Plastics Technology Year in Review: Your Favorite Reads of 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to look back at the stories that resonated most with the plastics community. This year brought exciting advancements, innovative solutions and valuable insights that helped shape the future of our industry. In this year-end roundup, we’re revisiting the articles that captured the most attention — from sustainability breakthroughs to insightful Kow How basics. Whether you’re catching up on what you missed or revisiting your favorites, these top reads highlight the trends and topics that defined 2024 in plastics processing.

 

1. Understanding the Effect of Pressure Losses on Injection Molded Parts

The compressibility of plastics as a class of materials means the pressure punched into the machine control and the pressure the melt experiences at the end of fill within the mold will be very different. What does this difference mean for process consistency and part quality?

2. Diagnosing Defects: Determine True Root Cause Before Adjusting a Process

Common defects can have common causes — flash equals worn mold shutoffs, right? Except when they don’t. Trust your eyes, but verify the root cause before adjusting a process.  

3. Use These 7 Parameters to Unravel the Melt Temperature Mystery

Despite its integral role in a stable process and consistent parts, true melt temperature in injection molding can be an enigma. Learning more about these seven parameters may help you solve the puzzle.

4. How to Design Three-Plate Molds

There are many things to consider, and paying attention to the details can help avoid machine downtime and higher maintenance costs. In this installment, the focus is on design and placement of sucker/puller pins.

 

5. PHA Compound Molded into “World’s First” Biodegradable Bottle Closures

Beyond Plastic and partners have created a certified biodegradable PHA compound that can be injection molded into 38-mm closures in a sub 6-second cycle from a multicavity hot runner tool.

6. Improve Production Rates Via Screw Design — Barrier vs. General Purpose vs. Melt Uniformity

I’m looking for a few good molders to help trial a new screw design, and share data and results for a future article to prove the benefits of a melt uniformity screw.

 

7. Attending NPE2024 From the Perspective of a Molder

NPE2024 has come and gone, but before it’s completely in our collective rearview, Plastics Technology asked Rodney Davenport, vice president at injection molder CH3 Solutions, for a processor’s perspective on the big show.

8. Scaling New Heights With Vertical Integration

Eden Manufacturing was founded on a vision of vertical integration, adding advanced injection molding capabilities to a base of precision moldmaking and more recently bringing Swiss-type machining capabilities in-house.

9. Home In on These Six Variables to Monitor Molding

There are hundreds of variables in molding, but focusing on these six will help you make consistent parts. 

10. Use Interactive Production Scheduling to Improve Your Plant's Efficiencies

When evaluating ERP solutions, consider the power of interactive production scheduling to effectively plan and allocate primary and secondary equipment, materials and resources on the overall production capacity of the business and conclude that this is a key area that cannot be overlooked.

Honorable Mentions:

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