What’s said to be the first all-electric turning-stack mold technology will appear next month at the Fakuma 2012 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The drive to eliminate secondary operations is pushing multi-shot injection molding a step farther—toward assembling separate components in the tool via snap-fits, welding, and co-molding of incompatible materials.

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.

Easley Custom Plastics (ECP) Inc. doesn't want to be just your average small to medium-sized custom molder.

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.