Articles
Looking into Photovoltaic Film? Here Are Material & Die-Design Insights
The market for high-tech film or sheet used in solar modules represents a considerable opportunity for specialty extrusion processors looking to expand into high-end industries and capitalize on the global shift toward alternative energy.
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Mobile-Drying Project Required ‘In-the-Box’ Thinking
Portable material drying by truck is the concept behind an initiative launched last month by Poly Clean USA LLC, Charleston, S.C., with Dri-Air Industries.
Read MoreSafety Sense in the Shop
Running a clean, organized, professional, and safe shop requires a team effort that includes an awareness of unsafe practices and equipment that need to be eliminated, replaced, or improved, along with the accountability of all to identify and document safety issues.
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‘Wedging’ Can Cause Severe Screw Wear
In a column I wrote for the July 2011 issue, I discussed the value of conducting “forensic” examination of worn screws when they are removed for clues to design flaws.
Read MoreWhat to Calibrate on Your Press
There are different approaches to meeting the goal of making parts identically. At the heart of all them is the process or the machine setup sheet. My bet would be you cannot find two that are identical.
Read MoreWorking with Color Concentrates
Because the consumer sees so many colored plastic articles, it is natural to assume that the process of achieving molded-in color is a simple one. Those of us in the industry know differently.
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Commodity Resin Prices Move Upwards
After falling almost continuously through the second half of 2011, prices of PE, PS, and PVC were all on the way up last month, with PE prices already rebounding by the end of December.
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Do It All in the Mold
In-mold assembly, decorating, labeling, finishing: In-mold “what-have-you” has been a trend in injection molding for years.
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Making Parts Lightweight & Strong with New Technologies
One of the driving forces in technology is weight reduction.
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NPE2012: The Big Picture -- Themes for Growth at the Big Show
In our last issue we examined three big themes that will serve as the foundation of many new technology developments at NPE 2012, April 1-5 at the Orlando Convention Center: sustainability, energy efficiency, and automation.
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3D Digitally 'Printed' Plane Flies Solo
Last summer, the world’s first unmanned air vehicle (UAV) whose entire structure was produced by laser sintering of nylon, was flown by engineers at the University of Southampton, England.
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