Plastics Fabrication News

June 22nd, 2006 - Volume 1 Issue 4

Between rising costs and rising consumption, energy use falls into the hate-to-need category for many companies. At the same time, many companies don’t take the necessary steps to lower energy costs and use. They would rather “talk the talk than walk the walk,” reports Modern Plastics Worldwide. For the plastics processing industry, energy consumption stands to be reduced by up to 30%.

This article, part of a series addressing energy cost reduction, reviews initial steps for plastics processors to cut down on energy use and spending.

Kintz Plastics provides in-house mold design, tooling design, and pre-production samples. We work with clients to select the right processes and materials for each part. Kintz's engineering department handles a wide range of materials, suppliers, and extruders for all types of thermo plastics.

Progressive Molding, Inc. is a custom plastic injection molder that also offers product design/engineering services with in-house and offshore mold construction. Our mission is to provide superior quality and exceptional service at a fair and reasonable price. Our customers represent several industries, which include healthcare, electronics, industrial, automotive, and defense.

Pleiger Plastics specializes in custom molding of urethane parts. We have the ability to manufacture tooling for higher quantity parts or we can machine parts to desired shape for lower quantity parts or prototypes. We manufacture high-performance urethanes in durometers from 5A up to 75D.

Orion specializes in the custom design and manufacture of electrical insulators, EMI/RFI shielding laminates and gaskets, thermal transfer materials, and other die cut products. By discussing the part and its application before a design is finalized, Orion Industries Incorporated produces the most cost-effective part.

When an air-cooled reciprocating chiller threatened to fail a large custom molder, the company switched to an oil-free chiller. With only one moving part, the new chiller has a lower chance of part failure, runs with less noise, and uses less energy. The elimination of oil also helps cut costs and reduces maintenance issues.

Read more about the benefits of the oil-free chiller.

Somewhere between injection molding and stock machining is a design technology more suitable for producing large or intricate parts. Custom casting, or more specifically, nylon custom casting, allows designers to get the strength and wear resistance of plastic and metal parts but at a lower cost.

See what requirements are needed for nylon custom casting.

For some custom molders, the best 300 ton injection press for the money is essential to running an efficient molding business. Injection Molding Magazine sent out an RFQ to find out what presses were in stock, how much they cost, and how quickly machine suppliers respond to requests. They also talked to small molders and found out what these companies want from a 300 ton machine.

Find out what’s going on with supply and demand of these injection presses.

More often than not, reduced airflow in internal bubble cooling (IBC) systems, and even too much airflow, can be attributed to ducting failure. Static pressures and vacuum affect IBC ducting, making PVC or preformed steel ducting the best choice to fix under-blowing problems; proper duct installation is a solution for over-blowing problems. A troubleshooting report in Plastics Technology explains how to avoid and fix IBC problems.

Complete Plastic Fabricators, Inc. is one of the largest, most experienced plastic thermoformers in the Southwest. They specialize in vacuum-forming heavy gauge plastic. CPF has made such products as simulated wood shutters, medical trays, door liners, plastic housings, material handling trays, food containers, large industrial tool kits, and more. No job is too big or small.

Hankscraft, Inc.'s precision injection molding services offer a wide range of custom injection molding capabilities, as well as product development and production services. A completely dedicated molding facility allows Hankscraft to successfully complete your custom plastic injection molding needs, with a broad variety of machines.

Toolpath verification simulates movement of the cutting tool across the workpiece. Full machine simulation extends those benefits by previewing action of the entire system, whether it is two-axis or five-axis. These CAD designs mirror the entire machining operation virtually to evaluate the interaction of all components. Read how the results — quick turnaround and intricate molds — are enabling some moldmakers to compete globally.

New vision software accesses as many as four cameras simultaneously to give plastics injection molders a wider view of real-time part inspection. Showcased at this month’s NPE show, Raptor Vision™ Software features a current inspection image view and a display of four failed inspection images.

For more information…

Despite assumptions of high cost and processing problems, nanocomposites remain poised for take-off in the materials industry. Both polypropylene-based and polyethylene-based nanocomposites are getting more use in molding and extrusion processes, as explained in this Plastics Engineering report. With higher volumes, prices are expected to decrease.

Download the PDF…

It’s no secret why plastic gear performance is on the rise. Long-fiber reinforcement, better dimensional stability, higher fatigue and chemical resistance — these are just some of the reasons plastic gears are finding their way into more demanding applications. Molders, moreover, predict gear diameters as big as 18 in. and power levels reaching 10 hp in the near future. Read where gear molding is headed in this online article.

At Crescent Plastics, Inc., online plastic parts fabrication has been a forté for years. Crescent Plastics' value-add fabrication service allows it to provide time- and cost-saving solutions for its clients in the total extrusion process. In some cases, its clients incurred no additional costs while still adding value to their finished product.

For over 45 years, Engineered Plastic Products, Inc. has been in the business of vacuum forming and fabricating thermoplastic materials for industrial and commercial applications for companies such as NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Johns Manville, Beckton Dickinson, Exide Technologies, and Gerber Scientific. Contact them today for your next project.

Here’s a novel concept: Take care of your people, and everyone will be satisfied. It’s a concept that custom molder, Dymotek, has put into practice. In a sign of good karma, employee satisfaction then extends to the company’s customers. As a result, interested candidates consistently knock on Dymotek’s door looking for employment. Read how employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction with this management formula.

This injection molding equipment and service company is looking for a process engineer to take responsibility for customer needs and employee training. The company works with one- and two-step systems for stretch-blow molding and injection molding using PET and PP. The applicant for the process engineer position must be familiar with analytical tools and material rheology.
Read job details and apply online.

Here's a cry to all PR folks: MoldMaking Technology magazine is looking for a molding shop to win the 2007 Leadtime Leader Award. The award application asks questions about the average leadtime on a mold build, the extent of automation in the shop, and the company's unique features.

Leadtime Leader Award applications are due August 1.

If the plastics industry dominated Hollywood, movie producers might make films like this. The concept involves challenge, intrigue, and an emotional ending. The protagonist, an up-and-coming plastics executive, "drifts between the world of what’s real and what might be" as he confronts the implications of radio frequency identification.

Critique the treatment here.

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