processing tips

Postconsumer

How Optical Sorting Can Boost Your Reclaim Operation

Here are tips on how to implement optical-sorting technology to increase the value of regrind and flake produced in your plant.

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processing tips

ELECTRIC DRIVES: Which One’s Right For Your Process?

Not all drives are created equal. There are a variety of options suited more to some applications than others. Here’s a handy guide to help you decide.

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Sheet Extrusion

How to Keep Moisture Away From Your APET Sheet Line

Moisture in PET will result in degradation that will foul up sheet and thermoformed products. Keep it at bay by following these tips when drying APET virgin and flake material.

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best practices

Extrusion: How to Adjust for Polymer Shrinkage and Orientation

Polymers shrink and orient. Sometimes orientation is unbalanced, resulting in misshaped parts. But there are steps beyond tweaking the die that can mitigate these effects.

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MATERIALS: The Problems With Single-Point Data

Polymer properties are not constant as a function of temperature, and even small temperature changes can affect properties.

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Multiscrew

From Extruder to Pelletizer: What Happens in Between Influences Quality

There’s a lot more to strand pelletizing than dunking material in water and hoping for the best. Here’s some advice on taking out some of the guesswork.

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best practices

Troubleshooting Material Burning In Hot-Runner Systems

Burns in hot runners can be misleading and hard to diagnose correctly. Follow these tips to track down the root cause of your problem.

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EXTRUSION: Another Technique for Controlling Melt Temperature

Flight widths are almost always designed at 10% of the screw diameter. But they can be optimized to reduce melt temperature and perhaps boost output.

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best practices

MATERIALS: The Problems with Single-Point Data

Engineers who are used to working with metals are surprised that plastics cannot operate as close to their yield points as can metals. The yield point is not enough to tell you how the material reacts to stress.

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Keep Your Screen Changer In the Flow

The screen changer plays an essential role in generating quality extrudate. Here’s what you need to know to keep it functioning properly.

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Process Cooling
Blending & Dosing