processing tips
INJECTION MOLDING: How to Tell If Your Non-Return Valve Is Leaking
Check valves are potentially troublesome devices. Here’s how to find out if yours is behaving properly.
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The Mystery of Physical Aging, Part 1: Knowing the Difference
In polymers, aging is commonly considered essentially synonymous with oxidation. But there are important differences between this type of chemical aging and less commonly recognized physical aging. Let’s unlock the mystery.
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Prevent & Minimize Downtime in Hot Runner Molding
There are simple explanations for the most common hot-runner problems and equally simple ways to prevent them. One is to take advantage of features often overlooked in today’s hot-runner controls.
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The Paradox of Proportioning
Continuous proportioning typically involves a group of gravimetric feeders operating under some form of higher level coordinating control. One would think the result should be a perfectly formulated composite stream. But the devil is in the details.
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Automation Eliminates Contamination
Many molders use robots to boost output and repeatability, but SSI also uses them to prevent contamination of critical diagnostic products.
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TOOLING: Flash-Free Molding: Part 1
A robust process window relies a lot on tooling. So it stands to reason that making a tool change to address issues provides a more robust solution
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EXTRUSION: Double Flights Are Not a Cure-All
There are certain applications where double-flighted feed sections make sense, and others where they don’t.
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INJECTION MOLDING: How Does Your Machine Control Pack Velocity?
You’ll need to find out in order to develop a molding process that you can repeat from machine to machine and mold to mold.
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EXTRUSION: Why Barrier Screws & Rigid PVC Don’t Always Mix
RPVC’s somewhat unusual melting mechanism makes it unsuited to traditional barrier type designs.
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INJECTION MOLDING: The Importance of Nominal Wall For Lightweighting Molded Parts
Establishing a nominal wall is one of the most important decisions an engineer makes when designing parts. Understanding how design changes will impact the manufacturing process is critical to ensure the part performs as expected.
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