End Markets
U.S. Molder/Moldmaker Banks on Tandem Tooling
Erwin Quarder Inc. in Grand Rapids, Mich., a mold maker and injection molder of automotive and medical parts, thinks it has found the next big thing in tooling.
Read More
MIDs Make A Comeback
3D molded interconnect devices were supposed to be the 1980s' breakthrough for plastics in electronics—but they flopped. New processes that make market entry faster, simpler, and less costly have recharged MIDs' prospects.
Read More
New High-Performance Nylons For Automotive, Electronics, Packaging
Nylon producer Ems-Grivory America in Sumter, S.C., is reaching beyond its traditional product range to bring out new partially aromatic nylons that bridge the gap between standard engineering thermoplastics and high-performance specialty polymers.
Read More
Nylon Oil Sump Gets Its Start in Trucks
Integrated nylon oil sumps for a new line of trucks made by Mercedes-Benz have begun to roll down German autobahns, paving the way for a potential torrent of conversions from aluminum, steel, and thermosets to thermoplastics.
Read More
Strength and Beauty - New Nylons Bring Both To Under-Hood Parts
Usage of polyamides in U.S. under-hood parts could double in the next decade if nylon 6 and 66 follow European trends toward large panels that not only protect but beautify the engine compartment.
Read More
Metal Replacement Accelerates In Under-Hood Parts
Plastics are making new inroads in valve covers and air-intake manifolds on U.S.-built vehicles.
Read More
Plastic-Metal Hybrids Make Headway On and Off the Road
Plastic-metal hybrids are replacing all-steel structures in automotive front-end modules at an accelerated rate.
Read More
Breaking Into Medical Films
Producers of barrier food wraps are invading the exclusive club of medical film makers. The new guys are shaking things up by introducing more complex films to cut the cost of medical packaging.
Read More
New Metallocene TP Elastomers Tackle Films, Fibers, TPOs
The Vistamaxx family of propylene-ethylene specialty elastomers recently unveiled by ExxonMobil Chemical (see Your Business In Brief, August 2003) holds promise in a broad range of applications from very soft fabrics and films to very hard TPOs.
Read More
NPE News Wrap-Up: Materials
New materials at NPE 2003 target automotive, appliance, and packaging sectors. Engineering thermoplasticsdominate the news, but there were also severalnew TPEs and a few polypropylene introductions.
Read More
