Semi-Finished Products

A recent study introduces hydrogel coatings for medical catheters to significantly reduce friction and prevent infections.

Microencapsulation enhances the performance of additives in a variety of plastics applications. This technology is invaluable for incorporating additives that possess explosive properties, are challenging to handle, exhibit high reactivity, or are PCMs. 

Plastic technology not only broadens designers’ creative horizons but also brings innovative approaches to manufacturing, sustainability, and user experience. Designers with a grasp of plastic technology can transform industrial design, creating groundbreaking products that meet manufacturing demands and environmental standards.

In the turbulence, the future of the plastics industry emerges as a focal point. With forecasts depicting a landscape characterized by both challenges and opportunities. In a world inundated with crisis reports and the relentless hustle of daily life, it’s imperative now more than ever to hit the pause button and reassess our perspectives.

The IKV Colloquium demonstrated the plastics industry’s resilience in addressing current challenges. On February 28th-29th, 2024, RWTH Aachen University’s IKV organized an event fostering industry-academia exchanges.

MHT wowed the PET-preform industry by cutting cycle time by three seconds in a 96-cavity mold conversion for Deltaplast. This remarkable feat, transitioning from Engel to Netstal after 6.5 million cycles, showcases MHT’s adaptability.

Glass stands as a high-performance material vital across multiple fields, notably in optics, chemistry, and medical technology industries. However, conventional glass processing faces constraints, particularly in designing very small structures. The new process developed by Glas­somer in Freiburg, Germany, makes it possible to process transparent quartz glass in the plastic injection molding machine.

Working with U.S. startup Inkbit, researchers in Switzerland have, for the first time, say they have found a way to 3D print slow-curing polymers.

The use of “forever chemicals” in the European Union would be largely banned under a proposal issued by the European Chemicals Agency. At the same time, more US states continue to ban PFAS-containing products without a clear roadmap for the plastic industry.

A UNSW Canberra researcher claims to have advanced CF recycling. But major challenges remain, says one industry expert. Carbon fiber composites are super strong super lightweight and super difficult to recycle effectively. Embedded in a (usually thermoset) polymer matrix, carbon…

Kia Corp. wants to go green in its future car interiors. This involves using a range of natural and recycled materials, from mushrooms to fishing nets.

Topline MK2 PUR foam metering model is final addition to Hennecke’s Next Generation series of advanced polyurethane foam metering machines.