PT Blog

Most plastics processors with central process cooling systems don’t think much about that equipment, but they think a lot about their energy bills. And cost reduction initiatives usually focus on their primary processing equipment. If that’s you, there may be another target that could save a lot of money.

It’s your chiller.

The Tuball single-wall carbon nanotubes produced by Russia’s OCSiAL (U.S. office in Columbus, Ohio) were recently tested for their ecotoxicity potential in accordance with the relevant OECD chemical testing guideline 201, and were shown to have no toxic effects on algae. This in contrast to a set of recent results with muti-wall carbon nanotubes. Among the possible reasons, says OCSiAL, is their unique physical nature, particularly their high flexibility.

The range of applications of carbon nanotubes has continued to increase rapidly and now extends far beyond only high-technology products to include consumer goods. As a result, concerns have been raised about the potential adverse environmental effects of carbon nanotubes.  A single-wall carbon nanotube is a one-atom-thick sheet of graphene that is rolled into a tube. This type of nanotube has been shown to possess a number of important properties, including high flexibility that is far superior to that offered by multi-wall carbon nanotubes or carbon fibers.    

Proper venting is essential to molding a defect-free part. Without it, air and gas are trapped in the mold, which compress and heat as the cavity fills. Trapped gas is one of the most common causes of part burns, and it can also lead to short shots and voids, blemishes and discernible knit lines that weaken the part.

Moreover, trapped gas can cause residue buildup in vented pins, which then necessitates frequent production interruptions to clean the tool. It can even cause corrosion of the tool steel, thereby increasing tool-maintenance costs.

NextWave Plastics, a consortium of worldwide businesses led by Lonely Whale that is dedicated to developing the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chains, announced that HP Inc. and Ikea will join its ranks. 

In 2017, as part of a United Nations commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 14, Dell Technologies and Lonely Whale launched NextWave Plastics. The goal was to build on Dell’s ocean-bound plastic program launched in 2016 and bring together a cross-industry consortium of companies to work together in a collaborative, open-sourced and transparent fashion to create the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chain and scale the use of ocean-bound plastics. You can learn more about Dell’s involvement in my story about ocean-bound plastics here.

At last week’s Fakuma 2018 show in Germany, Milacron announced a first-of-its-kind agreement with iMFLUX, the new subsidiary of Procter & Gamble that developed a novel injection molding concept based on low and highly consistent injection pressure. Through this agreement, Milacron will integrate iMFLUX’s proprietary process-control software into its injection machines with native user interface and screens on its Mosaic controller. Milacron will be the first machine manufacturers to offer such integration, which eliminates the need for a separate iMFLUX control screen.

According to an iMFLUX representative at the show, significant cost savings are possible when iMFLUX is integrated into the machine when purchased. Milacron has certain exclusive rights to integration of iMFLUX process data with its controller. Milacron is adding iMFLUX as a software module within its M-Powered suite of IoT utilities. As previously reported, Milacron showed iMFLUX in action on an all-electric Elektron EVO 155 press, which is sold only in Europe. But Milacron says it will phase in iMFLUX capability for all its presses.