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Each year, the In-Mold Decorating Association (IMDA) showcases outstanding achievements within in-mold labeling (IML), in-mold decorating (IMD), and in-mold electronics (IME) through its awards program. The judges consider a number of parameters in choosing the winners, including overall design and complexity; integration of the in-mold element into the part or package; functionality; and innovation in the use of materials and processes. Manufacturing difficulty and complexity of the part, label, design,…

Thermoplastic piping supplier IPEX reports that it is making a major investment in a new injection molding plant in Pineville, NC. Equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence technology, the facility will significantly increase IPEX’s ability to manufacture fittings for plumbing, electrical, industrial, and municipal applications, said the company. The nearly 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will be the technological flagship for the company’s operations and one of the most advanced plastics manufacturing…

A supplier of injection molding services and tooling to medical device OEMs, RenyMed has opened a dedicated Secondary Operations Center for medical component decorating. It has also installed a new press at its Baldwin Park, CA, facility. The 500-square-foot Secondary Operations Center expands RenyMed’s value-added services, including laser marking, pad printing, sub-assembly, and other post-molding operations. Laser marking, in particular, has a long history at RenyMed, dating back several years when…

Since spring of 2020, masks have been prevalent around the world. But while they provide much needed protection, these single-use masks add another wrinkle to the growing global waste issue. This is why the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, Sabic and Procter & Gamble (P&G) have collaborated on a circular economy pilot project that aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of closed-loop recycling of single-use face masks. Due to COVID-19, use of billions of disposable face…

There aren’t many books written by plastics industry professionals that don’t involve chemistry, and even fewer that moonlight as a travelogue. But Trent A. Romer’s book, Finding Sustainability: The Personal and Professional Journey of a Plastic Bag Manufacturer (Business Books, June 2021), melds his love for the great outdoors with his devotion to the family plastic bag manufacturing business in Albany, NY. The Clear View Bag Co. began life in…

BMW i Ventures has invested in Natural Fiber Welding Inc. (NFW), a developer of plastic-free alternatives to materials such as leathers, foams, and textiles. The financing round will enable the company to scale from the batch processing of materials to commercial roll-to-roll production. NFW has developed technologies to replace incumbent petrochemical-based materials such as synthetic leathers and enable natural inputs to be shaped and molded into a durable, all-natural, and…