Modern Plastics Worldwide - July/August 2009 - dae uptlax
Modern Plastics Worldwide - July/August 2009 - dae uptlax
Modern Plastics Worldwide - July/August 2009 - dae uptlax
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
PROCESSING<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
PROCESSING TRENDS: p. 14<br />
In film extrusion, coreless winding’s<br />
time has arrived; highly filled<br />
compounds increase dispersion,<br />
lower cost; and much more.<br />
MATERIAL THOUGHTS: p. 20<br />
New class of TPO claims to offer<br />
better performance without the<br />
traditional oils and plasticizers;<br />
Alathon film line gets new grades<br />
of MMW high-density polyethylene;<br />
new high-flow TPV promises<br />
“cushion-like” indentation; carbon<br />
fibers teamed with PPA, PPS, and<br />
PEEK to create “super structural<br />
compounds;” and more.<br />
PRODUCT WATCH: p. 24<br />
Product Focus: Pelletizing. New<br />
developments boost bottom line.<br />
Plus: New screw allows entire<br />
length of extrusion unit to process<br />
material; no marking or swarf<br />
claimed for PS pipette line; Jomar<br />
marks 40th anniversary with new<br />
line; and much more.<br />
14 JULY/AUGUST <strong>2009</strong> • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE<br />
PROCESSING TRENDS<br />
Novel mold lets soft foam<br />
be thick, thin, or both<br />
By Matt Defosse<br />
In what is being claimed as an injection<br />
molding first, a slide-table mold<br />
developed by Swiss moldmaker Georg<br />
Kaufmann Formenbau AG (Busslingen)<br />
enables processors to vary the thickness<br />
of a layer of soft-touch foam exactly<br />
where it is required on a part, via the<br />
mold’s geometry. ‘Varysoft’ is the name<br />
the moldmaker has affixed to its novel<br />
system.<br />
The company is well known in moldmaking,<br />
especially for molds used to<br />
process door panels and other automotive<br />
interior components. For its newest<br />
feat, the company built a mold with two<br />
cavities, one for the conventional injection<br />
molding of a supporting structure<br />
Slide-table mold enables proces-<br />
sors to vary the thickness of a layer<br />
of soft-touch foam exactly where it<br />
is required on a part, via the mold’s<br />
geometry. ‘Varysoft’ is the name the<br />
moldmaker has affixed to its novel<br />
and elegant system.<br />
(typically polypropylene) and one for<br />
preforming of a decorative material—<br />
film, fabric, or imitation leather. For<br />
the foam layer, the machine needs either<br />
an additional injection unit for expandable<br />
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or<br />
a polyurethane (PUR) processing unit<br />
with PUR mixing head.<br />
Kaufmann molded this business card holder to demonstrate its new back injection<br />
molding system. The 0.2-mm thick aluminum film on the top, visible part of the<br />
holder was embossed with the logo during back injection molding; the reverse<br />
side of the top part is provided with integrally molded clips for attachment to the<br />
bottom part.<br />
mpw.plasticstoday.com