Dear SPE GGS members:

Welcome to the 2011-2012 calendar year!  I will be working closely with our board members to provide a variety of interesting technical talks/tours and networking opportunities throughout the year.  Our primary objective is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics, but we also want to establish a venue for you to meet other plastics professionals who share common technical interests.

The board warmly welcomes (and encourages) your suggestions for future discussion/speaker topics, invited speakers, lab/manufacturing tours, and opportunities to co-sponsor events with other technical societies.  Please continue to support our local chapter.  I look forward to seeing you at our lunch seminar next week to learn about the basics of lithium-ion battery technology.

Thank you

Jennifer Hoffman
SPE GGS President
jhoffman@exponent.com
 

The GGS would like to thank Dr. Kislitsyn for his presentation October 20th on the basics of lithium-ion battery technology. It was insightful and well-received by those who attended. We had many questions for our knowledgeable speaker, Dr. Mikhail Kislitsyn. We continue to look for informative topics and speakers for both dinner meetings and webinars. Special thanks to Jennifer Hoffman for her efforts on bringing together this event.

Look for more diverse topics and speakers. With the upcoming holidays, we a holiday dinner in December! Check the CALENDAR section of our web site for our future meetings and social events. We hope to see you at one of our monthly meetings.

Tech Tip November 2011

Quality of Design

The component must be designed to suit the plastic process selected for manufacture if the best results (in terms of consistency, speed of production and quality) are to be obtained. Trouble free manufacturing is the ideal and this can only be achieved if the material, the machine and the mold / die are correct and designed for each other.

The design of the product should be such that it incorporates what is necessary, but also so that its tolerances are able to be met. The wall thickness should be as thin as practical but with no sharp corners or abrupt changes to wall thickness.  It is critical to the size and shape to have a uniform wall thickness, as this aids in uniform shrinkage and cooling of the material in the finished shape. If the materials chosen for the application does not have the strengths necessary in a flat surface configuration,  can the incorporations of ribs, curves or other design features strengthen the material to an acceptable stiffness.  If one does have to increase wall thickness a relationship of no more than 3 times the thinnest section should equal the thickest section.

A uniform wall also plays out in the filling of the part and the stress that results from a non-uniform fill pattern.

The typical rules of thumb or design principles must be followed which include and are not limited to, no sharp corners, uniform wall thickness, use of draft, use of curve surfaces instead of flat with ribs, and the use of your staff and any other knowledge for the design and processing of the part. Using design principles particular to the material selected are critical.

In regards to quality the tolerances put onto a part are the most costly. In too many cases too tight a tolerance was imposed upon a part not for it functionality but for the secondary assembly process and because that was how the software in the CAD system was set.   This is a concern for all; while tolerance and dimensions must be met the use of such tight tolerances is unnecessary if it does not matter to the functionality of the part.  In the past there may be two prints, one to build the part, and other for the production of the part which listed only those dimensions which were critical to the functionality of the part.

Since the design affects the tooling and the goal of a quality design should be also uninterrupted manufacture in an automatic process, this may require a more complex tool, machine and molding process. Does the design allow this?  Have we looked at the use of the take out system from the mold such as robotics, and or use of the runner system to handle the part for assembly or packaging.

TA-

Steven L Silvey
Silveys Plastic Consulting
360-882-3183
silveysplastics@hotmail.com

The SPE Council will meet Saturday, November 12 in Barcelona, Spain.
The meeting is scheduled from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST (3:30 PM to 6:30 PM CEST).
SPE Policy allows Councilors (or proxies) to participate electronically in Council meetings if they are not able to attend in person.

The objective of the Society is to promote the scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics.

Every day the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) helps people and companies in the plastics industry succeed. How? By spreading knowledge , strengthening skills and promoting plastics. SPE is the only place where people from all parts of the industry can come together around important issues and technologies. SPE’s contribution to the plastics industry for over 60 years has made a significant difference to the technologies and innovations the industry enjoys today. In the process, we've developed a 20,000-member network of leading engineers, scientists and other plastics professionals, including technicians, salespeople, marketers, retailers and representatives from tertiary industries.

