Articles

Postconsumer 16 Aug 2023

Foam-Core Multilayer Blow Molding: How It’s Done

Learn here how to take advantage of new lightweighting and recycle utilization opportunities in consumer packaging, thanks to a collaboration of leaders in microcellular foaming and multilayer head design.

close up on technology 14 Aug 2023

Processor Turns to AI to Help Keep Machines Humming

At captive processor McConkey, a new generation of artificial intelligence models, highlighted by ChatGPT, is helping it wade through the shortage of skilled labor and keep its production lines churning out good parts.

Engineering Resins 11 Aug 2023

Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials: Part 31, The Conclusion

Let’s close this lengthy series with some personal anecdotes.

polyolefins 7 Aug 2023

Flexible-Film Processor Optimizes All-PE Food Packaging

Tobe Packaging’s breakthrough was to create its Ecolefin PE multilayer film that could be applied with a specialized barrier coating.

Injection Know How 4 Aug 2023

The Cost of High Employee Turnover in Injection Molding: Why Retention Matters

Starting in molding in 1993 and clocking in for nearly every job on the floor over the intervening decades, I’ve seen all sides of the hiring, training and retention process in the industry. Here are my thoughts on how to keep your most important asset — your people.

Tooling Know-How 3 Aug 2023

Hot Runners: Truths. Myths, Overlooked Areas: Part 2

Here’s a view from the trenches of a tooling manager who, over 30 years, has experienced the joys and pains of using virtually every type of hot runner on the market. Part 2.

editorial 2 Aug 2023

Attention Molders: Time to Get Serious About Sustainability

If you’re not looking at ways to make your injection molding operation more sustainable, perhaps you’d better get started.

Automotive 31 Jul 2023

Atop the Plastics Pyramid

Allegheny Performance Plastics specializes in molding parts from high-temperature resins for demanding applications as part of its mission to take on jobs ‘no one else does.’

best practices 28 Jul 2023

How to Configure Your Twin-Screw Extruder: Part 3

The melting mechanism in a twin-screw extruder is quite different from that of a single screw. Design of the melting section affects how the material is melted, as well as melt temperature and quality.

Film Extrusion 26 Jul 2023

Roll Cooling: Understand the Three Heat-Transfer Processes

Designing cooling rolls is complex, tedious and requires a lot of inputs. Getting it wrong may have a dramatic impact on productivity.

best practices 25 Jul 2023

Five Quick Steps Toward Better Blending

Rising costs of resins and additives, along with higher demands for quality and use of regrind, place a premium on proficient blending. Here are some steps to get you there.