April 2003 Issue
April 2003
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Three Friends Team Up For a Second Compounding Venture
When Robert Lapierre, David Valenzky, and Thomas Lacey were in their late 30s and early 40s, the three friends started a custom compounding business to gether.
Read MoreYour Business Outlook - April 2003
Blow molded household and industrial chemical (HIC) containers are expected to show 4.0% average annual growth over the next five years.
Read MoreThermosets Make Sturdy Thermoforming Tools
Two-part epoxy casting compounds and polyurethane boardstock are gaining acceptance as tooling materials for thermoforming high-end industrial and packaging parts.
Read MoreLong-Fiber Thermoplastics Extend Their Reach
Smaller parts, a wider range of resins and reinforcements,and retrofittable molding equipment were among the news indirect-compounded long-fiber thermoplastics presented at a recent Plastics Technology conference. Extrusion and thermoforming are also new extensions of this process.
Read MoreFlow Analysis Gets It Right the First Time
This molder's trial parts showed visible flaws that made them unusable. Simple changes in tooling, processing, or materials couldn't fix it. But flow simulation provided an answer that worked right off the bat.
Read MoreResin Prices Are Soaring
Volatile energy and petrochemical feedstock prices, unsettled by events in Venezuela and the Middle East, are having a predictable effect on resin prices. Price hikes in almost all resins are coming thick and fast, making it hard to keep track of current market prices.
Read MoreInternational Manufacturing Alliances Expand Processors' Reach
Processors looking to expand their business overseas or across the border into Mexico have several alternatives.
Read MorePET Is Tough to Trim
The growing appeal of thermoformed PET packages springs from their positive environmental image, outstanding rigidity and clarity, and extraordinary toughness.
Read MoreCreature of Imagination
The griffin of ancient mythology was said to combine features of two noble animals—lion and eagle.
Read MoreYour Business in Brief - April 2003
DuPont Buys Some Eastman Polyesters DuPont Engineering Polymers in Wilmington, Del., has purchased a portfolio of high-performance polyesters from Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, Tenn.
Read MorePhenolics Set Stiff Pace Under the Hood
The air-intake manifold on a high-end European car may be one sign of a renaissance for phenolics.
Read MoreHybrid Injection Clamps The Best of Both Worlds?
In between all-electric and hydraulic-powered injection machines, a new species of hybrid clamp has emerged. Advocates say it combines the best qualities of electric servos and hydraulics without their disadvantages.
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