Today, the industry is more interdependent than ever, and professional networks have taken on global dimensions. Such networks are almost impossible to develop and maintain in our fast-paced industry. Participation in SPE is a key success factor for those who want to thrive in today’s business environment.

Over the coming months I will report on various aspects of the National SPE and how it impacts our local Section.

Please feel free to contact me directly should you have any questions or comments.

Respectively Submitted,

Michael LoDico
SPE GGS Councilor
mld@plasco-corp.com

Education Corner

CHICO

This month at California State University, Chico, we have chosen our officers for the 2011-2012 year.  The President this year is Matthew Vella, Vice President is Christopher Mays, Kevin Rayburn as our Treasurer, and lastly Peter Vink as our Secretary.  The officers and myself have been working closely with the Sustainability Fund Allocation Committee (SFAC) in proposing a project to produce personalized license plate frames.  These license plate frames are going to be made from recycled HDPE from the campus.

 We are working in collaboration with the campus recycling program to donate 50 pounds of recyclable HDPE material.  With this project, the members of the club will get a first hand experience in the process of recycling to a raw material and then testing of that material compared to post industrial recycled raw material.  As well as being in collaboration with campus recycling, the campus bookstore has agreed to have us sell the license plate frames in the store to generate revenue for the club and school.

 More to come from Chico State.

Sincerely,
Matthew Vella, SPE President
mvella@mail.csuchico.edu
 

SJSU

1) The SPE Student Chapter @ SJSU will be hosting a fundraiser/social next month.

WHAT? Social event with SJSU students and faculty. Also watch the San Jose Sharks take on the Nashville Predators.
WHEN? Saturday November 5th starting at 7:00pm
WHERE? 4th street pizza (At the corner of 4th st. and Santa Clara in San Jose)

A percentage of the profits from the food sales will be donated to our SPE chapter, please come and support.
Please RSVP to me or just drop by the day of the event.
 

2) We are looking for a polymer related facility which would like to host a tour for our SPE members.
If your company would like to host such an event sometime towards the middle of November please let us know, you can contact me.

Luis E. Ruelas
luisruelas@gmail.com
President Society of Plastic Engineers SJSU
 
 

The Society of Plastics Engineers announced on Tuesday that it has launched its search for a new Executive Director and has retained Kellen Company to coordinate the recruitment efforts.

The ideal candidate will possess a combination of strong leadership qualities, extensive knowledge of the global plastics industry and a proven record of fundraising.
We are very excited to embark upon this process and hope that, as a member of the Society, you will help take an active role in referring top candidates for the job.
Please refer interested individuals to www.kellencompany.com/spe for more information.

I look forward to this new opportunity to grow our Society and further expand our reach to plastics professionals and companies around the world.

Sincerely,
 

Russell C. Broome, SPE President

Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although polyesters do exist in nature, polyester generally refers to the large family of synthetic polyesters (plastics) which includes polycarbonate and above all polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is one of the most important thermoplastic polyesters.

The first synthetic polyester, glycerine phthalate, was used in the First World War for waterproofing. Natural polyesters have been known since around 1830.

A common usage of the word polyester refers to cloth woven from polyester fiber. Polyester clothing is considered to have a "less natural" feeling to it compared to natural fibers. Polyester fibers are often spun together with fibers of cotton, producing a cloth with some of the better properties of each.

Applications
Fibers (and microfibers) for fabric
Bottles
Films such as biaxially oriented PET film, often aluminized
Photographic film (after cellulose triacetate, polyester is the most important substrate film base)
A common matrix for glass-reinforced plastic (commonly called "fiberglass") and other composite materials.
Liquid crystal displays
Holograms
Filters
Dielectric film for capacitors and film insulation for wire, and insulating tapes
Liquid crystalline polyesters are among the first industrially used liquid crystalline polymers. In general they have extremely good mechanical properties and are extremely heat resistant. For that reason, they can be used as an abradable seal in jet engines.

