Are things finally starting to perk up in plastics processing? Bill Wood’s latest Injection Molding Business Index suggests the answer might be yes. The index, which measures  demand for molded parts, increased 5% last month when compared to a year ago. This was on the heels of a 2% hike the month before. Wood believes the index hit a cyclical bottom at the end of 2006, and he is projecting business for molders to rise steadily in the second half of the year and finish 4% above 2006 numbers. Molders serving the medical, computer, and packaging markets are expected to fare the best.

Extrusion Also Creeping Up

In extrusion, meantime, business advanced 1% over the last month following a 1% increase the month prior, Wood reports. The extrusion business was down 1% overall in 2006, and was sluggish the first part of 2007, so this is another positive trend. Wood is projecting the extrusion business to increase 4% in 2007 from last year. Sheet continues to do extremely well, Wood reports, climbing 16% last month after a 14% hike the previous month. Film climbed 2% last month, following a 10% boost the prior month. The siding and window and door businesses continue to lag as a result of a sluggish construction market.

A dryer ain't a dryer ain't a dryer

You might not think there could be much more to say about resin dryers than I packed into my magnum opus in this issue. After interviewing more than a dozen experts, some of whom have spent 30 or 40 years with dryers, I can tell you there’s a lot more to say. Resin drying may be the most devilishly complex subject I have ever bumped into in my 34 years in plastics. So many variables affect drying, and there are so many ways to tweak dryer design and controls to wrestle with those variables. Did you think, A dryer is a dryer is a dryer?  Better think again.

The Troubleshooter: Getting film wrinkles out

Bubble stability is the number one cause of wrinkles in blown film. Here’s expert advice on how to deal with this issue, as well as handling other common causes of wrinkled film.

Check out our Article Library for solutions to other film extrusion woes:

Stopping black specs
Don’t let IBC woes burst your bubble
How to fix ugly rolls
Stop those gels

Plan ahead for two Plastics Technology conferences

Mark your calendars for two upcoming conferences being developed by Plastics Technology Magazine. Coming in September in Cleveland is The Leading Edge Molding Technical Conference, a two-day event focusing on emerging developments in molding that will help keep you ahead of the curve. In December, we are holding our second Bioplastics Processing Conference in Charlotte, which will examine the new breed of environmentally friendly materials under development, and what you need to know to process them.

What kind of stories would you like to see in Plastics Technology Magazine or on www.ptonline.com?  E-mail us your suggestions - if we follow up on your idea, you get a free PT t-shirt.