Tooling innovations at NPE focused primarily on multi-cavity closure and medical applications, though there was also a substantial emphasis on large automotive and appliance parts.

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.

Injection MoldingHybrid Press Has Electric ClampNew injection presses that combine servo-electric and hydraulic movements to achieve high performance with energy efficiency will be discussed by Arburg Inc., Newington, Conn.

A compact hot-runner temperature controller for low-cavitation applications was introduced at April’s Chinaplas show in Shanghai by Mastip of New Zealand (represented here by Mastip North America, Slinger, Wis.). Its new S series controller is the smallest in its line and has six or 12 zones of control.

A thermal-gate nozzle that’s the smallest in a line designed for hot-half applications, a valve-gate style for single-nozzle applications, and a multi-zone hot-runner temperature controller are all new from Mastip North America, Slinger, Wis.

Electrically driven valve pins, a low-cost alternative to valve-gating, mold-mounted temperature controllers, and new components for fast color changes are some of a host of new components and systems unveiled at the giant NPE 2006 show in Chicago this past June. (Some brand-new introductions since the show are also included in this report.) The news includes runnerless products aimed at everything from micromolding to shot weights up to 17.4 lb.

Thermal and mechanical testers, color and appearance sensors, vision inspection devices and CMMs—the NPE had them all in more compact, economical, and easy-to-use models.

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.

The new BX series of affordable hot-runner nozzles from Mastip Technology Ltd. of New Zealand (U.S. office in Richfield, Wis.) is suited to applications with low to medium cavitation where in-press tip replacement and close cavity spacing are not required.