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Compared with conventional hydraulic injection molding machines, electric presses have several advantages — accelerated start-up and cycle times, improved part consistency and quality, less scrap, and fewer consumables — but they have been limited to smaller parts because of restricted loads and clamping forces. A report from NSK, available as a free download from PlasticsToday, explains how high-capacity ball screws for high-load drives can enable large-part molding and broaden applications in…

Photo Credit: Gerdau Graphene In less than a year, I have reported on new entrants in the arena of graphene additives for plastics and their benefits derived from graphene’s mechanical properties such as reduced weight and friction, more efficient lubrication, and higher thermal and electrical conductivity, as well as increased barrier properties against liquids and gases, and protection from weathering oxidation and UV light.   Our most recent reporting has…

Spot resin market activity was a bit sluggish following the Fourth of July holiday, but by midweek a good flow of fresh off-grade and some Prime railcars rolled into the spot market. Sensing a challenging sales month ahead, resellers were looking to offload some of their July commitments. Prime PE resin prices drop $0.02/lb Prime polyethylene (PE) resin prices shed $0.02/lb last week, while $0.03/lb were squeezed from the polypropylene (PP)…

Images: Robin Kent How does a plastics manufacturer who wants to be environmentally responsible measure a plant’s or firm’s progress toward that goal? As one attempt to answer that question, I recently tackled the daunting subject of carbon footprints. I find it daunting because of the breadth and depth of research required. It seems like what my father used to call “wrestling a cotton octopus”—the more you try to wrap…