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KraussMaffei has extended its hydro-mechanical dual-platen injection molding machines in the medium clamping force range with the world premiere of its GX series. Launched at a customer event at its headquarter in Munich, the GX Series features a redesigned locking device and guide shoe, among other new features.

The global market for thermoformed plastic products is expected to increase from 7.0 billion lb in 2012 to 8.5 billion lb by 2017, a 4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

In comparison, the global market for thermoformed plastic products was 6.8 billion lb in 2011, according to the study from ReportsnReports, an online market research company.

Large-surface applications in lightweight vehicle construction are targets for carbon- and glass-fiber composite sheets supplied by Lamilux Heinrich Strunz GmbH (Rehau, Germany).

With intake manifolds made of polypropylene (PP), Röchling Automotive (Mannheim, Germany) says it has set new benchmarks in terms of cost, weight, and acoustics. These three criteria have been improved due to the lower density of polypropylene (PP) compared with polyamide (PA), the material currently most widely used for intake manifolds.

A leading Japanese supplier of polypropylene (PP) compounds for automotive applications is adding 118,000 tonnes/year of compounding capacity in the Americas and China to tap demand from growing auto production in these localities.

Currier Plastics Inc., a custom injection molder and blowmolder in Auburn, NY, received kudos from the governor of the state of New York, and tax credits and grants for its expansion plans. Currier recently added three Automa extrusion blowmolding machines—two AT400D and one AT700D—machines that feature in-process trimming capabilities (dome, moil, tail, and handle punch-out) increasing the company’s overall blowmolding capacity.

Average spot polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) prices slid $0.02/lb last week, and contracts for both materials will be marked significantly lower in May. Spot-trading platform, The Plastics Exchange (TPE), reported that resin trading continued to improve last week, as lower prices worked their way downstream, spurring some purchases.

It's called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. A swirling vortex of plastic bags, bottles and other debris, a landfill some say is twice the size of Texas.

Arkema has declared a force majeure for Pebax polymers as a result of the fatal explosion at an Evonik plant in Marl, Germany on March 31.

This plant was a major production source for CDT (cyclododecatriene) a chemical required in the production of Pebax, which is a thermoplastic elastomer made up of block copolymers consisting of a sequence of polyamide and polyether segments.

Buffer-stops made of Delrin 100PE grade low-emission acetal resin from DuPont (Wilmington, DE) cushion the impact when mechanically adjustable steering columns from ThyssenKrupp Presta (Eschen, Liechtenstein) reach full horizontal adjustment.