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.TOP NEWS
Attend 'Less is More: How to Maximize Energy Savings in Plastics Processing — Part 2'
SPE
This webinar will address behavioral and organizational approaches to industrial energy management.
Part 2 of the Sustainability Webinar Series moderated by Conor Carlin, SPE VP, Sustainability.
Josh Bachman from Cascade Energy will explain how manufacturing companies can implement energy programs, both through proven best practices and through local and regional utility funding programs. Register Now!
Didn’t catch Part 1? It’s now available to view on SPE’s YouTube Channel!
Wasted energy is wasted profit. Josh Bachman from Cascade Energy shares energy savings opportunities that have been uncovered over the years. He also shares case studies of successful projects, many of which were funded by the local utility. View now.
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.SPE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Date |
Event |
More Information |
March 11 |
SPE Additives and Colors Academy: Trends and Training |
Registration |
March 11 |
Shell's Recycling Plans for the Future and What to Implement Now |
Registration |
March 18 |
WEBINAR: Thermal Analysis of Plastics |
Registration |
March 27 |
SPE Chicago Section Invites You to Lunch 'n' Learn by Zoom - Learn About TPE |
Registration |
March 31 |
WEBINAR: Less is More: How to Maximize Energy Savings in Plastics Processing — Part 2 |
Registration |
April 6 |
SPE Plastics Processing Conference: The Virtual Edition |
Registration |
April 8 |
WEBINAR: Fractography of Glass Reinforced Plastics |
Registration |
April 9 |
Resume for the Virtual World Workshop |
Registration |
April 13 |
WEBINAR: Plastic Bag Recycling: The Obaggo Story |
Registration |
April 19 |
SPE Rotational Molding Conference |
Registration |
April 23 |
Interviewing for the Virtual World Workshop |
Registration |
May 4 |
SPE 2021 Auto EPCON Conference |
Registration |
May 5-28 |
ANTEC® 2021 - All Day Virtual Conference |
Registration |
May 7 |
Virtual Interview Practice Workshop |
Registration |
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Promoted By
EXTREME COATINGS TECHOLOGY
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Promoted By
C.W. Brabender Instruments, Inc.
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Harvesting plastic from plants
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
In the roughly 70 years since plastic entered wide-spread use, it has swept the world as a raw material for the production of nearly every consumer good imaginable. In that time, over 8 billion metric tons of plastics have been made, with nearly 400 million tons more being produced annually.
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Medical device supply-chain operations and pandemic pitfalls: Strengthening the chain
Plastics Today
The COVID-19 pandemic tested the resilience of supply chains. The medical device industry was no exception. The pandemic has disrupted everything from supply and demand to shipping and workplace capacity. Medical device companies have experienced delays within their facilities, and the disruption has affected their ability to serve their customers as well as their relationships with suppliers.
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Weekly resin report: Supply shortages and soaring prices put processors on edge
Plastics Today
The resin market’s wild ride got even hairier last week. Supply shortages intensified, prices rose, and processors flocked to the spot market, scooping up every reasonable offer. After those were gone, they proceeded to grab the unreasonably priced offers, too. Not surprisingly, market prices continued to climb, sometimes twice per day, and by the close of business on Feb. 26, average spot polyethylene prices had tacked on $0.10/lb, while polypropylene shot up another $0.12/lb, reports the PlasticsExchange in its Market Update.
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Bergen International Chemical Foaming Agents for Foamed Film and Sheet Extrusion
- Increases Throughput for Faster Line Speeds
- Reduce Polymer Use
- Reduce Gas Use
- Better Control of Cell Size
- Applications in Co-extrusion & Monolayer Sheet, Thermoforming & Printing
- Suitable for Food Contact
- HDPE, LDPE, PS, PP, PET, PVC
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Purging compound for high-temperature engineering resins
Plastics Technology
A new purging compound that is said to efficiently remove high-temperature resins from screw and barrel to help prevent specks and streaking during resin and color changes has been developed by Slide Products Inc., Wheeling, Ill.
Slide’s Hi-Temp Purge compound is stable up to 750 F so it works effectively for engineering resins such as PPS, PEEK, PET, LCP and PEI. Molders of such high-temperature resins require a purging compound that works effectively to remove residue from the screw and barrel during resin changes.
