processing tips
A Processor's Most Important Job, Part 5: POM Polymers
Using a mold temperature above a polymer’s Tg ensures a degree of crystallinity high enough to provide for dimensional stability, even if the part must be used at elevated temperatures. But POM is an exception. Why?
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Tooling: What You Need to Know About Jump Gates
Many molders don’t care for jump gates because they have to process around them. But here are some tricks of the trade.
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Injection Molding: How Backpressure Adjustments Influence Shot Size
Raising backpressure results in increasing shot size, which can cause a host of other problems.
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GW Plastics Bets on Metal 3D Printing
Conformal cooling is goal of big investment at U.S. mold facility.
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Cast vs. Integral: Which Feed Section Is Best for You?
Here are seven factors extrusion processors should weigh to help them decide between cast feed section versus an integral extrusion feed section.
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A New Way to Mold Better Parts Faster and Easier
A new injection molding process ‘breaks all the rules’ by using low, constant pressure to achieve faster cycles and better-quality parts.
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Tooling: Hot Sprues—Mold a Disk or Not?
Having a hot sprue shut off against the parting line versus intentionally molding a thin disk has been the subject of controversy for many years.
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Extrusion: Understanding Weld Failures
Hard-surfacing failures without evidence of burrs indicate possible weld bond issues.
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Injection Molding: How to Set Barrel Zone Temps
Start by picking a target melt temperature, and double-check data sheets for the resin supplier’s recommendations. Now for the rest...
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A Processor’s Most Important Job, Part 3: Unintended Consequences
Processors are often expected to compensate for ill-advised decisions made earlier in the product-development process. In the case of shrinkage, one of the most common ‘fixes’ is to simply reduce the mold temperature.
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