Today’s plastic injection molders are pushing the envelope — or the mold, if you will — to produce parts which are lighter and more complex than ever before. And while that effort is laudable, pushing the limits can a be a risky proposition from a design and production stand-point. Why? Because the complex plastic parts…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding for Small Parts
The hype over 3D printers has been as relentless as it has been ubiquitous: you can’t turn on a TV, radio or computer without hearing yet another breathless story on the new manufacturing technology. But is it unwarranted? Will 3D printing be the next Internet, the uber-technology that will take over the world, flattening entire…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
The process of forming a plastic part by shooting hot, molten plastic resin into the cavity of a mold may seem like a scientific exercise. However, many industry veterans will tell you it’s more of an art. In fact, the injection molding process and tooling design practices have evolved over the years through trial and…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
Plastic injection molding companies in Illinois are getting a real charge out of a new trend: electrical equipment makers who are utilizing high-performance polyamides, which are thermoplastics, instead of plastic thermosetting polyesters in the manufacture of circuit breaker boxes. The reason? Thermoplastics are both recyclable and cheaper to work with than thermosets, which are plastics that experience an irreversible…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Equipment
Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwan-based electronics behemoth with 2013 sales of $131.8 billion, has begun manufacturing and selling all-electric injection molding machines. The company’s FAE series includes all-electric machines ranging from 50 tons to 450 tons clamping force, with injection speeds of up to 350 millimeters per second. The target market includes precision manufacturing needs…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Equipment
Attention all Illinois high school and college students: Toshiba Machine America, the North American arm of one of the world’s leading manufacturers of electric and hydraulic injection molding machines, and an AdvanTech Plastics supplier, wants to excite you about the plastic injection molding industry right here in Illinois. As part of a national effort, the…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
By now you’ve undoubtedly heard about 3-D printers, the apparently magical devices which seem to be able to produce everything from screws to human body parts. But what effect will 3-D printers have on plastic injection molding companies in Illinois? Is it true they can even “print” plastic injection molds that are the equal of…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
(May 29, 2014) AdvanTech Plastics has entered into agreements with several Pepsico bottlers to produce the industry standard PCO 1881 caps for their CSD lines, reports AdvanTech president Al Zoller. Developed in 2011 by the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), which represents more than 800 beverage industry professionals in over 21 countries, PCO…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding News
Almost everybody has dreamed of inventing something sexy like a fusion-powered engine — or even something funky like the next hula hoop. But it’s safe to say not many have dreamed of inventing something so, well, personal, as a disposable suppository applicator. Yet that’s exactly what Jennifer Davagian Ensign did a few years ago. In her…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Medical Parts
So what exactly is “micro injection molding”? Well, as the term would lead you to believe, micro injection molding (MIM) is a process which requires a highly-specialized molding machine with high-injection pressure and speed, precise shot control and ultra-fine resolution for molding tiny tools and parts. MIM is used for the manufacture of small products…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding for Small Parts