Texture is an area within injection molding that is often poorly understood, and rarely addressed. In this recent article on Plastics Technology, Randy takes the issue head on, dispelling many common myths and explaining the various factors of gloss and texture. He...
In this article on MoldMakingTechnology.com, Randy starts his series on Hydraulics. He plans on covering proper use and sizing, limit switches, proximity sensors and other factors that can impact potential failures. You can read the full article...
Randy Kerkstra continued his series on venting with this article that gets into the specifics of venting and addresses many of the challenges that molders face everyday. One issue in particular that Randy discusses is perimeter venting. With the industry being split...
Quality. This one word sums up the need for having a defined mold maintenance program. Quality parts come from quality molds. But just like anything that is used as a tool, wear and degradation are part of the process. Having a maintenance program is an investment in...
In this article on ptonline.com, Randy writes about his journey of learning about venting, and uses some real world examples of how they addressed issues in the plant. Randy is a true "hands-on" injection molding professional, and his insight into may of the...
View image | gettyimages.com One of the challenges for injection molders is efficiency. The cycle times for plastic parts can range from 30 seconds to more than a minute. One of the primary contributors to that time and one of the longstanding constraints is cooling...
Randy Kerkstra wrote a great article at MoldMaking Technology on the topic of venting of mold components. He addresses the idea that venting of mold components, actions and part details are often not addressed as potential root causes of erosion, part quality issues...
In today’s ever-increasing competitive environment, the ability to produce parts profitably is harder and harder. One of the areas that many molders have looked towards to save time and costs is the concept of Rapid Injection Molding. One area that can make this idea...
Lean Manufacturing is often associated with a focus on cost reduction. However, through the implementation of lean manufacturing processes, many injection molders also realize reduced lead times, improved on-time delivery scores, and an increase in overall customer...
There is a direct correlation between having a well planned and managed mold maintenance and preventative maintenance program and realizing maximum value from your tooling investments. With the expectation that each and every part must be perfect, and that production...
"In a manufacturing firm, revenue is generated and costs incurred through the performance of activities." This article from Industry Week argues that it's important to analyze the cost of each activity - to trace the cost of specific activities in the value stream....
Ever wonder what it takes to mold complex parts? Well, that's the topic that Ken Glassen covers in one of his most recent injection molding blog posts. There's no doubt that the higher the complexity, the higher the skill-level required from the injection molder, but...
Achieving Perfect Plastic Parts: 4 Steps to Consider In the plastic injection molding industry, the quality of plastic parts is paramount. Plastics can be precisely molded, but many companies end up with flawed parts because they get one contractor to construct the...
"Success in the injection molding business isn’t just about having the right equipment or the latest technologies," says Ken Glassen of Kaysun Corporation. Of course, equipment and technology is a good place to start, but to completely meet the growing needs of...
Very interesting article from Plastics Technology: "Researchers from Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have developed a fully-degradable bioplastic isolated from shrimp shells which they report can be molded into products such as cell phones, food containers and...
The injection molding industry is extremely competitive because of the need to respond quickly to a customer’s requests while keeping production costs low. Unfortunately, both are not always possible, and that’s why many manufacturers have been opting for off-shoring...
12 Practical Tips for Manufacturing Safety 12 Practical Tips for Manufacturing Safety #93005960 / gettyimages.com Plant Engineering's blog article, Manufacturing Safety: 12 Practical Strategies, has some great information and reminders that anyone in the manufacturing...
3D Printing Has Promise, But Also Limits An article from The Wall Street Journal focusing on the ins and outs of 3D printing gives a roundabout explanation of why 3D Printing works well alongside injection molding. The general complaint about 3D printing is that is...
Injection Molding: An Overview Injection molding is the most common procedure used to produce plastic parts, and it forms an integral part of a vast array of different processes in most manufacturing sectors. It is commonly used to mass produce a specific part and...
#185268385 / gettyimages.com Newlight Technologies has created a way to take greenhouse gases from our atmosphere and turn them into plastic pellets now being used to make mobile phone cases, explains this article from The Guardian. This opens up a whole new thinking...