The plastics industry is scrambling to fill the widening labor gap. One solution is through partnerships with educational institutions that are equipped to train potential employees, according to Dr. Quintin Bullock, President of the Community College of Allegheny County.

Polyscope Polymers (Geleen, Netherlands) has developed an engineering thermoplastic alloy that combines the benefits of styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) for molding disposable cassettes used in point-of-care medical test devices.

Large, lightweight and torsionally stiff, two half-shells manufactured cost-effectively in a single tool using hybrid molding; weight savings of around 30 percent; visible part with excellent surface quality.

Automated additive manufacturing–based conformal cooling technology developed by Conformal Cooling Solutions Inc. (Oldcastle, ON) reportedly can reduce injection molding cycle times by as much as 40%.