Thermosetting polyester resins are commonly used as casting materials, fiberglass laminating resins, and non-metallic auto-body fillers. In such applications, polymerization and cross-linking are initiated through an exothermic reaction involving an organic peroxide, such as methyl ethyl ketone peroxide or benzoyl peroxide.
 

SPE is pleased to announce its sponsorship of a new health insurance program.  Offering major medical, optional disability, dental and vision coverage, this program is designed to meet the varying needs of SPE members.

The key to finding affordable group and individual health insurance is to know exactly what you need and what you can afford.  By knowing what you need, you can choose the right insurance plan that suits you and your employees best without costing too much.

However, researching health insurance is very time-consuming and can be very frustrating unless you are extremely savvy in the healthcare arena.  Therefore, SPE has partnered with Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. (MMIC) to help you design a healthcare program to fit your needs, your employees’ needs, and your budget.

SPE members can obtain a free no-obligation quote through Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. (MMIC) from the following website:

http://mmicinsurance.com/SPE

1)  To obtain a Health Insurance Quote for individuals and/or family, click “Proposal Request Form for Individuals and Families.”

2)  To obtain a quote for Group Health Insurance, click “Proposal Request Form for Group (2 or more employees).”

All health insurance quotes will be e-mailed within 48 hours.

Your association membership allows you to obtain a free discount pharmacy card providing savings of 10%-60%.
You do not have to request a health insurance quote or purchase insurance in order to receive this benefit.  Just click “Free Prescription Discount Card.”
 

SPE and ANTEC Groups Continue To Grow on LinkedIn® and Facebook®

SPE has Largest Group for Plastics Professionals on LinkedIn
Membership in the LinkedIn® group of the Society of Plastics Engineers now exceeds 10,000, making it the largest group for plastics professionals on the LinkedIn social media platform.
The SPE LinkedIn Group has become an industry resource for plastics professionals who are seeking answers to technical questions, networking, and even employment opportunities.
 

If you're a member of LinkedIn or Facebook, join the Society of Plastics Engineers and ANTEC™ Groups and display their logos in your profile.

PEX is the common name for cross-linked high-density polyethylene. PEX is formed into tubing, and is used predominantly in hydronic radiant heating systems. It is also used in natural gas applications, offshore, oil and chemical transportation, and transportation of sewage and slurries.

PEX contains cross-link bonds introduced into the polymer structure, changing the thermoplast into an elastomer. The high-temperature properties of the polymer are improved - adequate strength is maintained to 120-150 °C, its flow is reduced. Its chemical resistance is enhanced, it does not dissolve. Its low-temperature properties are enhanced as well. Its impact and tensile strength and scratch resistance are increased and its tendency to brittle fracture is reduced.

The advantageous properties of this material make it a candidate for progressive replacement of metal and thermoplastic pipes, especially in long-life applications, as the expected lifetime of PEX pipes reaches 50-200 years.

Almost all PEX is made from high density polyethylene which undergoes crosslinking during extruding of the tubing. The required degree of cross-linking, according to ASTM Standard F 876-93, is between 65-89%; too high degree would lead to brittleness and stress cracking of the material.

The first PEX material was prepared in 1930's, using irradiation by an electron beam. This process was made feasible in 1970's, but was expensive; the cross-linking was introduced by irradiating the extruded tube. In 1960's, Engel cross linking was perfected; a peroxide is mixed with the HDPE before extruding, the crosslinking takes place during the passage of the melted polymer through a long heated die. In 1968, the Sioplas process using silane was patented, followed by another silane-based process, Monosil, in 1974, and the process using vinylsilane in 1986.

The peroxide (Engel) method performs "hot" cross-linking, above the crystal melting temperature. It provides more consistent and uniform cross-linking with better control over the process. The process takes longer and tends to be more expensive than the other two, as the polymer has to be kept under high temperature and pressure for long time during the extrusion process, but it produces the best material. The product is classified as PEX-A, PE-Xa, or PEXa.

