Know-How

Injection Molding: Focus on these Seven Areas to Set a Preventive Maintenance Schedule

Performing fundamental maintenance inspections frequently assures press longevity and process stability. Here’s a checklist to help you stay on top of seven key systems.

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Extrusion

Understanding the Incumbent Resin Effect

When you are looking to replace an existing resin with a new one, in trials sometimes the “incumbent” resin will cause gels and other defects. Here’s what to look for.  

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Using Data to Pinpoint Cosmetic Defect Causes in Injection Molded Parts

Taking a step back and identifying the root cause of a cosmetic flaw can help molders focus on what corrective actions need to be taken.

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Revisiting the '5 M's' of Molding

All injection molding ultimately comes down to the “Man, Mold, Machine, Material and Method.” But those key aspects can be viewed differently if you’re auditing mold changes before startup or troubleshooting changes for an already validated process.

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NPE

Attending NPE2024 From the Perspective of a Molder

NPE2024 has come and gone, but before it’s completely in our collective rearview, Plastics Technology asked Rodney Davenport, vice president at injection molder CH3 Solutions, for a processor’s perspective on the big show.

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Extrusion

Understanding Melting in Single-Screw Extruders

You can better visualize the melting process by “flipping” the observation point so the barrel appears to be turning clockwise around a stationary screw.

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Use These 7 Parameters to Unravel the Melt Temperature Mystery

Despite its integral role in a stable process and consistent parts, true melt temperature in injection molding can be an enigma. Learning more about these seven parameters may help you solve the puzzle.

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A Guide to Single-Screw Mixers

To design the best mixers for single screws, you must completely understand how polymer moves through a mixer channel or groove.   

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Materials

Part 3: The World of Molding Thermosets

Thermosets were the prevalent material in the early history of plastics, but were soon overtaken by thermoplastics in injection molding applications.

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Tooling Know-How

How to Design Three-Plate Molds: Part 5

There are many things to consider, and paying attention to the details can help avoid machine downtime and higher maintenance costs. In this installment, the focus is on design and placement of sucker/puller pins.

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Plastics Size Reduction