Covestro receives ISCC PLUS certification for Baytown, Texas, site
All of Covestro’s major sites now have the ISCC PLUS standard.
Chinaplas Is Back, and It's Bigger than Ever
In terms of numbers, Chinaplas never ceases to amaze. Close to 4,000 exhibitors are expected at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Guangdong Province for the first Chinaplas show open to overseas visitors since the pre-COVID days of 2019. Meticulous route planning across the 380,000-square-meter (4.1-million-square-foot) expanse will be the order of the day if show attendees are to have any hope of meeting with even just 2% of the…
Monthly Resin Report: Buyers Rally to Keep PE Contract Prices Flat
The month of March saw persistent tightness in the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) market, especially for high-molecular-weight (HMW) grades. Linear-low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) hexene (C6) grades were also heard to be in tight supply, while most other LLDPE and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) grades were sufficiently supplied. Polypropylene (PP) supplies were available throughout the month, with the industry continuing to build inventory in the prior month even with operating rates hovering in the…
Pipe extruder fined for child labor law violation
A 17-year-old was hurt driving a forklift on the night shift at a recently-acquired WL Plastics plant in Pennsylvania.
ARI Upgrades Top-Entry Robots
Absolute Robot Inc. (ARI) has upgraded its Max series of full-servo top-entry (cartesian) robots with enhanced controls and increased traverse speeds. The improvements will allow the Max series to handle more complex automation tasks and reduce cycle times, said ARI. The upgrades include “Y-Free” robot takeout functionality and expanded control axes. The Y-Free function reduces the amount of time the robot sits within the mold area by synchronizing its movements…
Ultradent Sweeps 2023 Hot Shots Awards
In its second staging ever, Plastics Technology’s Hot Shots injection molded parts competition was swept by Ultradent. The company’s Umbrella cheek retractor was recognized by voters as the winner of both the Technical Sophistication and Achievement in Molding Economics and Efficiency. From left to right: Royce Castleberry, injection molding manager; Michael Card, technical engineering manager; and RJay Matkin, director of molding pose with the awards and parts at PTXPO. Photo Credit: Plastics Technology…
Trelleborg Nabs Patent for Dartex Zoned Coatings
Trelleborg recently announced that its Engineered Coated Fabrics manufacturing facility in Nottingham, England, has received a patent for its Dartex Zoned Coatings. The coatings give the ability to zone support surface covers, allowing the performance of multiple functions through a single cover. Dartex can be applied to any coated fabric option in the healthcare and medical range, for use in mattress covers — top and encasement, moving and handling, positioning…
Patio doors get a boost with new production, designs
The Ply Gem-brand vinyl product called Perspective is manufactured with new technology at a Virginia plant.
Your Tour Guide to Plastics Technology’s 2023 Events
With the second successful PTXPO going on as I write this, processors that engage with Plastics Technology might want to plan for our some or all of our next activities. Let me please act as your tour guide. Top Shops 2023: Executive Editor Tony Deligio heads up this annual benchmarking survey of injection molders. As he put it in a recent blog on the ptonline.com website, “It’s one thing to have…
Largest Injection Molding Machine in Switzerland Arrives from Munich
It took 22 trucks to move the MX 4000 injection molding machine from KraussMaffei headquarters in Munich to Bremgarten, Switzerland, where container manufacturer Georg Utz AG took delivery of the behemoth. With a clamping force of 40,000 kN, it is reportedly the largest injection molding machine on Swiss soil. Installation and setup of the production cell, which includes a two-story automation system, took 12 weeks, said KraussMaffei. The MX 4000 replaces…