Postprocessing
Hexion to Buy Huntsman Corp.
Huntsman Corp., Salt Lake City, has agreed to a defi nitive merger agreement with Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, an Apollo Management, L.P. portfolio company and a global leader in thermoset resins, including vinyl esters, unsaturated polyesters, and epoxies.
Read More
Nanocomposites: Less Hype, More Hard Work On Commercial Viability
Nano-fillers for enhancing thermoplastics and thermosets continue to make headway in commercial applications, although at a slower pace than had been anticipated.
Read More
Thermoforming: Ready for In-Mold Labeling?
After several fits and starts over the last decade, thermoforming IML appears ready for prime time, thanks to improvements in output and labeling technology. For now, the action is mostly in European packaging.
Read More
Rigid Packaging Goes Lighter, Thinner With Microcellular Foam
Molding higher volumes of a rigid thin-wall part typically means going to a larger press for increased injection and clamping capacity.
Read More
Adhesion Promotion: Now Plasma-Treat the Resin, Not the Molded Part
A new approach to plasma treating applies the treatment to resin pellets or powder in order to achieve enhanced adhesion of paints, glues, or foamed-in-place urethanes to the molded part.
Read More
Micro-Thermoforming Makes Its Debut
Manufacturers of micro-size components that until now relied exclusively on injection molding may have another option to consider.
Read More
Solve Ultrasonic Horn Problems With Finite-Element Analysis
Computer modeling with 3D finite-element analysis (FEA) is used in the plastics industry because it can identify stresses, predict performance, and analyze part failures that can often be missed by traditional 2D modeling methods.
Read More
NPE 2006 News Wrap-Up: New Materials and Equipment for Decorating In and Out of the Mold
Among the latest developments in decorating and printing at the NPE show in Chicago were digital printers, flexographic printers for bags, and scratch-resistant heat-transfer foils for hot stamping and in-mold decoration (IMD). Also featured was new equipment for laser marking and engraving and an electrostatic charger for in-mold labeling (IML). News in stamping foilsSolidBrush metallic finishes are the latest heat-transfer foils from Kurz Transfer Products.
Read More
Learning to Master In-Mold Labeling
As in-mold labeling, or IML, attracts a growing following among U.S. molders, some are finding that mastering a complex new technology is no small task.
Read More
