best practices
Understanding Flow Fronts and Defects
Flow-front behavior and corrections are key to solving many common molding problems —what is your process’s flow trying to tell you about your part?
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Hot Runners: A View from the Bottom Up
Addressing hot-runner benefits, improvements, and everyday issues from the perspective of decades of experience with probably every brand on the market. Part 1 of 2.
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Melt Preparation Part 1: Melt Temperature Optimization
A homogenous melt is required for consistent part quality, but achieving it requires balancing a number of factors, including barrel usage and temperature as well as screw speed, backpressure and residence time. Learn how to prepare your melt for molding success in this two-part series.
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How to Set Barrel Zone Temps in Injection Molding
Start by picking a target melt temperature, and double-check data sheets for the resin supplier’s recommendations. Now for the rest...
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The Strain Rate Effect
The rate of loading for a plastic material is a key component of how we perceive its performance.
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How to Mount an Injection Mold
Five industry pros with more than 200 years of combined molding experience provide step-by-step best practices on mounting a mold in a horizontal injection molding machine.
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How Additive Manufacturing Can Help, not Hinder, Injection Moldability of New Designs
Four cost drivers—design for moldability, mold-base size, internal componentry, polish/custom finishing—dictate the financial and processing success of a molded part design. Learn how 3D printing can assist this process, while also understanding its potential pitfalls.
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Highlights from the Recycling Open House
At the PLASTICS Recycling Open House, leaders shared challenges and successes.
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Why (and What) You Need to Dry
Other than polyolefins, almost every other polymer exhibits some level of polarity and therefore can absorb a certain amount of moisture from the atmosphere. Here’s a look at some of these materials, and what needs to be done to dry them.
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August 2022: Most-Read Articles
Simulation, hot runner manifold leaks, calculating shot size, resin pricing and more drew reader interest this August at PTOnline.com
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