The silane method, also called "moisture cure" method, performs the cross-linking in a secondary post-extrusion process, producing crosslinks between a cross-linking agent (eg. vinylsilane) and catalyst added into the polymer matrix during extrusion, in one of the several processes, eg. Sioplas, Spherisil or Monosil. The process is accelerated with heat and moisture. Unlike the two other methods, the bonds are not between the carbon atoms, but are realized as oxygen-silicon-oxygen bridges, principially similar to the sulfur bridges introduced during rubber vulcanization. These links are somewhat weaker than the carbon-carbon bond, slightly impairing the material's long-term chemical stability. It is classified as PEX-B, PE-Xb, or PEXb.

The electron irradiation method is the "cold" cross-linking, below the crystal melting temperature. It provides less uniform, lower-degree cross-linking than the Engel method, especially at tube diameters over 1", and when the process is not controlled properly, the outer layer of the tubes may become brittle. However it is the cleanest, most environmentally friendly method of the three, as it does not involve other chemicals and uses only high-energy electrons to split the carbon-hydrogen bonds and facilitate crosslinking. The irradiation takes place after the HDPE tube is produced, and may be performed in a separated facility. The resulting polymer is classified as PEX-C, PE-Xc, or PEXc.
 

ANTEC® 2012 will be co-located with NPE and held in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center. ANTEC® will be held April 2-4; NPE will be held April 1-5. Click here to submit your abstract/paper. An early abstract is not required; the abstract and paper deadline is October 19, 2011.

ANTEC Call for Student Posters
The ANTEC Student Activities Committee is soliciting abstracts for interactive poster presentations for a Student Poster Design Competition. Cash prizes will be awarded to exceptional posters in several different categories. To learn more, visit the SPE website.  The abstract submission deadline is December 16.

Pledges Sought for ANTEC 2012 Student Activities
The ANTEC Student Activities Committee is seeking support to underwrite a number of student-related activities at ANTEC 2012. Past activities include student travel awards, transportation to plant tours, receptions, guest lecturers and a luncheon. Planning is already underway for 2012, but these activities cannot be held next year in Orlando without the support of our sponsors.

The Committee is grateful to its 2011 Sponsors: The Color and Appearance, Flexible Packaging, Medical Plastics, Polymer Modifiers & Additives, Thermoforming, Thermoplastic Materials & Foams, and Vinyl Plastics Divisions; Detroit and  Piedmont Coastal Sections; PolyOne Corporation (Platinum). The Engineering Properties & Structure and Injection Molding Divisions; Carolinas and Palisades-NJ Sections (Gold). The Blow Molding, Composites, and Marketing & Management Divisions; Failure Analysis &  Prevention SIG; and Mr. and Mrs. William Humphrey (Bronze).

Have questions or want to pledge a donation? Contact Lauren McCarthy (+1 203-740-5472).
 

The in-line thermoforming process is designed to take advantage of the hot sheet coming off the extruder. The sheet is mechanically conveyed directly from the extruder through the oven to maintain the sheet at a forming temperature and then to the forming station.

The forming step must be synchronized with the extruder take-off speed. This type of thermoforming is usually limited to sheet 0 125" or thinner and applications that do not require critical thermoforming. i.e.. optimum material distribution and close tolerances.

This process Is more difficult to control than other thermoforming processes· The major disadvantage is that with the extruder and former being tied directly together an upset In one causes a shutdown in both. The majority of roll-fed machines or in-line machines are commonly used for the production of thin-walled products such as cups, trays, lids. internal packaging, and other finished products with a finished wall of 0.003 to 0.060+ in· in thickness. Because of the speed of these machines, secondary operations are incorporated within the unit. These may consist of printing, filling, sealing, die cutting, scrap cutting, or automated removal and stacking of finished product. The normal roll-fed machines consist of the roll station, upper and lower heating banks. form Station, cooling station, and trim station.
 

EUROTEC® Preliminary Program Now Available
The inaugural EUROTEC Conference will be held on November 14-15 in conjunction with Equiplast at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. Over 200 papers have already been submitted in the areas of Automotive and Transportation, Bioplastics, Color and Additives, Engineering Properties and Structure, Extrusion/Flexible/Rigid Packaging, Failure Analysis and Prevention, General Business, Medical Polymers, Product Engineering and Design, Rapid Design, Engineering and Moldmaking, and Thermoforming. Accepted papers will be published and made available to conference attendees via the conference proceedings. To learn more about plenary speakers and to view the preliminary program, click here.

