Follow These Tips to Give Your Granulator Blades the Edge
By: Steve Mussman, Wittmann Battenfeld
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions—and troubleshooting advice—to help you maintain your granulator blades.
#bestpractices
Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials, Part 4
By: Mike Sepe
In this installment we discuss the discovery of Bakelite, the first truly synthetic polymer, known today as phenolic.
#Elastomers
Process Monitoring or Production Monitoring—Why Not Both?
By: Robert Gattshall
Molders looking to both monitor an injection molding process effectively and manage production can definitely do both with tools available today, but the question is how best to tackle these twin challenges.
#monitoring
Profile Processor Combines People & Technology to Fuel Growth
By: Jim Callari
Custom Profile started almost 30 years ago with one employee and one extruder, and has evolved into an international processing business with three plants serving a variety of markets. And plans are in the works to expand further.
Get Better at Quoting Injection Molded Parts: Part 3
By: Jim Fattori
Follow these detailed tips to get the jobs you want. This installment focuses on the mold and the molding machine.
#bestpractices
Blow Molder Bets on New Options in Large PET & HDPE Containers
By: Matthew Naitove
Priority Plastics is thinking big—large, wide-mouth containers and drums, that is—to offer new concepts to the U.S. market. The company is launching lines of industrial and consumer packaging made on machinery said to offer capabilities not seen before in the U.S.
#polyolefins
Running Cold to Hot: Tipping Point to Convert to a Hot Runner System
By: Derrick Hennebicque, Husky Injection Molding Systems
As the original melt-delivery system, cold runners still have their place in injection molding, but when demand for a plastic part—and required production—rise, the move to a hot runner can unlock myriad benefits.
Closed-Loop Recycling Makes Old Printer Cartridges New Again
By: Heather Caliendo
Canon runs a big recycling operation in Virginia where it collects and sorts toner cartridges, pelletizes the scrap, then molds new cartridges from the reclaim.
#sustainability #closeupontechnology
Overmolding Overhaul
By: Tony Deligio
An articulating mold and versatile auxiliary injection unit helped this molder rethink its tried-and-true approach to insert molding.
#technologyinaction
Building an Ocean-Bound Plastics Supply Chain
By: Heather Caliendo
Atando Cabos, working with partners ExxonMobil and Engel, is taking discarded fishing rope and transforming it into raw material to reincorporate into the production chain as long-term recyclable products.
#sustainability
Ripped from the Pages of Plastics Technology
By: Tony Deligio
Already gathering entries for its 5th year, Plastics Technology’s Top Shops continues to shine a spotlight on plastics’ premier processors.
#topshops
New Technology Combines 3D Printing with Injection Molding
By: Heather Caliendo
This new concept 3D prints a metallic endoskeleton, and then injection molds a polymer around that skeleton.
#closeupontechnology
Use Rheology and Flow Simulation to Troubleshoot Extrusion Processes
By: Olivier Catherine, Cloeren Incorporated
Let’s take the mystery out of rheology by showing how the wealth of information it provides can be used by processors to solve real-world production problems.
#bestpractices
Key Additive Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2021
By: Heather Caliendo
EOS, HP, Carbon and Essentium give a preview of what to expect from additive manufacturing in 2021.
Resolve to Improve Your Plant’s Operations in 2021
By: Tony Deligio
The New Year brings new resolutions for many, and it’s well known that resolutions tracked and measured with metrics are ones more likely to be kept.
#topshops
Volume Resin Prices Keep Rising
By: Lilli Manolis Sherman
Constrained supplies, higher feedstock costs, and continued strong demand fuel ongoing price hikes.
#resinpricing #Elastomers