Everything you need to know about the importance of proper drying in your production process.
Combat the skilled labor shortage using this comprehensive resource to train your own plastics processing experts.
Deep dive into the basics of resin blending and feeding, controls, maintenance, process integration and more.
This Knowledge Center provides an overview of the considerations needed to understand the purchase, operation, and maintenance of a process cooling system.
Learn about sustainable scrap reprocessing—this resource offers a deep dive into everything from granulator types and options, to service tips, videos and technical articles.
Polyolefins face highest price hikes due to the Iranian conflict’s disruption of global energy, feedstock and resin trade flows.
Shipping disruptions in the Middle East are dramatically affecting global resin trade flows, and rising prices reflect the supply squeeze.
Middle East conflict, energy costs and new tariffs create uncertainty for global feedstock and resin production, supply chain logistics and price trends.
Upward trajectory in January for four of the five major commodity resins, but overall processors face less volatility.
Three of the five commodity resins are expected to move in a somewhat upward trajectory due to overall supply/demand imbalance strategies.
Supply/demand imbalances, lower feedstock costs, and plant maintenance in Q1 are expected to keep most resin prices flat to down; however, upticks are likely in certain instances.
Resin drying is a crucial, but often-misunderstood area. This collection includes details on why and what you need to dry, how to specify a dryer, and best practices.
Take a deep dive into all of the various aspects of part quoting to ensure you’ve got all the bases—as in costs—covered before preparing your customer’s quote for services.
In this collection of articles, two of the industry’s foremost authorities on screw design — Jim Frankand and Mark Spalding — offer their sage advice on screw design...what works, what doesn’t, and what to look for when things start going wrong.
In this collection, which is part one of a series representing some of John’s finest work, we present you with five articles that we think you will refer to time and again as you look to solve problems, cut cycle times and improve the quality of the parts you mold.
Gifted with extraordinary technical know how and an authoritative yet plain English writing style, in this collection of articles Fattori offers his insights on a variety of molding-related topics that are bound to make your days on the production floor go a little bit better.
In this three-part collection, veteran molder and moldmaker Jim Fattori brings to bear his 40+ years of on-the-job experience and provides molders his “from the trenches” perspective on on the why, where and how of venting injection molds. Take the trial-and-error out of the molding venting process.
Mike Sepe has authored more than 25 ANTEC papers and more than 250 articles illustrating the importance of this interdisciplanary approach. In this collection, we present some of his best work during the years he has been contributing for Plastics Technology Magazine.
In this collection of content, we provide expert advice on welding from some of the leading authorities in the field, with tips on such matters as controls, as well as insights on how to solve common problems in welding.
Mold maintenance is critical, and with this collection of content we’ve bundled some of the very best advice we’ve published on repairing, maintaining, evaluating and even hanging molds on injection molding machines.
Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.
Cadmould AI Solver enables design exploration for injection molding engineers up to 1,000 times faster than numerical solvers.
Plastixs taps Quality Mold Shop and Mobile Manifold Repair to install Airtect technology for detecting material leaks in hot runners and machine nozzles.
Space-saving “remote-cool” option for AEC’s GPL Series releases heat outdoors by locating the chiller condenser outside while the chiller remains indoors.
The supplier of mold components announced the addition of a five-axis Makino A500z to its production site and brought a range of products to PTXPO.
The Women in Plastics panel breakfast at PTXPO will provide all plastics professional with a valuable networking and learning experience.
Thermal Care will display its latest NQ Series Chiller and RQT Series TCU at PTXPO 2026 (March 17-19; Rosemont, Illinois).
Our inaugural 2026 session spotlights Sustainable Packaging – a critical area under growing scrutiny. With mounting pressure from consumers, regulators, and brand owners, rigid and flexible packaging must minimize its environmental footprint.
Plastics processors need solutions. Faced with new challenges, as well as longstanding difficulties, they are on the lookout for new technologies and services that will help them with their day-to-day operations.
PT Tech Days is designed to provide a robust, curated, accessible platform through which plastics professionals can explore these trends, have direct access to subject-matter experts and develop strategies for applying solutions in their operations.
Paper submissions for Molding 2026, which will be held this November in Greenville, South Carolina, are now open.
Mixed in among thought leaders from leading suppliers to injection molders and mold makers at the 2023 Molding and MoldMaking conferences will be molders and toolmakers themselves.
After successfully introducing a combined conference for moldmakers and injection molders in 2022, Plastics Technology and MoldMaking Technology are once again joining forces for a tooling/molding two-for-one.
Multiple speakers at Molding 2023 will address the ways simulation can impact material substitution decisions, process profitability and simplification of mold design.
When, how, what and why to automate — leading robotics suppliers and forward-thinking moldmakers will share their insights on automating manufacturing at collocated event.
As self-imposed and government-issued sustainability mandates approach, injection molders reimagine their operations.
Register for Extrusion 2026, the premier conference for extrusion professionals, which will be held Aug. 18-19, 2026, in downtown Austin.
Log out from your computer and make plans to join us in Boston this May for Extrusion 2025.
Get your clicking finger in shape and sign up for all that we have in store for you in 2023.
Molding 2023 to take place Aug. 29-30 in Minnesota; Extrusion 2023 slated for Oct. 10-12 in Indiana.
Artificial intelligence has become a competitive necessity in sustainable plastics research and development, yet many organizations are under pressure to adopt the technology without a clear or direct path to value. This webinar is designed for enterprise plastics leaders in R&D, innovation, product development and manufacturing who are exploring AI or struggling to move beyond isolated pilots.Based on industry experience, the session will share practical AI-driven use cases, including predicting material durability and stability, replacing toxic materials, accelerating long development cycles, reducing formulation costs, implementing sustainability goals and moving from optimized R&D to streamlined production. Attendees will learn common pitfalls of AI adoption and how experienced partners enable confident, scalable and measurable impact in global enterprise organizations.AgendaWhere AI delivers real value in plastics R&D.Practical AI use cases across formulation, performance prediction and process optimization.How leading plastics organizations launch successful AI projects and scale them enterprise-wide.Common pitfalls that cause AI initiatives to stall and how to avoid them.Turning early AI wins into measurable ROI across R&D and production.
