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Two new members of BASF's biodegradable plastics family have been introduced: a thermoformable version for food trays and the first injection-molding grade for complex and high quality packaging, including thin-wall applications.

The shale gas boom in the United States is creating opportunity for an amorphous metal injection molding process that has struggled to find footing since its commercial launch in 2003.

Four of the six largest suppliers to the oil and gas industry are now testing prototypes of components that would be used in "shaped charges" used to complete wells. Shaped charges, also used in the military, are detonated at wellheads to perforate metal and concrete casings, permitting the influx of oil and gas.

Prices rose and the spot resin markets were busy again last week. Demand continued to improve, particularly for polypropylene (PP), and while resin continued to flow at a relatively swift pace, well-priced offers were snatched up, according to spot-trading platform, The Plastics Exchange (TPE). TPE anticipated a modest decrease in May PP contracts.

Inland Label's MAXX Scoop IML label family beat out 231 entries from packaging suppliers and graphic design firms throughout North America to win the GOLD PAC Leadership Award at the Packaging Association of Canada's (PAC) biannual Awards Gala held in Mississauga, ON.

NatureWorks is targeting ABS replacement in PC/ABS in major durable applications including automotive interiors and business machines.

"The standard grade of ABS is a straight drop in for ABS in existing tooling," said Frank Diodato, business director, durables, at NatureWorks, in an interview. The cost is about $1/lb, comparable to ABS in most areas of the world.

Fiber made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber has been employed as a ballistic material in a amphibious armored personnel vehicle produced in Turkey. The fiber is used in the form of a tape made from Dyneema UHMWPE supplied by DSM Dyneema (Urmond, The Netherlands).

The oldest and largest awards event in the automotive plastics industry will be held Nov. 6 in Livonia, MI under the theme "Plastics: Kick the Metal Habit". The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers said the 43rd-annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala will once again take place at Burton Manor. Jeffrey Helms, global automotive director, Ticona Engineering Polymers, returns as the 2013 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards chair.

Additive manufacturing has become a big part of Linear Mold & Engineering's  business as demand for end-use parts and conformal cooling lines for molds have grown. To help meet increased demand, Linear recently installed a new EOSINT M280 laser sintering system - Linear's fifth EOSINT machine - from EOS GmbH, and an SLM 280 Selective Laser Melting system from SLM Solutions GmbH, its first SLM machine.

Remember the blog I wrote almost exactly one year ago about a headline in Manufacturing & Technology News that caught my eye: "Government Is Pushing Full Speed Ahead On Additive Manufacturing." The editorial by Richard A.

Greater use of structural adhesives and aluminum is helping Cadillac (Detroit, MI) reduce overall weight of the ATS and all-new CTS sedans, reportedly contributing to better ride and handling and reduced cabin noise in both models.