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Grappling with sustainability: Chemical and plastic challenges
Plastics Today
As the world moves along the path to a zero-carbon future, the chemical industry, along with all other industrial sectors, is under heightened pressure to hasten its transition. For the sector sustainability is not a new challenge; for decades companies have worked under increasingly stringent regulations. The spotlight is now shining brightly on chemical companies and their impact on climate change, global food supply shortages and how to deal with plastic waste. But what are the actual drivers for sustainable transformation in the chemicals industry?
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Medical-grade urethane adhesives offer low-cost, low-trauma alternative to silicone
Plastics Today
Polyurethane-based pressure-sensitive adhesives have been developed to meet demand for safe, low-trauma medical devices formulated for sensitive-skin individuals. Suitable applications for the PSAs introduced by Toyochem include custom surgical tapes and dressing films. Toyochem is the polymers and coatings division of Tokyo-based Toyo Ink Group.
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Plastics into fuel process studied
Peninsula Daily News
It’s called pyrolysis. And it turns plastic trash into fuel.
“Things are changing. People want to see change,” Pete Langley said at Port of Port Townsend Commission meeting, at the start of a discussion of using pyrolysis in Jefferson County.
The port won a $50,000 grant from the state Department of Ecology, and the three commissioners voted unanimously during the meeting to move forward with it. The grant will fund the hiring of a consultant to evaluate how a pyrolysis system can work locally, said Eron Berg, the port’s executive director.
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Promoted by Chroma Color Corporation
Historically the most common form of Color Concentrates (a.k.a. masterbatches) are colored plastic pellets. These concentrated colored pellets are typically built to contain 15-50% of specially selected pigments and additives. The remainder of the recipe is a blend of carrier resin, process aids and binders to support consistency within the virgin base resin.
The initial consideration when designing a plastic component is ensuring the base resin AND the color concentrate are suitable for the selected forming process. Common process examples include injection mold, blow mold, injection stretch blow, compression mold and extrusion.
Why?
Each process example will introduce different performance stresses.
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Critical considerations for selecting a prototyping method
Plastics Today
Michael Paloian writes: "In the previous article on this topic, I stated the importance of prototyping during product design and development to verify your design. I reviewed the many plastic prototyping options available to us, including the three most popular rapid prototyping technologies. Part 1 discussed the first half of the 12 considerations that should be evaluated before selecting the best process. This second installment will review the other six considerations for the same prototyping technologies to help you decide which method is best suited for your needs."
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With Kautex packaging die heads 100% color change can be
achieved while saving up to 75% in time and materials.
RapidXchange technology allows to reduce the purging process by up to 75% through rheologically optimized flow channels.
The groundbreaking results were achieved in comparison with uncoated heads in mono-layer applications.
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Supply difficulties in a material world
Medical Plastics News
Since the start of the year, we have seen a sharp rise in the lack of availability of a range of polymers including EVA, ABS, Nylon and Polythene of various grades. At Pentagon we use a high volume of EVA within the medical mouldings that we produce and right now this material appears unobtainable. With an increasing open order book for various product ranges we are starting to feel the heat.
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3D printing, additive manufacturing sector arms up to scale
ZDNet
3D printer and additive manufacturing companies are scaling up, raising capital and consolidating for good reason: There's a boom coming.
"Here's where we are in terms of global adoption. Manufacturing is a $12 trillion market. Additive at the end of last year was $12 billion. So, it's 0.1% penetration. This is like being in the semiconductor industry in the early 70s," said Desktop Metal CEO Ric Fulop.
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From surgical caps to N95 masks, demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) remains high. Our Branson™ ultrasonic welders cut, seam and bond non-woven synthetic materials with precision and repeatability—increasing PPE production and providing the necessary levels of hygiene. Tell us more about your application: go.emersonautomation.com/branson-consult-an-expert [go.emersonautomation.com].
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Where does additive manufacturing stand in 2021?
Spotlight Metal
According to a study by SmarTech Analysis, the global additive manufacturing market has already generated USD10.4 billion in revenue in 2019. By 2029, the industrial 3D printing business is then expected to generate about $55 billion per year. In the wake of the corona crisis, these expectations should certainly be taken with a grain of salt, but despite the difficult situation, confidence in AM seems undiminished: Shares such as those of Desktop Metal or 3D Systems continue to impress on the stock market, and printer manufacturers such as SLM Solutions were even able to increase their sales in the crisis year of 2020.
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