Two-day event will feature more than 20 new presses, developments in twin-screw extrusion and structural foam, and technical presentations.

As reported in our Keeping Up section last month, Milacron LLC invited Plastics Technology to its Batavia, Ohio, headquarters for an exclusive preview of its new Elektron line of all-electric injection presses ahead of their official debut at Milacron’s open house Apr. 24-25.

At press time last month, Milacron LLC, Batavia, Ohio, gave Plastics Technology an advance look at a line of all-electric machines being launched globally this month.

Can liquid silicone rubber (LSR ) be overmolded onto polypropylene?

“We make components that go into other devices.

Need someone to injection mold fluoropolymers, highly filled PEE K, Torlon, or Ultem in complex shapes, tight tolerances, multiple cavities, and high volumes? “We love doing this,” says Tom Mendel, president of Performance Plastics Ltd. (PPL) in Cincinnati. “We’re not for everybody.

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.

Since each multi-material application is unique, there’s no standard best method for success. Each molding solution must be tailored to meet the needs of the final product.

Injection molders who want to save energy costs have a growing number of alternatives.

In blown film, equipment and material suppliers have come together to push five-layer technology into non-barrier applications previously held by three-layer films.

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.

In between all-electric and hydraulic-powered injection machines, a new species of hybrid clamp has emerged. Advocates say it combines the best qualities of electric servos and hydraulics without their disadvantages.

Milacron Inc., Batavia, Ohio, has come out with a new line of compact hydraulic toggle presses of 35 to 400 tons.

Beltless direct-drive electric machines and upgraded electric/hydraulic hybrids were introduced at the 20th Fakuma trade exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany, last month.

WEB EXCLUSIVE Several new improvements and options have been added to the Roboshot S2000i-B series of all-electric injection molding machines from Milacron Inc., Batavia, Ohio.

Two big filings for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection occurred in March.

Low-cost wood is still king, but plastics’ reusability is a growing attraction among manufacturers looking for sustainable material-handling options. The one major hurdle is today’s high resin prices.

Some people might be tempted to lump all processors with annual sales under $10 million into the same category: shoot-and-ship makers of no-fuss products using straightforward processing.

Globalization.

New programming wizards, data screens, and pushbuttons for machine movements are some of the upgrades to the new Mosaic control now standard on all injection molding machines from Cincinnati Milacron, Batavia, Ohio. (It is also an option on Cincinnati Milacron extruders-at no extra cost on twin-screws.) Introduced this month at NPE in Chicago, the new control has enhanced setup capabilities with more filling stages, plus the ability to transfer between stages based on multiple parameters.

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.

In mid-2004, Delphi Connection Systems, part of Tier 1 automotive supplier Delphi Corp.’s Packard Electric operations, flipped the switch on a new 190,000-sq-ft, $58-million plant in Vienna Township, Ohio.

This emerging market promises to be big but challenging. Polycarbonate car windows require specialized machinery, high-end processing capability, premium polymers, advanced coating technologies, and innovative mold and runner designs.

The Quad-Press magnetic quick-mold-clamping system from Tecnomagnete of Italy (U.S. office in Troy, Mich.) has been added to the list of factory-integrated QMC options for Milacron machines.

Cincinnati Milacron, Batavia, Ohio, is now the exclusive U.S. manufacturer and marketer of injection molding screws designed by Robert Barr, Inc., Virginia Beach, Va.

An improved line of large two-platen injection presses offers new sizes plus greater speed, educed maintenance, more operator-friendly design, and added flexibility for a range of molding requirements.

Multi-component molding in North America makes up less than 10% of the injection molding business, but it is becoming a significant growth strategy for The Tech Group in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Rather than waiting for applications to come to us, which is what custom molders typically do, we are gathering the right technologies now to take our capability to a new level.

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.

Already a familiar sight on European store shelves, the eye-catching appeal of "IML" is gaining traction among North American injection molders. The latest tooling and automation designs can handle the higher volumes needed here.

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.

Although more widely used in Europe, in-mold laminating is gaining a foothold in U.S. automotive interiors. Molders can choose from a handful of different process technologies that promise labor and other cost savings.

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

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

All-electric machines will be one of the biggest themes in injection molding machinery at this year’s K show, where at least nine firms will bring out their first models.

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.

The new Roboshot i Series electric presses from Fanuc Ltd. in Japan will be introduced here at NPE 2000 by Milacron Fanuc, Batavia, Ohio.