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.

The annual “extrusionista” get-together, held near Chicago this year, explored a range of topics from optimizing barrel temperatures and purging operations to precisely controlling thickness and cut length in pipe and profile extrusions.

What do the largest living things on Earth have to do with extruding thick sections? Allan Griff connects the dots.