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May 31, 2001

3 Min Read
IMM Review: Pocket Specs for Injection Molding 2001-2002

This book is a bomb of information packed into a 3.5-by-5.5-by-1-inch container, just waiting for the user to set it off and explode with data. If you are beginning a project or already involved in one and need to verify information quickly, this book is without peer. Of course we all can use the Internet and call up Prospector Web (for a trial version, see www.ides.com) or other materials sites to get the information found in this book, but with it at hand, you do not need a computer. It's all here! 

What you want to know about any of 16,000 grades of injection moldable resins can be found in the comprehensive sections of this book. The sections include property descriptions, generic material names, fillers and additives, melt flow conditions, property tables (the meat of the book), a supplier directory, troubleshooting guide, unit conversion table, and index of materials. I have used previous editions of this book many times to find resins quickly that could work for a particular project. Or, if I was uncertain about the initial resins suggested for a project I would consult Pocket Specs and get on the right track. 

If you are on the shop floor, this book is invaluable in verifying questionable data.

The property tables (coded with easy-to-use thumb tabs) are organized alphabetically by generic name. Under the generic name they are organized alphabetically by trade name. Within trade name, they are sorted numerically first, then alphabetically. The property tables provide data on a resin's filler, specific gravity, shrink in mils/in, melt flow, drying temperature, drying time, maximum percentage of moisture, maximum percentage of regrind, injection pressure, rear-, mid-, and front-barrel temperatures, nozzle temperature, processing temperature, and mold temperature. If you are on the shop floor, this book is invaluable in verifying data you may have in question. 

Of course, like any reference book of this kind, errors might exist. This is where your knowledge and common sense come into play, knowing that if a data point sounds unlikely, it probably is and needs to be rechecked. 

The troubleshooting guide can be a quick source for defining a molding problem and finding a possible solution. As we all know, sometimes the answers aren't that simple, but the guide does give us a good starting point for solving the problem. 

If you have to wade through the hundreds of acronyms used in our business to identify a certain material, the generic materials section, which defines all major materials acronyms, will be of much help. 

I strongly recommend you purchase this book if you are involved with resins on a day-to-day basis.—Reviewer: Gary Jugenheimer, sales engineer, Evco Plastics, DeForest, WI, [email protected]. 

Pocket Specs for Injection Molding 2001-2002 is one of many books selected for injection molders that are offered through the IMM Book Club and count toward a Bonus Book award. For more information, call Renee Barker at (303) 321-2322; fax (303) 321-3552; e-mail [email protected], or visit www.immbookclub.com

IDES Inc. and Injection Molding Magazine. Pocket Specs for Injection Molding 2001-2002, 5th ed. (2001), 740 pp., thumb index, supplier directory, trade name directory, troubleshooting guide, unit conversion table, index to materials. 

 

 

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