January 2024 Issue

January

January 2024

Digital Edition
US Merchants Makes its Mark in Injection Molding
Cover Story

US Merchants Makes its Mark in Injection Molding

In less than a decade in injection molding, US Merchants has acquired hundreds of machines spread across facilities in California, Texas, Virginia and Arizona, with even more growth coming.

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Features

Featured articles from the January 2024 issue of Plastics Technology

Catheter Specialist Finds Sweet Spot Serving Small, Medium-Sized Concerns
Medical

Catheter Specialist Finds Sweet Spot Serving Small, Medium-Sized Concerns

Medical-component specialist LightningCath has carved a niche meeting the needs of small to medium-sized entrepreneurs with complex catheter designs … quickly.

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70 Years...Still Going Strong
editorial

70 Years...Still Going Strong

Plastics Technology is closing in on its 70th anniversary. Here are some of Editorial Director Jim Callari’s observations to commemorate the occasion.

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Is a Gear Pump Right for Your Single-Screw Operation

Is a Gear Pump Right for Your Single-Screw Operation

As with everything else, there are pros and cons, but more of the former. They provide processors higher rates while decreasing the temperature of the extrudate while enabling downgauging.    

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Plastics Processing Activity Drops in November
economics

Plastics Processing Activity Drops in November

The drop in plastics activity appears to be driven by a return to accelerated contraction for three closely connected components — new orders, production and backlog.

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Temperature Control: What You Need to Know to Comply With New Cooling-Fluid Regs

Temperature Control: What You Need to Know to Comply With New Cooling-Fluid Regs

Beginning the first of this year, 12 states are following EPA bans on potentially damaging cooling fluids. Chiller suppliers have adjusted equipment designs to accommodate the new regulations. Here’s what all this means to processors.  

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The Experience Curve and Well-Trained Process Technicians
business

The Experience Curve and Well-Trained Process Technicians

Pairing external big picture training with internal job-specific instruction can help your process technicians meet quality expectations as well as production targets.

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How to Optimize Your Molds and Hot Runners for Processing Bioresins
Biopolymers

How to Optimize Your Molds and Hot Runners for Processing Bioresins

Demand for bioresins is growing in molded goods, particularly as a sustainability play to replace fossil-fuel based materials, but these materials are not a drop-in replacement for traditional materials. Molds and hot runners need to be optimized for these materials.

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How to Design Three-Plate Molds – Part 3
Tooling Know-How

How to Design Three-Plate Molds – Part 3

There are many things to consider, and paying attention to the details can help avoid machine downtime and higher maintenance costs — and keep the customer happy.

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Prices for All Volume Resins Head Down at End of 2023
Commodity Resins

Prices for All Volume Resins Head Down at End of 2023

Flat-to-downward trajectory for at least this month.

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The Fantasy and Reality of Raw Material Shelf Life: Part 2
Materials

The Fantasy and Reality of Raw Material Shelf Life: Part 2

For the vast majority of thermoplastics, the stability of the materials can be stated in years, not months. But there are exceptions where shelf life can be a serious issue.  

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WSB Gravimetric Blenders
WSB Gravimetric Blenders