Plastics Fabrication News

Can't afford a whole rapid prototyping machine? Buy a fraction of one. Design News reports that partial ownership attracts manufacturers who are interested in full production control, but scared off by full owning and operating costs. With a program from Tangible Express, shareholders can fully use stereolithography or selective laser sintering machines.

Clear and permanent describe qualities desired by manufacturers for product identification and warning labels. So the patent-pending VectorJet™ Laser Marking Technology, with its "dark-on-light" and "light-on-dark" capabilities, likely makes some Acetal makers happy. Auto and medical end-applications benefit from lower costs and the six-sigma marking process.

High up-front costs could translate to energy savings down the road for processors investing in a new non-contact barrel-heating system. A foam-insulating sleeve combined with induction heating's even distribution may require up to 70% less energy for the Indx system compared to standard band heaters. The fast-responding system will debut at the K 2007 show in Germany.

When manufacturing gets tough, the tough get polyamides. Modern Plastics Worldwide praises the polymer for withstanding high temperatures in small, efficient (and hot) engines; reducing weight through thinner walls or metal replacements; and squelching fires through new flame-retardant standards.

New CAM software from Vero International combines EDM machining with user-defined model data. PEPS Version 6.0 Solid-Cut CAM software allows users to enter surface finish data to search cutting technology. The data tailors to the user's specific wire EDM, 3D milling, prismatic, turning, and multi-axis lasers.

When workers retire, knowledge-based software promises to retain their expertise, minus their presence. Programs such as C-Mold's KnowHow operate as a repository of educational articles, troubleshooting issues, and past company experiences in part design. GE Appliances swears by the system, using it to help steer engineers through plastics design problems.

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Ready or not, eco-friendly materials are seeping into auto supplies through windows, transmissions, and now interior fabrics. Mazda's new Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid features fire-safe, biofabric seat covers from 100% polylactic acid. Despite its humble beginnings, plant sugars in the "Mazda Biotechmaterial" are strong enough to prevent abrasion and sunlight damage.

Researchers have found a solution to stubborn contents with a plastic-gas combination ignited in a vacuum. Another benefit besides convenience: when applied to the inside packaging of containers, the thin plasma film prevents typical stickiness that could otherwise lead to pesky recycling problems.

What do plastic bags, CDs, and piano keys have in common? All three can be reshaped when heated. These thermoplastics differ from thermosets, such as disposable diapers, which players of the Nobel Prize-sponsored Burning Plastic Polymers Game must distinguish. Know your plastics and earn enough catalysts to build a giant plastic duck.