Know-How
Apply the Power of a Troubleshooting Checklist to Your Process
Pocket guides provide processors an injection molding “crib sheet,” but in a process with thousands of interactions, applying if-this/then-that logic can’t always get you to a problem’s root cause.
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What You Need to Know About Blade Ejectors: Part 1
Follow these guidelines to prevent premature wear, flash and galling.
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The Difference Between Knit and Meld Lines--and Why It Matters
In many part designs, flow fronts will inevitably be split, but how and where they come back together is hugely important to the molded part’s finished strength.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials: Cellophane
How—and when—cellulose-based chemistry led to the discovery of cellophane.
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Tracing the History of Polymeric Materials: Commodity Resins
How the ‘Big 4’ commodity materials — PE, PP, PS, PVC — came to be.
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Consider the Cushion When Seeking Shot-to-Shot Consistency
Creating and maintaining a consistent cushion is a key step in achieving shot-to-shot consistency. Learn what cushion is and how it affects part quality.
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Put Science into Glass-Fiber Compounding on Single Screws
There are still companies that compound glass fibers on single screws. The process is considered an “art,” but can be made more predictable with attention to screw design, speed and length, as well the choice of mixer.
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Get Better at Quoting Injection Molded Parts: Part 4 of 4
This fourth and final installment focuses on labor, packaging, secondary operations and various assorted details.
Read MoreTracing the History of Polymeric Materials: More on Phenolic
Creation of an invention like phenolic can be traced through a long chain of events and contributors. Here’s the full story.
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Extrusion: Follow These Tips to Get Profile Die Design Just Right
Calculating polymer flow is fairly straightforward when designing a die for a simple round profile, but as the shapes get more complicated these calculations can get extremely challenging. Here’s what you need to consider.
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