EUROTEC® Call for Student Posters
The EUROTEC® Conference Committee is soliciting abstracts for poster presentations for a Student Poster Competition. Cash prizes will be awarded to exceptional posters in nearly ten different categories. To learn more, visit the SPE website. The submission deadline is September 30, 2011.
 

The Society of Plastics Engineers Mobile App is the premier mobile resource for plastics professionals. Use it to quickly find products and services, keep up with industry news and events, and stay in touch with the association – all conveniently from your iPhone.

TO VIEW THE iPHONE MOBILE APP FOR SPE --CLICK HERE

PMT is an injection molding process that can produce precision mold cavities at high volumes with high repeatability.
Powdered metal technology (PMT) combines the technology of plastic injection molding and powder metallurgy to create a new process.  The powdered metal technology process involves metal powders being mixed with a binder that is granulated to feed into an injection molding machine. A mold is designed and manufactured to create the cavity part for the injection mold.  Green parts are molded and after a multistep process to separate the binder from the metal, cavities are ready for any post molding work.

These parts, which are typically made from H-13 tool steel, can then be heat treated.  After heat treating, PMT cavities can be machined like any other cavity from hardened tool steel.  Machining processes such as EDM, grinding, etc., are no issue and this ability allows for engineering changes at a later date, if necessary.  Since PMT cavities are produced from a mold, any engineering changes can be made to the mold that produces the PMT cavities and new PMT cavities can be molded and machined for new part revisions.

This technology can enhance the capabilities of any moldmaker and help reduce the cost and increase the delivery for high cavitation injection molds. Since this process allows for PMT cavity duplication from a master mold, the greatest advantage of using this technology is that it guarantees that all cavities are precisely the same, regardless of volume or date of manufacture.  Extremely precise PMT cavity reproduction is possible.  Other key features of PMT include:

Cavities are H-13 tool steel, with other steels available depending upon the application
Can be heat treated to standard Rockwell hardnesses
Can achieve surface finishes of up to Rmax 2
Cavities can be coated for corrosion resistance (TiN, nickel plate)
Short pull ahead times for duplicate cavities, including spares

From a moldmaker and end user standpoint, PMT allows them to produce higher cavitation molds that may have been too difficult or too costly with making cavities conventionally. PMT offers an excellent economy of scale, suitable for high cavitation molds—typically 16 cavities and higher.  Since a master mold must be designed and manufactured to create the PMT insert, the cost of this mold must be taken into account when producing cavities.  The cost of the mold can be amortized into the piece price of the individual PMT cavities or the mold can be paid for separately, lowering the individual PMT cavity piece price.  A moldmaker has to consider the cost and benefit for the PMT technology based on cavitation.  This is best for higher cavitation molds since the higher the number of cavities, the lower the cost to produce each cavity.

Depending upon the size and configuration of the cavity detail to be produced, feature tolerances of up to 15 microns are achievable.  In addition to repeatability of the cavities, high cavity definition can be achieved with PMT—fine details and sharp corners are easily produced.  This is possible because the impression of the master mold for the PMT cavity takes the green part shrinkage into account.  The part features in the master mold will be larger than those in the finished part, making them easier to machine.  Also, the mold impression will be opposite of the finished parts.  A recess in the final cavity is produced by a standing feature in the mold.  This external, standing feature can be machined with sharp corners.  This will translate into a sharp corner feature in the finished cavity, unlike conventional machining on a cavity, which can be limited based on machine cutter radius or EDM overburn.

