Just because we know something, we can’t assume everyone else does, and there is always a need to get everyone familiar with important conversions.

When I went camping as a child, we used to call gnats “no-see-ums” — too small to be seen, but they did bite. Which brings me to the no-see-ums inside an extruder, such as the thrust bearing: You can’t see it from the outside, but when it fails, it really bites.

Ohm’s Law lets us calculate power consumed by an extrusion motor. But at this week’s co-located PLASTEC West and MD&M West show, it’s medtech OEMs that largely lay down the law for extruders. A separate event devoted to marijuana packaging showcased new opportunities for extrusion technology.

Extruder motors come in several types. Get up to speed with tips from extrusion guru Allan Griff.