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
Ever try to make a waffle with a balky waffle iron? Well, then, you know the Goldilocks problem with temperature: if the iron is too hot, you’ll have a char-broiled brick; too cool, and you’ll be left with a gooey, sticky mess. To produce a perfect, golden waffle, you need the “just right” temperature inside…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods
Airbag covers have long been a growing market for plastic injection molders who want to make inroads (pun intended!) into the plastic automotive parts business. However, heretofore, manufacturing these covers resulted in a lot of waste and striations — long blemishes that thankfully were mostly obscured because of the covers’ textured finish. Still, the striations…
Filed Under:Automotive Plastic Injection Molded Parts , Plastic Injection Molding Methods
It’s no wonder all-electric plastic injection molding equipment is growing in popularity. Why? Unlike traditional hydraulic injection molding machines, which use energy even when not producing anything, all-electric injection molding machines consume energy only when required for a specified product, and motor output is matched to load requirements. Instead of being driven by liquid, all-electric…
Filed Under:All-Electric Molding , Plastic Injection Molding Methods , Uncategorized
Every plastic injection molding company has a choice in how to feed material to their process in order to produce a marketable product with the properties they need. Heretofore, most processors purchased materials that were prefabricated into specialized pellets to produce the specific color and properties that they needed. It was a very simple process…
Filed Under:Plastic Injection Molding Methods , Uncategorized