SOURCE: MOLDMAKING TECHNOLOGY
 

NOVEMBER 2011

Nov. 1-2 -- Plastics in Underground Pipes 2011, Houston
Nov. 1-3 -- Chem Show 2011, New York
Nov. 1-3 -- Rotoplas 2011, Rosemont, Ill.
Nov. 2-3 -- New England Design-2 Part Show, Marlborough, Mass.
Nov. 7-9 -- Packaging Summit 2011, Atlanta
Nov. 7-9 -- Plastics in Lightweight & Electric Vehicles North American Conference, Livonia, Mich.
Nov. 7-18 -- RJG Master Molder II, Traverse City, Mich.
Nov. 9 -- SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Gala, Livonia, Mich.
Nov. 14-15 -- Siding 2011, Charlotte, N.C.
Nov. 16-17 -- IMLCON & IMDCON 2011, Phoenix
Nov. 16-17 -- Southern Texas Design-2 Part Show, Houston
Nov. 30-Dec. 1 -- Minerals in Compounding 2011, Atlanta
 

Density and specific gravity are used interchangeably, which is formally incorrect. The difference is the following: density is mass per unit volume of a material at 73°F (23°C); specific gravity is the mass of a given volume of material at 73°F (23°C) divided by an equal volume of water at the same temperature. The conversion is: density = specific gravity X 0.99756. The often used English term "relative density" has the same meaning as "specific gravity.
 

Since the 1980s, the SPE Engineering Properties & Structure Division (EPSDIV) has sponsored the John O’Toole Memorial Award for the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Paper presented at ANTEC. This globally recognized $1,000 (US) award is generously funded by The Honeywell Corporation in memory of its Allied Chemical employee John O’Toole.

EPSDIV invites undergraduates to submit papers for presentation at ANTEC 2012 in Orlando. A committee of EPSDIV members will review these papers and the finalists will be incorporated into the ANTEC podium presentation schedule.

To be considered for the O’Toole Award, students should follow the same rules and observe the same deadlines for all ANTEC papers. Additionally, for EPSDIV panel review, students should mail a separate copy of the paper directly to Dr. Daniel Liu, Exponent, Inc., 17000 Science Drive, Suite 200, Bowie, MD 20715 USA. All entries must include contact information for the student(s) and the faculty advisor who supervised the work.

Questions should be directed to Steve Driscoll at U-Mass Lowell

The ability of a material to return to its original state after deformation: the yield point is not exceeded: elastic behavior. Plastics in general respond elastically. If a material’s yield point is exceeded when stressed, it does not return to its original state after removal of the stress: permanent deformation by plastic behavior. Plasticity is the inverse of elasticity. Another way of explaining this is the following. During the first part of the pulling process in the tensile test, both tensile stress and tensile strain continue to increase, and in proportion. When this takes place, the material acts like a spring, and is said to have elastic behavior. Some materials – such as methacrylates – will be broken when they have been strained only a small amount, and while still showing essentially elastic behavior. Other materials – such as polycarbonates – can be stretched many times their original length before they break. The latter have a yield point, and a corresponding yield stress.

During the past few weeks I was in three different countries and five molding shops. I'm always asked to look at some problem. One of the first things I do when I'm in a molding shop is ask if the molder has the material spec sheet and if he is molding the material at the proper temperature.

Interestingly enough, each shop proudly showed me the technical data. Sadly, they all pointed to their machines, noted the temperature on the heaters and pronounced it to be the material's melt temperature. Really?

To read the complete article, CLICK HERE

NEWS AND LINKS
 

SPE GGS VIDEO LENDING LIBRARY	ANTEC INFORMATION PAGE	HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST
SPE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS	SPE ON-LINE STORE	SPE GGS TECH TOPICS ARCHIVE
SPE WEBINARS	SPE ON-LINE TECHNICAL LIBRARY	SPE FOUNDATION GRANTS
SPE GGS EDUCATION CORNER	PLASTICS  RECYCLING RESEARCH LAB	BAY AREA LOWELL ALUMNI

The on-line version of the SPE GGS Spearhead is published 10 times a year. All rights are reserved. Errors and omissions are regrettable and will be corrected if possible. We reserve the right to edit any submissions. No form of this newsletter may be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the SPE GGS. To submit articles, information, corrections, or additions to the on-line Spearhead, contact spearhead@spe-ggs.org.