March 2009 Issue
March 2009
Features
Featured articles from the latest issue of Plastics Technology
Bottles Now Have Embedded RFID
A patented technology fully encapsulates Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) components between injection molded discs and then embeds that assembly into an injection-blow molded bottle.
Read MoreA Vinyl Record Business Grows in Brooklyn
In 2001, when Thomas Bernich started Brooklynphono, a private-label LP record pressing company in Brooklyn, N.Y., he bought used equipment from record companies that were going out of business, even despite strong sales growth.
Read MoreHow to Determine Maximum Mold Cycle Counts
At my first production meeting with my new employer, I was told, “We want you to establish a preventive maintenance program that is based on maximum cycle counts for all our molds.” Then, before I could launch into an explanation of how best to determine maximum cycle counts, I was hit with the follow-up: “So, how many cycles do you think our molds can safely run before we need to clean them?”Leaving my crystal ball at home and unable to get my x-ray vision working, there was no way to answer this question with any real accuracy.
Read MoreAdditive Manufacturing: New Capabilities for Rapid Prototypes And Production Parts
Many plastics processors are just starting to become familiar with the terms “additive manufacturing” or “additive fabrication,” which refer to a group of processes that build up parts by successively adding material, often in layers.
Read MoreHow Do You Keep Up With News in Materials?
I hope your answer includes reading Plastics Technology, particularly our monthly “Keeping Up With Materials” department.
Read MoreYour Business In Brief - March 2009
Gloucester Engineering Teams Up With Kabra in IndiaGloucester Engineering Co. in Gloucester, Mass., has formed a joint venture with Kolsite Group in Mumbai, India, to build blown film lines at Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd., a Kolsite company.
Read MoreWhat’s Your Process Energy Fingerprint?
As we discussed in last month’s column, your plant’s “energy fingerprint” is composed of the base load and the process load.
Read MoreRecycled Resins Can Be a Bargain— If You Can Find Them
With manufacturing demand in the doldrums, business is slow for recyclers; but the low prices could be good news for processors seeking a bargain. That is, if you can find recycled material at all.
Read MoreHigh Speed Video Becomes Mainstream
Bullet points: Modern impact and test systems integrate video capture with data capture from other sourcesHigh speed video can be extremely useful when testing complex structuresImpact testing and in particular instrumented impact testing, has become widely used as a method of investigating the properties of materials and structures.
Read MoreOutlook - March 2009
The U.S. economy remains mired in the worst downturn since the Great Depression, but recent indicators suggest that demand for many manufacturing products at least started to stabilize in the first quarter.
Read MoreHigher Prices Return
In the teeth of a deepening recession, commodity resin suppliers managed to raise prices in the first two months of the year, spurred by a sudden uptick in monomer tabs. YES, PE PRICES ARE UPPolyethylene suppliers succeeded in hiking prices 7¢/lb in January and February, giving them full implementation of their first increase of the year.
Read More