All Electric & Hybrid Machines
In-Mold Lamination: U.S. Auto Market Is Catching Up
Although more widely used in Europe, in-mold laminating is gaining a foothold in U.S. automotive interiors. Molders can choose from a handful of different process technologies that promise labor and other cost savings.
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Automotive Innovation Trend-Setting Technologies Garner SPE Awards
Paintless in-mold film decorating and carbon-fiber composites are making inroads in appearance and structural parts. Blow molding is finding new interior applications. And long-fiber thermoplastics are cutting weight and cost on the inside and outside of new passenger vehicles.
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'Soft-on-Soft' Is Newest Option In Soft-Touch Molding
It's hailed as a breakthrough for soft-touch injection molding: Collaborative efforts by three companies have resulted in the commercialization of an SEBS-based TPE vehicle handle in which a very soft (28 Shore A) surface layer is coinjected onto a substrate of a firmer—but still soft and rubbery—60 Shore A compound.
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PVDF Latex Foam CompositesProvide High Flame Resistance
A new patent-pending technology developed by AtoFina Chemicals in Philadelphia creates highly flame-resistant foams of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fluoropolymer without the use of blowing agents or melt processing.
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Micro Molds Make Micro Parts
Molded parts barely visible to the naked eye require non-traditional methods for making high-precision micro-injection molds. Micro-tooling R&D is being led by technology institutes, research firms, and a few highly specialized mold makers.
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Arburg Moves into Mid-Sized Presses And Electric/Hydraulic Hybrids
A move to larger machine sizes and the introduction of an electric/ hydraulic hybrid series were announced recently by injection machine builder Arburg, Inc.
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Long-Glass PP Makes InroadsIn Automotive Front Ends
Injection molded, long-glass-reinforced polypropylene appears to be the staple of new automotive front-end systems (FES) designed with a high degree of parts integration.
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New Methods Expand Roles of Gas-Assist Molding
Two variations on gas-assist injection molding were presented in papers at the Molding 2002 Conference held in New Orleans in March.
Read MoreTwo New Ideas for Injection Molding Unveiled at ANTEC Meeting
A new method of coinjection molding dissimilar materials was presented at this year's SPE Annual Technical Conference in San Francisco.
Read MoreLong-Glass Leader-How Faurecia Helped Put TP Composites In the Driver's Seat
Europe's third largest automotive molder, Faurecia, uses five different long-glass thermoplastic molding processes, more than any other molder in the world. It invented half of them, including the world's first in-line compounding- and-injection process.
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