Plastics Engineering Magazine - August 2007
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On the Cover Fan section produced using a new Stereolithography resin, DMX-SL 100. DSM Somos. |
Rapid Prototyping Easier-To-Use Machines, Lower Pricing Expand User Base, Add Design Flexibility Rapid prototyping (RP)—layer-by-layer additive fabrication of 3D models—has undergone rapid growth. The introduction of new, less-expensive machines and materials are making the technology available to a wider base of users, who are using the technology to evaluate and refine designs and shorten product-development time. Prototype parts can be readily produced and tested for form, fit, and function before manufacturers commit to production tooling. By Richard Stewart |
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| EUROPE | ||
The Choice Widens: GMT vs LFT Developments in long-fibre thermoplastics (LFTs) are giving processors more choices than ever. AS GMTs and LFTs jockey for pole position, their usage continues to broaden into new applications. By Peter Mapletson |
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What's New at K 2007 The K show is a sellout! More than 3,000 companies will be demonstrating products and services in over 168,000 square metres of exhibition space. This article focuses on some of the highlights expected at K 2007. By Patrick Stapley |
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| Global News Europe | 6 |
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| SPE NewsRoundup/SPE in Europe | 64 |
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| Industry Events | 82 |
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| LATIN AMERICA | ||
| Export Plastic Touts Products "Made in Brazil" A new export power is emerging in Latin America—Brazil's processors. Working with petrochemical companies and resin suppliers in a program called Export Plastic, processors are building demand for their products from a growing number of foreign customers. By Laura Flórez |
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| NORTH AMERICA | ||
| TPUs Stretch Properties Two of the touted values of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are the softness and flexibility they can offer without requiring the additives and plasticizers that PVC and other heavily compounded materials rely upon. This argument is becoming stronger: More innovative chemistries are now expanding the application range for TPUs for many major industries—notable, medical, automotive, textile, and food. By Michael Tolinski |
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| A Review of Additives for Plastics: Functional Film Additives This article looks at functional additives that boost the performance of blown and cast films for mono-layer or multilayer applications. The focus is on four of the most often-used film additives—antioxidants, ultraviolet inhibitors, antistatic gents, and antifog agents—and touches on many others that make plastic films safe and useful for many applications. By Prakash Patel, Ampacet Corporation |
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| Rising Resin Prices and "Green" Initiatives Boost Interest in Microcellular Foam Suppliers of plastics packaging are facing the "double whammy" of rising material costs and efforts by customers to promote environmentally friendly goods. As a result, many companies are redesigning consumer packaging with an eye toward reduced material use to lower resin costs and meet source-reduction mandates from product manufacturers and retailers. By Patrick A. Toensmeier |
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| Industry Patents By Dr. Roger Corneliussen |
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| Global News, North America | 72 |
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From SPE | 6 |
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Machinery | 70 |
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Materials | 76 |
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Industry Events | 84 |
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Recruitment/Classified Advertising | 90 |
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Advertiser Index | 92 |
