More speed, more power, more precision, and more automated functions accomplished in and out of the mold. That’s exactly what injection machinery suppliers were offering at NPE2012.

Hot buttons at the show will be multi-component molding, in-mold labeling/decorating (IML/IMD), in-mold assembly, medical molding, liquid silicone rubber (LSR), micro-molding, and high-speed packaging.

So far, Boy Machines Inc., Exton, Pa., has offered its latest drive technology on machines from 35 to 90 metric tons.

There were new presses of all stripes aplenty at K 2010, but the “wow” factor was supplied by automated work cells and integrated manu-facturing systems performing multiple operations before, during, and after molding.

The world’s largest plastics show, coming up next month in Dusseldorf, Germany, provides ample evidence of the growing sway of electric drive technology in injection molding.

Show goers will see an electric injection machine in nearly every press maker’s booth this year, and electric/hydraulic hybrids in several.

New injection machinery at the show ranged from all-electric units for high-speed packaging or bioplastic processing to hybrid presses ready for the cleanroom. Other units highlighted multi-component molding with LSR and thermoplastics or super-compact presses for small parts. Several new machines targeted specific applications such as caps and closures, PET preforms, LSR, or integrated long-glass compounding.

If a better machine can help your company beat challenging economic conditions, you’ll probably find it at NPE. And finding it will be easier, thanks to our editors’ efforts to sift out of some 2000 exhibits the most significant news in injection and blow molding, extrusion, compounding, and thermoforming.

A servo-motor pump drive is at the heart of a new series of electric/hydraulic presses said to be quieter, faster, and more precise than standard hydraulic models and more economical than all-electrics.

A compact cleanroom molding design requiring about 6 sq ft of floorspace was exhibited by Boy Machines Inc., Exton, Pa., at a recent trade show in Poland.

WEB EXCLUSIVE A compact cleanroom molding design requiring about 6 sq ft (2 m2) of floorspace was exhibited by Boy Machines Inc., Exton, Pa., at a recent trade show in Poland.

If you were looking for a new machine to mold micro- or mega-sized parts, multiple materials, long fibers, high-speed/high-cavitation packaging, exotic multi-material combinations with compounding on the machine, or just a cost-effective press for general-purpose use—K 2007 had it all.

Liquid silicone rubber is breaking out of its niche into a broader array of applications, helped by new developments in materials, machinery, and processing. Larger parts, micro-parts, foams, and multi-color or multi-material combinations are key areas of innovation.

A new touchscreen control said to set new standards for speed, precision, and ease of use comes from Boy Machines Inc., Exton, Pa.

At the big “K” Show next month, top billing goes to new all-electric machines aimed at every segment of the market, from general-purpose to high-end.

If you were buying an injection molding machine 20 years ago, you had to decide between a toggle or fully hydraulic clamp and that was pretty much it.

Research into a new melt-oscillation approach for injection molding has yielded a means of enhancing mechanical properties without use of fillers or additives.

Advances in electric drive technology were evident in nearly every injection machine builder’s booth in Chicago.

Energy-saving all-electric machines will continue to be a big draw at NPE, where new designs or upgraded models will be found in virtually every press maker’s booth.

Injection MoldingSimplified Hot Runners Save Time & CostA new lower-cost hot-runner alternative to valve gating is suited to less critical cosmetic applications where users need predictable and reliable gate opening but not sequential gate operation.

A new integrated sprue/parts sorting system that operates without any loss of cycle was introduced at the recent Fakuma show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, by the parent of Boy Machines Inc., Exton, Pa.

 How does a small, family-owned custom molder remain competitive for 53 years without multiple plants, offshore clients, a specialized market niche, or unique leading-edge technology?

Ever wonder what it would be like to get tomorrow’s newspaper today? After reviewing the most important technical developments of the past 50 years in our October issue, we asked industry experts to help us imagine the biggest headlines in plastics from now to 2055. What we got was a mixture of predictions of what will happen and a wish list of what should happen.

Multi-shot and coinjection molding techniques are staking out new territory. Mach ines are getting larger and are combining more materials or colors in more sophisticated and imaginative ways.

Molders were treated to a trove of injection machinery introductions geared toward applications from micro-molding to packaging to large parts.

The diversity of electric machines will be on display at this year’s show, with several new all-electric versions in direct-drive and belt-driven versions.

These two show-goers found what they needed at NPE.

The latest development in the D-I-M technology is a vertical press with vertical injector, measuring around 5 x 2.7 x 8.8 ft high (with mold open). It allows plenty of room for automation, so it can be integrated into assembly lines, Ettlinger says.

The abundance of injection molding news at this year’s show is staggering.

Stress-free production of large car windows, in-mold painting, and an injection unit that applies pack and hold while accumulating the next shot were a few of the cutting-edge technologies on display.

The abundance of injection molding news at this year’s show is staggering. There are more and bigger all-electric machines than ever, including first-time introductions by several suppliers. Electric technology is also taking new forms, such as beltless drives and “direct-pressure” clamping without a toggle. Energy-saving electro-hydraulic hybrids are also evolving.

Less than a single pellet's worth of resin is all one custom injection molder needs to produce micro-sized precision parts with undercuts, ribs, hinges, or inserts. These minuscule parts must be held to tolerances of ±0.0005 in. with CpK's of 1.3 or better, which means no more than about six defects in 100,000 parts.

Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) has come a long way over the past two decades. From its roots in a few specialty applications where premium physical properties counted more than the premium price, this thermoset carved out a small but solid niche in the medical and automotive fields. Now, among a proliferation of new applications, that niche has begun to burst at the seams.