … and the same goes for movement of the economy.
Read MoreNPE 2006 News Wrap-Up: Testing and QC--New Lab Instruments Stress Affordability and Convenience
Thermal and mechanical testers, color and appearance sensors, vision inspection devices and CMMs—the NPE had them all in more compact, economical, and easy-to-use models.
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