October 2002 Issue
October 2002
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
'Collar Joining' Method Makes Plastic-Metal Hybrids
A mechanical method for joining plastic and metal to create hybrid automotive front-end assemblies has been developed by BASF AG in Germany.
Read More'Soft-on-Soft' Is Newest Option In Soft-Touch Molding
It's hailed as a breakthrough for soft-touch injection molding: Collaborative efforts by three companies have resulted in the commercialization of an SEBS-based TPE vehicle handle in which a very soft (28 Shore A) surface layer is coinjected onto a substrate of a firmer—but still soft and rubbery—60 Shore A compound.
Read MoreAdditive Masterbatches Make Polyolefins Degrade
Two masterbatch suppliers claim to have found effective ways to make polyethylene and polypropylene products degrade like paper or wood while remaining cost-competitive with conventional LDPE or PP.
Read MoreHourly Rates Dipped Again
Mid-year custom injection molders' machine-hour rates dipped 1.3% on average in the second quarter of the year, according to 122 plants responding to our latest semi-annual survey.
Read MoreReborn HPM Launches New Injection & Extrusion Machinery
Much has changed in a year for HPM Corp., the 125-year-old Ohio manufacturer of injection, extrusion, and die-casting equipment.
Read More'Father of Long Glass' Delivers a New Baby
Ron Hawley's lawyer keeps a collection of napkins and other bits of paper on which, over the years, Hawley drew the first sketches of a remarkable series of inventions.
Read MoreImproved Technology Tightens Your Grip on Materials Inventory Control
Know what's new in paddle switches or weight-and-cable sensors? What about capacitance, vibratory, and ultrasonic level gauges? Are radar or laser systems worth the money? It's time to get educated: Having the right tools for materials management is more important than ever.
Read MoreYour Business in Brief - October 2002
Dow Puts TDI on 'Order Control'Dow Polyurethanes, Midland, Mich., has announced that supply of TDI will be extremely tight for the remainder of 2002, a condition made worse by a recent equipment failure that caused Dow to shut down its Freeport, Texas, TDI train.
Read MoreYour Business Outlook - October 2002
The growth outlook for PE film used to package frozen foods, meat, poultry, and ice is less optimistic than the double-digit gains forecasted for other consumer packaging.
Read MoreThermoforming Carves New Role in Decorating Wood
Membrane pressing—a process widely used by the lumber industry to decorate shaped wooden cores with a plastic surfacing material—deserves the attention of U.S. thermoformers.
Read MorePOE Alloys Replace Liquid Plasticizers In High-Performance Flexible PVC
Flexible PVC doesn't have many friends these days.
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