Measuring Mold Temperature…

I received this question last week… JIM Do you have any recommendations on how to capture actual steel temps other than installing thermocouples?  We currently use a surface probe which is time consuming and often difficult to capture the true operating temperature. My Response Thermal imaging cameras tend to be inaccurate for mold steel due to the reflectance of […]

Processing PVC and Acetal

This question just came in from a medical molder…   KH We are extruding flexible PVC and started injection molding Acetal in the same facility. On the PVC die heads and downstream auxiliary equipment there is a white layer of powdery build up on the metal. What is the cause of this?   My Response […]

Safety Glasses Revisited…

I got this question via email yesterday… Technician I know we should wear safety glasses, but how can I better justify their use? My Response I recommend reviewing some of my previous posts on this topic: Follow-Up on Safety Glasses… Employees Don’t Like Wearing Safety Glasses… About Safety Glasses… Safety Glasses on the Production Floor […]

Spiral Flow Test…

I received a follow-up question regarding a post earlier this year, The Uses of MFI…,  KJ You mentioned the spiral flow, what is this test? My Response The spiral flow test uses a mold with a long spiral flow channel emanating from the center. Notches are etched along the flow path to help identify the length the polymer has flowed […]

Thermoplastics vs. Thermosets…

I have read some industry discussion groups lately and have noticed some confusion on the difference between Thermosets and Thermoplastics, so I will use this post to help clarify these points… Thermosets Thermosets are polymerized during processing while thermoplastics are polymerized before being processed. During processing, the polymer chains in thermosets fuse together, or cross-link. […]