It was in the mid-1950s that kitchen gadgets and housewares made from that “miracle material” plastic began to enter homes en masse. Rubbermaid and Tupperware became household names, but perhaps no one contributed more to the popularity of kitchen gadgets — and the fact that they were made from plastic — than Ron Popeil, who died on July 28 at the age of 86. Ron Popeil and some of his creations.…
TriMas Corp. is more than quadrupling its plant space in New Albany, Ohio, to boost production of its Rieke-brand soap dispensing pumps and other products primarily for the personal-care market.
‘Swiss knife’ of laser cleaning takes a shine to tooling Germany’s 4Jet Group has introduced a handheld laser for cleaning tooling and molds, among other applications. Compared with conventional cleaning methods, such as dry-ice blasting or grinding, the dry process works quietly and dust-free, and it does not use any chemicals. The system features a compact design and low overall weight, and intuitive operation via a touchscreen. The 4Jet Group…
University spinout company 4D Biomaterials, based in Nottingham, UK, has raised £1.6 million ($2.2 million) in a new funding round led by DSW Ventures. The funding will be used to further develop the technology for 3D-printed bioresorbable implants developed by Professor Andrew Dove’s research group at the University of Warwick and University of Birmingham over the course of 15 years. 4Degra, reportedly the only 3D-printing material of its kind that is…
Freudenberg Medical is expanding its manufacturing plant in Alajuela, Costa Rica — the second addition the company has made at the site in the last five years — to keep pace with the rapid growth the business has experienced.
7/30/2021 | 1 MINUTE READ Key questions for moldmakers; advancements in recycling, thermoforming, blown film and more; and a plastics publishing milestone were among the most-viewed stories at Plastics Technology magazine in July.
Ruth Weirich, author and consultant at aha! Process Unconscious bias about economic class often surfaces in the workplace. Your brain is on autopilot, based on how you grew up. Mindsets, habits, patterns, opportunities, and experiences are all shaped by the environment in which we experience our lives. Survival, achievement, and connections are also important. Can you live without a credit card and checking account? You have employees who do. Can…
The cannabis industry continues its rise to the forefront of the American marketplace, regulations around its packaging is becoming a concern to the industry.
More consumer goods packagers are turning to renewable, plant-based plastic, or a combination of petroleum- and plant-based polymers, for their packaging. A time-honored test method — one linked more closely to archaeology than packaging — can help them prove that the package contains the advertised amount of bio-based plastic. That method is radiocarbon testing. Typically used to estimate the age of fossils and other ancient organic materials, radiocarbon (aka carbon-14)…
The increase in sales comes as molders seek to add automation because of labor shortages.