by Steven A. Williams, manager, Global Product Managment-Ultrasonics, Emerson • Branson This article will take a brief look at two of the more popular methods for assembling plastic parts into finished products - adhesives and ultrasonic welding - and focus on questions product design and manufacturing teams should consider when making decisions about why and when to adopt … [Read more...] about Key Considerations: Adhesives or Ultrasonic Welding for Plastic Component Assembly?
2017 Jan/Feb
Q&A: Developments in Plastics Decoration
by Paul Uglum, technology advocate, fabrication engineering, Delphi There are many reasons for plastic decoration and, to some extent, the term is a misnomer. We apply secondary operations to plastic parts to add value. That value can take the form of improving the appearance, and therefore increasing the desirability and perceived value of an object, but it also can take … [Read more...] about Q&A: Developments in Plastics Decoration
Association News
Letter from the Chair Save the date: It's time to plan for the opportunities to learn in 2017. Last year was exciting because of all the advances in the tools and technologies of plastic decoration and assembly. The capabilities and complexity of the tool set for plastic decoration and assembly are growing dramatically. A multitude of conferences are available, but most of … [Read more...] about Association News
Enhancing Environmental Compliance with Water-Based Coatings
by Hugh Barrett, technical consultant, APV Engineered Coatings Like companies in many industries, plastics fabricators and decorators are searching for ways to be more environmentally friendly. They're doing so not only to avoid fines or scrutiny from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or to comply with California's Prop 65, but also to reduce operating costs, … [Read more...] about Enhancing Environmental Compliance with Water-Based Coatings
A Learning Approach to Equipment Setup
by Perry Parendo, president, Perry's Solutions Companies desire capital equipment for several reasons: to create a competitive advantage by processing product faster; to use local manufacturing instead of experiencing increasing costs in China and other negative impacts; or to automate, utilizing leading-edge equipment to use lesser skilled workers and avoid skills gap. … [Read more...] about A Learning Approach to Equipment Setup