By Liz Stevens, writer, Plastics Decorating The US manufacturing industry continues to face workforce recruitment challenges. Colleges and universities are helping to address the shortage by offering plastics decorating-oriented subject matter in their plastics and polymer programs. What are institutions offering, and what might they need from industry partners to support … [Read more...] about Secondary Education Options in Plastics Decorating
Adhesion
The Guide to Switch from Adhesive Bonding to Plastic Welding
By Jason Dornbos, sales manager at Extol, Inc. In manufacturing and product assembly, choosing the proper joining method is critical to ensure the end product’s strength, durability and efficiency. Adhesive bonding is a common method for assembling plastic parts. But as product demand increases, the need for faster and more cost-effective joining methods arises. Plastic … [Read more...] about The Guide to Switch from Adhesive Bonding to Plastic Welding
Best Practices for Integrating Plasma and Flame Surface Treaters
By Mike Couch, VP engineering, INPRO Technologies Incorporated; Wilson Lee, business development manager, Enercon Industries Corporation; Mark Plantier, VP marketing, Enercon Industries Corporation It would be hard to find an industry these days that doesn't use plasma or flame for surface preparation. Some of the larger industries that rely on these surface-treating … [Read more...] about Best Practices for Integrating Plasma and Flame Surface Treaters
Advanced Technologies for Decorating Polyethylene
by Scott R. Sabreen, president, The Sabreen Group Author’s note: Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most widely utilized polymers and is classified by its density and branching. The type of PE has a significant impact on the ease or difficulty of secondary operations. The most common types are LDPE, HDPE and cross-linked. PE products are difficult to bond and decorate due to … [Read more...] about Advanced Technologies for Decorating Polyethylene
Improving Polymer Adhesion: Advancements for Low Surface Energy Plastics Applications
by Scott R. Sabreen, president, The Sabreen Group Many polymers are inherently hydrophobic, low-surface energy substrates that do not adhere well to like or dissimilar materials. Surface modification methods are proven to solve most adhesion problems. Traditional methods include electrical (corona) discharge, flame plasma, atmospheric plasma, cold-gas plasma and UV … [Read more...] about Improving Polymer Adhesion: Advancements for Low Surface Energy Plastics Applications