The four evils of overheating: Polymer degradation, cooling problems, sizing problems and the effect on additives.

You’ve got questions about extrusion, and Allan Griff has the answers

China notified the World Trade Organization yesterday that it intends to ban the import of certain scrap materials by the end of the year. Among the items on the list are most scrap plastics, including polymers of ethylene, styrene, vinyl chloride and PET.

Contract molders and other plastics processors that work with medical device OEMs eventually will concede that it’s a good market to be in, once the obligatory grumbling about shrinking margins and unreasonable deadlines is out of the way.

The board of directors for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, will consider adding new specifications for rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic recyclables during its Summer Meeting July 20, 2017.

The global medical plastics market is expected to reach a value of $33.6 billion by 2025, according to a new report from Grand View Research (San Francisco, CA).

The outcome of employing scientific molding is faster setups, optimized cycle times and higher yields. When you boil it down, this means improved profits.

The biggest obstacles standing in the way of ubiquitous use of carbon fiber in carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are cost and processing efficiency.

Thermoforming is a mature technology that has been attracting renewed interest in recent years. As Clare Goldsberry observed in an article from March 2015, “Thermoforming has moved rapidly from the more primitive methods of 30 years ago to a high-technology form of processing that is giving injection molding a run for its money.”

Steve Maxson, Graham Engineering Corporation outlines the key processing and workplace safety considerations when extruding fluoropolymer medical tubing.

Katie Karmelek, Vention Medical, discusses how digital innovations in sourcing extrusions have helped design engineers get products to market faster.

New developments in marker technologies for sorting plastic packaging should not be viewed as “the answer” to increasing recycling rates, however they could be valuable in other ways leading to higher quality and value in recycling.

The plastics industry is making a major lobbying push in state capitols to open more of the huge government infrastructure market to plastic pipe, arguing that legacy laws favor traditional materials like ductile iron and concrete.

PVC pipe has the environmental and economical attributes needed for long-lasting water and sewer systems, according to a 128-page report that is said to be the first comprehensive environmental review of underground piping systems in North America.

Domestic production of polyethylene will exceed domestic demand, creating opportunities over the next decade for North American companies to export their excess supply to regions like China, Africa and India.

The basic function of pneumatic hose and tubing is to convey pressurized air to actuators, valves, tools and other devices.