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South Korea’s LS Mtron has introduced a new line of injection molding machines that come equipped with Trexel MuCell technology for foam molding applications. The ONE MuCell line consists of 10 injection molding machines ranging in size from 550 to 3,600 tons. Key features include a core back function, which stabilizes and maximizes foaming rates, and a servo valve for precise position control. LS Mtron provides a one-stop solution for…

Dow announced this week that five of its largest global manufacturing sites have received International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS recognition for their compliance with rigorous tracking of sustainable feedstock use. The sites are located in Freeport, TX; Tarragona, Spain; Terneuzen, Netherlands; and Boehlen and Schkopau, Germany. This marks a major step in the company’s global strategy to close the loop on plastic waste and expand its capabilities for circular…

A manufacturer of disposable medical devices for interventional procedures, Argon Medical Devices Inc. has acquired Matrex Mold and Tool Inc. Argon has had a business relationship with the custom mold manufacturer for plastic injection molding for more than 25 years. The acquisition is an extension of Argon’s vertical integration strategy that was “vital to growth throughout the pandemic,” said George Leondis, President and CEO of Argon. That business model “allowed us…

Thanks to a 4D printing technology developed in the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Programmable Materials CPM, printed polymers change shape once in a predefined way when heated. The extent of the change in shape of the printed objects is drastic: they can shrink by up to 63%. Fraunhofer researchers anticipate that in the future, 4D manufacturing technologies could be used to produce parts that exhibit a specific behavior only after…

The shipments of plastics injection molding and extrusion machinery in North America increased in the third quarter, reports the Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) of the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). The preliminary estimate of shipment value from reporting companies totaled $333.8 million in the third quarter, a 4% increase from the previous quarter and 8.8% from a year earlier. Twin-screw extruders rose significantly in shipment value by 44.4% in the…

This is not a scientific survey, but a handful of interviews at last week’s MD&M/Plastec East 2021 show at the Javits Center in N.Y.C. yielded a consistent impression: Business in plastics is booming, but also beset by problems experienced by businesses nationwide—balky supply chains, higher costs for raw materials (and everything else), and acute worker shortages. Despite those hindrances, all of those I spoke with enjoyed revenue gains in 2020…