#TECHNOLOGYINACTION

Thermoforming

Novel ‘Clamtainer’ Extends Thermoformer's Reach in Packaging

Uniquely secure latching expands applications for Jamestown Plastics’ patented clamshell package design.

Blow Molding

As Currier Grows in Medical Consumables, Blow Molding Is Its ‘Foot in the Door’

Currier Plastics has added substantial capacity recently in both injection and blow molding for medical/pharmaceutical products, including several machines to occupy a new, large clean room.

Injection Molding

Warpage Waylaid Via Simulation

Designed to form a component that would hold headlights in place, the mold was intended to produce a front-end automobile bracket. Instead of parts however, the tool’s real output was problems.

Injection Molding

‘Get the Right Information to the Right People at the Right Time’

Scott Rogers at Noble Plastics is working on production-monitoring software to empower his shop-floor personnel.

Packaging

Young Stretch-Film Processor Bets on Nanolayers

Going up against companies with as much as double its capacity, young stretch-film processor Zummit believes that new technology — notably 59-nanolayer films — will give it a competitive edge.

Molds & Tooling

Faster, Fail-Safe Mold Changes with Multicoupling Hose System

Wirthwein Medical cut mold setup times in half, thanks to Hasco’s new multicoupling system for cooling lines.

Recycling

DeDuster Systems Cleans Up rPET Sheet

rPlanet cut its gel count drastically—allowing it to sell more sheet at prime prices—after installing a DeDuster system.

Molds & Tooling

Vacuum System Gives Molds a Chance to Vent

When the in-house vacuum systems and tooling tricks that NMC Dynaplas usually deploys to deal with trapped gas failed, it turned to a Mold-Vac system and saw reject rates go from 44% to zero.

Multi-Screw Compounding

LFT-D Thrives in Automotive and Other Durables

Teijin Automotive acquires its 10th direct long-fiber thermoplastic system as demand for this technology soars.

Additive Manufacturing

Captive Molder Goes AM Route for Short-Run Project

Pivoting from injection molding to additive manufacturing helped a maker of automotive wire routers save about $1 million in project costs and eight weeks of lead time.  

Multi-Component

Nozzle Shutoff Shuts Down Drool

A machine-nozzle shutoff device helped Klein Tools cut drool from 24 lb/day to just 2.1 lb, with the remaining drool coming from the hot runner, not the machine.

Medical

Four-Way Collaboration Yields Lighter Pharma Bottles with Better Barrier

Alltrista combined innovations in processing and materials for a competitive launch into a new business sector.

Drying

Medical Molder Boasts Showpiece Material-Handling System

Flex Manchester is so proud of its new, elaborate drying/conveying system that it greets visitors front and center on their way to view the cleanroom molding floor.

Resin Conveying

Molder Eliminates Line Blowouts with Deflection Elbow

Parker Chomerics eliminated chronic elbow failures since switching to Hammertek conveying elbow more than two-and-a-half years ago.

Injection Molding

ERP Platform Keeps Molders Connected in the Pandemic

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software offers its users many tools and modules with manufacturing and plastics specific platforms like DELMIAworks touching everything from inventory and quality to bookkeeping and process and machine monitoring. 

Automotive

Overmolding Overhaul

An articulating mold and versatile auxiliary injection unit helped this molder rethink its tried-and-true approach to insert molding.

Recycling

Betting Big on Recycled PET

Distributor of virgin PET resins PolyQuest is also a growing manufacturer of recycled PET resins.

Film Extrusion

Film Processor Boosts Line Performance with Air-Ring Retrofit

Air-ring upgrade results in output gains up to 23% for leading film processor in Indonesia. Gauge uniformity also improved.

Pipe, Profile & Tubing Extrusion

Israeli Pipe Processor Adds Potent Single-Screw Extruder

Billed as ideal for large-diam. pipes, new extruder provides processor with higher output and better quality while consuming less power.  

Automotive

Despite COVID-19, ERP Software Keeps Molder Working—Even from Home

ERP platform’s remote access, real-time operations overview, and transparency into production output and customer demand help custom molder weather coronavirus.

Mold Maintenance

New Mold Grease Smooths Operations for Troublesome Tool

Switching to a new synthetic grease helped an injection molder keep a difficult die running, eliminating unplanned downtime and cutting scrap.

Engineering Resins

Custom Molder Helps Entrepreneurs Choose Optimal Colorants for Successful Product Launches

Blue Ring Technologies has zeroed-in on Chroma’s highly-loaded G2 colorant system for the production of high-quality parts.

Injection Molding

Captive Molder Seeks Bigger Footprint in Custom Business

Pittsfield Plastics Engineering has spruced up its facility and added new technology as it seeks to expand its business beyond its proprietary line of reels and spools.

Injection Molding

Screw-Recovery Problems Call for Special Screw Design

In injection molding, the penalty for using a general-purpose screw in an application that has special requirements often takes the form of longer cycle times. Barrier designs can help.

View All #technologyinaction Articles