Tenere Shapes Market Niche Where Metal and Plastics Meet
Joining metal and plastics to target some of today’s most dynamic industries, contract manufacturer Tenere reinvented itself—and its customer list—in 2016.

Injection Molding: Faster, Smarter, More Efficient Machines Tackle Sustainable Molding at K 2019
Blazing speed plus shrinking energy consumption supported the “green” theme at the big show. Smarter controls and growing connectivity were another key focus.

Simulation Is Making Injection Machines Smarter
Engel’s simlink will refine offline simulation with results from actual molding and use Engel’s machine data to constrain simulation within the actual machine’s capabilities.

Tooling: ‘Reverse Cube’ Puts New Spin On Two-Component Molding
For two-component molding, splitting the cube mold into halves that rotate in opposite directions provides thermal isolation and long cooling times for both materials.

Arburg & Dieffenbacher Collaborate on Molding Thermoplastic Composites
Arburg’s Fiber Direct Compounding injection unit plus Dieffenbacher’s vertical press yields a system for structural automotive TP composites.

RJG Partners with a Nebraska Community College on Injection Molding Training Lab
RJG and other partners are contributing to new plastics training lab at Central Community College in Columbus, Neb.

K 2019 Preview: Injection Molding Goes for the ‘Green’
‘Circular Economy’ joins Industry 4.0 as common themes of injection molding exhibits in Düsseldorf.

Arburg Expands U.S. Headquarters
Adding more than 80% more space in Rocky Hill, Conn.

To Succeed in Manufacturing, Focus on Your People First
It’s not easy being a custom injection molder in the NYC metro area. For Natech Plastics, the key is developing employees’ skills and commitment.

See the Mold Filling on Your Press Control Panel
Arburg embeds flow simulation in its Gestica controller.

Can All-Electrics Cut It in High-Speed Packaging?
How about four PP ice cream cups with IML in 2.2 sec?

Molder Increases Capabilities—But Not Risk—With Flexible Two-Shot Technology
A customer request for multi-material molding presented a market opportunity and potential financial peril: How do you add two-shot without also overextending yourself from an investment perspective?

Learn About Souped-Up Presses for Packaging at Molding 2019
Speakers from Arburg and Engel will discuss what it takes for an electric or hybrid injection machine to handle high-speed, thin-wall packaging.

Digital Manufacturing: Two Medical Molders Embrace Industry 4.0
‘Digitalization’ and ‘connectivity’ are loaded terms—shorthand for a whole new way of doing business. It can’t be accomplished in one go. But two Midwest molders in the sensitive medical field are already feeling the benefits of their initial steps in that direction.

Simplicity Conquers Complexity in Automotive Molding Cells
Six-axis robots are often recommended for complex automation cells, but here’s an example of how cost-effective, three-axis linear robots can be up to the task.

Larger Freeformer from Arburg Can Print Three Materials
It can build parts 50% larger and in hard-soft combinations with a support material.

Molding Simulation Added to Injection Machine Controls
Arburg and Wittmann Battenfeld are integrating filling simulation to aid in machine setup.

NPE Wrap-Up: News in Primary Machinery, Part 1
Rounding up details from the Big Show not previously reported in all our other coverage, here’s more news in injection and blow molding, extrusion and compounding. Next month, we’ll conclude with recycling/scrap reclaim, robots, tooling, auxiliary equipment, materials and additives.