White papers and eBooks - September 2021

INJECTION MOLDING 

Navigating supply chain issues is a constant challenge, especially in times of material shortages and price increases. Protolabs’ “Material Alternatives for Plastic Injection Molding” is a detailed guide to resin substitutes for ABS, PC, PP and other commonly molded thermoplastics, intended to help processors choose which ones to use depending on material properties and the intended functions of the parts. https://get.protolabs.com/im-alternative-materials-guide/  

The Rodon Group’s eBook “How to Manufacture a Perfect Plastic Part” looks at four different stages in the manufacturing cycle and the key aspects to consider in each: Part design (and how to design for manufacturability); tool design and build (and the role it plays in quality); material selection (and how to choose the right resin); and manufacturing (and what to look for during processing). The Rodon Group is a custom injection molder. www.rodongroup.com/lp-ebook-manufacturing-a-perfect-plastic-part 

AUXILIARIES 

No matter what type of process is the mainstay of your plastics manufacturing operation — injection molding, thermoforming, extrusion — every floor manager knows that the waste materials generated can be significant. By grinding the waste down to a size that’s similar to virgin material, you drastically decrease waste. Cumberland’s white paper “Top 5 Reasons to Consider a Beside-the-Press Granulator” explores reasons to choose this type of granulator to meet your company’s regrinding needs. www.cumberlandplastics.com/considerbtp/ 

ASSEMBLY 

Dukane’s “Guide to Ultrasonic Plastics Assembly: Intelligent Assembly Solutions” provides information on the fundamentals of ultrasonic welding and tips on designing products for the process to get clean, fast and strong seals. It covers joint and part design, major component design, process control and more. www.dukane.com/ultrasonic-design-guide-download/ 

SMART FACTORY 

The right manufacturing software provides the end-to-end visibility you need to optimize resource utilization, control costs, deliver products on time, and reflect shop floor performance into financial results. “The Ultimate Guide to Manufacturing Software” from DELMIAworks helps you select a solution for your business, evaluating benefits, long-term trends and must-have features. It includes a worksheet to assess needs and requirements, questions to ask and an evaluation checklist. https://discover.3ds.com/manufacturing-software-guide 

Manufacturers are increasingly adopting advanced strategies driven by data and IIoT technology. However, they are challenged not only by the difficulty of capturing quality data, but in being able to process and use it effectively. MachineMetrics’ eBook “Predictive Analytics for Manufacturing Equipment” analyzes the current state of the industry, discusses the largest barriers to collecting useful data and shares predictive analytics use cases for manufacturers. www.machinemetrics.com/predictive-analytics-for-manufacturing-ebook 

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 

Across industries, 3-D printing is helping professionals cut outsourcing costs, iterate faster, optimize production processes and unlock new business models. Stereolithography (SLA) 3-D printing has become popular for its ability to produce high-accuracy, isotropic and watertight prototypes and parts in a range of advanced materials with fine features and smooth surface finishes. Formlabs’ white paper “Introduction to 3D Printing with Desktop Stereolithography” explains how the technology works and how it can benefit your production process. https://3d.formlabs.com/introduction-to-stereolithography/  

MEDICAL MANUFACTURING 

Navigating the highly regulated world of medical manufacturing and clean room operations can be daunting. Special attention needs to be given to not only your clean room but to the cleanliness, calibration, maintenance and record-keeping of your processing equipment. Conair’s white paper “Simplifying Set-Up of Clean Processing Facilities” looks at common standards governing the manufacturing, processing and packing of plastic medical devices, the different levels of cleanrooms and machines that are factory calibrated to meet regulatory requirements. www.conairgroup.com/resources/resource/simplifying-set-plastics-clean-rooms/ 

CIRCULAR ECONOMY 

Amidst a paradigm shift on sustainability, corporations across the globe are stepping up efforts to drive circular recycling practices. Companies across the plastics value chain face several hurdles as they develop and execute strategies for a circular economy, but a majority of the 300 C-level executives in a recent Dow survey consider it imperative, saying that recycling (71 percent) and waste reduction (68 percent) have had a “substantial” or “very large” influence on their organization’s strategic direction over the past two years. Read the results of the Dow survey in “The Path to a Circular Economy for Plastics.” https://tinyurl.com/574acj52  

Plastics play a critical role in healthcare services, but the industry has recognized that the environmental footprint of plastics, especially packaging, is significant. In 2020, the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council conducted interviews to identify opportunities and challenges in expanding healthcare recycling capabilities. The white paper “Advanced Recycling of Healthcare Plastics: An Opportunity for Circularity” includes a discussion of common healthcare plastics and the challenges associated with recycling them; an overview of the advanced recycling industry, current technologies and environmental impacts; and insights from advanced recyclers, healthcare organizations and logistics providers. www.hprc.org/advanced-recycling-white-paper