Automotive manufacturers are under increasing pressure to deliver premium surface quality while reducing process complexity, cost and environmental impact. Traditional paint booth operations add significant time, capital investment and logistical challenges to production. This webinar explores an integrated manufacturing approach that combines injection molding with polyurethane in-mold coating to produce Class-A, high-gloss automotive surfaces in a single cycle — eliminating the need for downstream painting. Presenters will provide a technical overview of the process, including system integration, material behavior and key design considerations, as well as performance characteristics such as scratch, UV and chemical resistance for interior and exterior components. Drawing on more than 20 years of application experience, the session will also share global and North American market insights, outline the automotive value chain supporting this technology, and discuss available trial capabilities and evaluation environments in Europe and North America. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of where this approach fits today, how it is being applied across regions, and what factors influence successful evaluation and implementation. Agenda: Overview of integrated injection molding and in-mold coating technology System architecture, material behavior, and key design considerations Surface performance characteristics for automotive interior and exterior parts Global and North American market insights and automotive value chain overview
Do you want a deeper understanding of servo-controlled mold functions? Join Husky on this webinar to gain insight into servo control and how you can take advantage of this opportunity to improve your mold functions. This webinar will cover different servo control solutions, benefits of mold electrification and the application review process. Agenda: Why you should make the change to mold electrification How to compare various servo control solutions Motor sizing pitfalls and the application review process Commissioning your servo solution and the importance of global support
Selecting the right plastic welding technology is essential for achieving high performance, durability and consistent quality for your automotive parts. Learn how various processes, such as ultrasonic, vibration, infrared, hot gas and laser welding, align with different materials, joint designs and production goals in automotive and other demanding industries to ensure strong, precise and repeatable welds that meet today’s manufacturing standards. Agenda: Plastic welding fundamentals: explore how amplitude, pressure and material properties interact to achieve optimal welds in automotive applications Design for success: learn to integrate energy directors, shear joints and spot welds that enhance strength, sealing and consistency Design for success: learn to integrate energy directors, shear joints and spot welds that enhance strength, sealing and consistency Avoiding costly pitfalls: identify common part design and molding errors that compromise joint integrity and performance Advanced techniques and troubleshooting: discover when to apply staking, swaging and spot welding, plus expert tips for fine-tuning parameters and resolving real-world challenges
Combining KraussMaffei's FiberForm and ColorForm technologies, you can take complex metal parts requiring multi-step, labor-intensive processing and convert them into a single-cell composite solution, including a finish coating solution. This is all achieved in under 120 seconds. Agenda: Introduction to KraussMaffei Review of FiberForm Technology, equipment required and process steps Review of ColorFrom Technology, equipment required and process steps Real world examples in automotive and aerospace Case study featuring aerospace parts
The push for circularity is reshaping industries through stringent regulations in packaging, automotive or single-use plastic applications. Meras(R) rPET by Sipchem InnoVent transforms 100% post-consumer PET into high-performance, circular, low CO2 footprint materials for automotive, industrial and consumer use. A range of ready-to-use mechanical recycled PET compounds, Meras rPet is designed for a big leap toward carbon reduction and circularity. Redefine plastic responsibly. Agenda: SipChem and SipChem InnoVent Plastic waste, regulations and circularity Meras rPET: SipChem’s contribution to recycled plastic
The Innovation and Emerging Plastics Technologies Conference is an annual plastics industry conference held at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania. Industry experts lead presentations and hands-on tutorials, many of which take place in the college's 10,500-square-foot plastics processing lab — the largest, most comprehensive plastics training facility in the country.Two-day conference formatMorning presentations across three concurrent tracks: injection molding technology, materials technology, and executive/management practicesAfternoon three-hour tutorials, many with a hands-on componentNetworking session following afternoon tutorials200+ plastics professionals from 40+ companies attend each year
CONTRAX events connect buyers and suppliers of American contract manufacturing services. From concept to contract, CONTRAX specializes in showcasing North America’s premier advanced, precision industrial parts producers and service providers — leaders in design engineering, materials selection, prototyping, CNC machining, metal forming and fabricating, injection molding, 3D printing, surface treatment, parts finishing and systems integration.
Extrusion's general sessions cover best practices, troubleshooting and processing solutions that can help you run your operation and maximize the utilization of your existing assets—as efficiently as possible. Extrusion professionals from the shop floor to the front office are represented at the Extrusion Conference. You’ll meet the entire global supply chain: manufacturing managers, supervisors, engineers and technicians, as well as engineers and technical managers at OEMs and other firms.
Celebrate National Composites Week 2026! The goal of National Composites Week is to celebrate and bring attention to the myriad ways that composite materials and composites manufacturing contribute to the products and structures that shape the American manufacturing landscape today. Learn how you can participate in this year's National Composites Week on NationalCompositesWeek.com.
New this year, Top Shops Conference will expand to include CNC machining and industrial finishing. Modern Machine Shop Top Shops and Products Finishing Top Shops, Gardner Business Media’s two largest and longest running benchmarking and business improvement survey programs, will join forces to host concurrent Top Shops Conference programs. In addition to dedicated conference programming, Top Shops Conference attendees will benefit from access to several shared general sessions, keynotes, exhibit rooms and special networking events enabling these two critical manufacturing service groups – CNC machining and industrial finishing - to learn, exchange ideas and make valuable business connections.