April 2008 Issue
April 2008
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
New Look in PVC Siding
Tom Loper is a serial entrepreneur. Currently, he’s president, CEO, and co-founder of NuCedar Mills Inc. in Chicopee, Mass., which makes the first foamed PVC siding on the market.
Read MoreEconomic Outlook - April 2008
Our Pipe Business Index for North America declined 5% in 2007, ending a streak of five consecutive years of growth.
Read MoreWhat to Do About Weak Weld Lines
Weld or knit lines are perhaps the most common and difficult injection molding defect to eliminate.
Read MoreMore Choices for Grinding, Shredding
Many granulators on display at the K 2007 show in Dusseldorf last October were big models—150 to 200 hp—to enable higher throughputs or reclaiming larger parts and chunks. For example, Rapid Granulator from Sweden brought out the 600 model, the largest in its “open-hearted” series, which allow fast access to all internal components. It has a 600-mm-diam. rotor, 100 mm more than the next largest size.
Read MoreRecycling Is Hot: Lots of New Plants Trying Out New Technologies
With virgin resin so expensive, there’s plenty of recycling action—from PET bottle-to-bottle plants to new projects aimed at agricultural film, carpets, and auto-shredder residue.
Read MoreYour Business Pricing Update - April 2008
In polyolefins and PET, resin suppliers recently announced price increases at the same time that prices were actually falling, thanks to softer feedstock pricing and weakness in both domestic and overseas demand. Industry analysts don’t expect prices to move much in either direction right now.
Read MoreMaking History in Aachen
Aachen, Germany, is a very old city. The Romans enjoyed its hot springs, and Charlemagne made it the capital of his new Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D. The cathedral, or Dom, once Charlemagne’s private chapel, dates from that era. Since 1950, Aachen has been making history in plastics processing, as well.
Read MoreWeather Testing For the Real World
Broader use of plastics in building products and a growing desire to minimize painting of automotive parts is increasing the need for reliable predictions of light stability and weathering performance.
Read MoreYour Business In Brief - April 2008
WEB EXCLUSIVE Pergan GmbH of Germany, which acquired the Marshall, Texas, organic peroxide plant and business from Chemtura Corp. last August, is changing the trade names of some of its products.
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