December 2001 Issue
December 2001
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Profile Maker Runs Lean & Fast
In the early 1990s, as competition heated up in European PVC window markets, many European processors looked to U.S. markets for growth.
Read MorePolyurethane Foams Get Ready for HCFC Phase-out
With a critical deadline fast approaching, PUR foam formulators are mastering the art of using ‘cleaner' blowing agents. The latest PUR conference revealed new successes with these agents in a broad spectrum of rigid, flexible, and integral-skin foams.
Read MoreBoltless Flat Die Opens Faster
Without changing the inner workings of the die, Extrusion Dies Inc., Chippewa Falls, Wis., has come up with a revolutionary way to assemble flat dies without bolts. The closing mechanism replaces conventional die bolts with rods actuated by hydraulic toggles to hold the die halves together.
Read MoreYour Business in Brief - December 2001
Xaloy and Dray Team Up On Screws & ValvesXaloy Inc., Pulaski, Va., is extending its capabilities in screw design and large-screw manufacturing through an alliance with well-known screw designer Robert F.
Read MoreOn-Line PET Bottle Thickness Gauging Brings Responsive Process Control
Maintaining desired wall thickness in the neck, shoulder, wall, and base of a PET bottle is a continuing challenge to blow molders, says Chris Robinson, head of quality assurance at the Bowling Green, Ohio, plant of Southeastern Container (SEC) Group Inc.
Read MoreBlow Molding Gets Green Light in Detroit
Technical blow molding is changing the contours of automotive interior trim, load-bearing floors, seat-back systems, and under-hood ducting. Favorable economics, process refinements, and the emergence of tailored materials and equipment are taking the brakes off blow molding's earlier limits, and pointing a way to cost cutting.
Read MoreLeave the Lawyers Out of It
When someone has an original idea in plastics, they often seek a patent.
Read More