by Chris DeMell, North American medical marketing manager, ITW Industrial Decorating Solutions It's a common belief that overseas production is more cost-effective than manufacturning in the US. However, when it comes to the plastics industry, more and more product decoration is being brought back to the US. Furthermore, trends such as increased automation and … [Read more...] about Ask the Expert: Plastics Part Decoration Evolves to Meet Marketplace Challenges
2018 Apr/May
Staking by Ultrasound – Strong Joints in Short Cycle Times
by Thomas Fischer, head of application development, Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG; Eric Brückner, Institute of Conveyor Technology and Plastics (IFK); Dr. Michael Gehde, head chair for plastics, IFK A novel version of ultrasonic staking for joining plastics and dissimilar materials utilizes a tubular rivet that it shapes into a form-fitting bead. This new … [Read more...] about Staking by Ultrasound – Strong Joints in Short Cycle Times
Tech Watch: KURZs IMD/IMR Technology
Edited by Lara Copeland, contributing editor, Plastics Decorating KURZ, Charlotte, North Carolina, offers a broad portfolio of IMD/IMR transfer foils that affords great flexibility in design, enabling flexibility in aesthetic design via a wide range of effects, such as piano black, high-resolution four-color process graphics, engineered patterns and woodgrains (in continuous … [Read more...] about Tech Watch: KURZs IMD/IMR Technology
The Importance of Machine Approval
by John Kaverman, president, Pad Print Pros The importance of machine approval at the manufacturer's facility often is ignored due to timing or budgetary constraints. This is unfortunate, because neglecting to conduct a thorough approval can end up costing a lot more time and money than what was saved by not traveling to the supplier to approve the machine before it … [Read more...] about The Importance of Machine Approval