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We have been steadily reporting on developments in bioplastics, particularly PLA and PHA, including new grades, grades for additive manufacturing, and production scale-ups. Recently, I was contacted by innovative and sustainable materials science startup Verde Bioresins, Santa Monica, Calif., which appears to have developed a proprietary bioresin—primarily derived from a combination of sugar cane and other plant-based feedstock, which is touted to have improved performance compared to PLA and PHA,…

The new Branson MCX Series ultrasonic mold cleaning system from Emerson is designed with side-mounted immersible transducers and powerful immersion heaters for fast and efficient operation. Compared with manual cleaning of plastics injection molds, which may take up to three hours or more, the Branson MCX Series does a more thorough job in 15 to 20 minutes, depending on mold design and level of residue.  The Branson units are purpose-built for…

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Medical Plastics Division has announced the program of its daylong MiniTec 2021 conference, Saving the World Through Medical Plastics and Sustainable Solutions. It will be held as a live, in-person event alongside the Design. Engineer. Build. conference and co-located Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) West and Plastec West trade show in Anaheim, CA, on Aug. 10 to 12, 2021. In addition to a dozen…

Over the past few weeks, my colleague, Tony Deligio, and I have summarized the wealth of information and inspiration you can expect at the Molding 2021 Conference, Sept. 21-23 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. Co-located with the Extrusion 2021 Conference and the Amerimold moldmaking trade show, this will be a two-and-a-half-day in-person event where you can interact and “network” with your peers in injection molding,…

3D printing has taken on a whole new significance over the past 15 months as industries — including medtech manufacturing — struggle to manage pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. Roboze, a manufacturer of industrial 3D printing technology for extreme end-use applications, just released what it says is the world’s first 3D printer with a heated chamber designed to produce large-scale parts with super polymers and composites. The Houston, TX-based company says the Argo…

Carmakers continue to make strides in extending the range of electric vehicles, a key factor in enticing consumers to make the switch from their gas guzzlers. This can be achieved through improved battery storage capacity and energy recovery technologies. Another means to that end is by lightweighting components and, thus, reducing the amount of energy the car consumes. That is the mission of a German consortium formed in 2019 that…