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Plastics Technology covers technical and business information for Plastics Processors in Injection Molding, Extrusion, Blow Molding, Plastic Additives, and more.

In PVC extrusion, screws and barrels are not merely consumable components — they are powerful assets for improving susta...
06/01/2026

In PVC extrusion, screws and barrels are not merely consumable components — they are powerful assets for improving sustainability performance.

PVC is a notoriously demanding material. Its formulations often contain fillers, stabilizers, and additives that make processing both corrosive and abrasive. Wear manifests not only as dimensional loss and reduced output, but as higher energy consumption as machines work harder to maintain performance. Replacement-heavy strategies are increasingly incompatible with sustainability and budgetary goals.

Rethinking component design changes that equation:

- Advanced materials such as Nitralloy offer harder surfaces and improved wear resistance, eliminating chrome plating and extending service life
- Worn conical twin barrels can be machined and restored using bimetallic treatments, preserving the housing and reducing raw material consumption
- Parallel twin barrels lend themselves to relining — restoring tight clearances at a fraction of the environmental and financial cost of replacement

Refurbishing and relining barrels represent an immediate, actionable step that aligns operational efficiency with fiscal and environmental responsibility.

Read the full analysis to understand how screw and barrel design decisions affect the sustainability profile of PVC extrusion operations. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/sustainability-challenges-in-pvc-processing-how-screws-and-barrels-contribute

Resin pricing volatility and economic uncertainty defined what plastics professionals were reading this spring.Shipping ...
05/29/2026

Resin pricing volatility and economic uncertainty defined what plastics professionals were reading this spring.

Shipping disruptions in the Middle East and the Iranian conflict's impact on global energy and feedstock trade drove sharp upward price trajectories across commodity resins — and readers took notice, making resin pricing columns the most-read content of the period.

Alongside pricing and economics, the most-read topics spanned the full breadth of plastics processing:

- Early DFM decisions that define injection molding success
- Non-return valve repeatability and shot-mass study methodology
- AI agents in simulation-driven plastics workflows
- Best practices for highly filled compounds on co-rotating twin-screw extruders
- Why process data leads dashboards — not the other way around
- Gardner Business Index tracking Q1 and Q2 plastics processing momentum

The breadth of interest reflects an industry managing simultaneous pressures: material cost exposure, process optimization, and the integration of emerging analytical tools.

A full ranking of the most-read Plastics Technology content from this period is available at the link below. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/icymi-may-2026-roundup

Closures and fitments play a critical role in sustainable flexible packaging. Brands face mounting pressure to improve e...
05/27/2026

Closures and fitments play a critical role in sustainable flexible packaging. Brands face mounting pressure to improve environmental performance across films, multi-layer structures and components including caps and spouts.

These parts must support recyclability and material reduction while preserving reliable sealing, controlled dispensing and efficient operation on high-speed lines.

Engineered closure design advances these goals through five key outcomes:
- Reduced material consumption via optimized resin use and structural efficiency
- Improved recyclability through mono-material alignment and simplified recovery
- Enhanced manufacturing efficiency with faster cycles and lower scrap
- Broader adoption of flexible formats through better functionality
- Protection of product integrity to limit waste

Material optimization, lightweighting, design for recycling and injection molding adjustments provide the engineering framework. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/engineering-better-closures-sustainable-designs-in-flexible-packaging

Polyolefins face highest price hikes due to the Iranian conflict’s disruption of global energy, feedstock and resin trad...
05/25/2026

Polyolefins face highest price hikes due to the Iranian conflict’s disruption of global energy, feedstock and resin trade flows.

Going into May, the continued conflict with Iran and stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz continued to significantly impact global resin trade flows as supplies of energy and petrochemical feedstocks remained impeded.

- PE prices rose the full 30¢/lb in April, with suppliers seeking another 20¢/lb for May.
- PP suppliers targeted non-monomer increases of 4-10¢/lb alongside PGP contract settlements.
- Plastic additives used in polyolefin formulations saw increases of as much as 25% as of April 1.

Consultants from RTi, OPIS’ PetroChemWire, Resintel and other firms note that nearly half of global ethylene and PE supply disruption may persist through year-end. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/june-2026-upward-price-trajectory-for-the-five-commodity-resins-continues

Plastic packaging displaced other materials across brands and markets because it was often the best choice for form, fun...
05/20/2026

Plastic packaging displaced other materials across brands and markets because it was often the best choice for form, functionality, performance, and aesthetics. From a carbon footprint standpoint, it remains a clear winner when weight and the ability to preserve foodstuffs are compared with alternatives.

Many packaging designs are now being reassessed through a sustainability lens, with particular attention to end-of-life challenges for polymers.

PT Tech Days: Sustainable Packaging brings together voices from across the supply chain to examine these issues. Presentations include:

- Reframing Sustainability: Where Compliance Meets Competitive Advantage by Heather Turner of Dow
- Design for Reality: Bridging the Gap Between Polymer Science and Recycling Infrastructure by Kristoffer Stokes of Geisys Ventures
- Building the Business Case for Sustainability by Kristin Edie of Charter Next Generation

Register for the free online event on June 3 to hear how leaders are positioning polymers as the sustainable choice. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/selling-plastics-packagings-sustainability-story

Compounding highly filled polyolefin compounds with mineral filler contents of 70-80% by weight requires careful managem...
05/18/2026

Compounding highly filled polyolefin compounds with mineral filler contents of 70-80% by weight requires careful management of air entrainment and venting in twin-screw extruders.

High free-volume extruders with a Do/Di ratio of 1.65 or higher support increased throughput while accommodating the low polymer content and reduced torque demands of these formulations.

Effective processing depends on controlled side-feeder operation and targeted venting strategies. Key practices include placing loss-in-weight feeders close to side-feeder hoppers with flexible sleeves to limit aeration, running side-feeder screws slowly to reduce air intake, and positioning back and front vents around axially open screw sections.

- Use wide kneading blocks with 30- or 60-degree staggering angles after side feeders to improve filler incorporation and prevent vent flooding.
- Adjust filler distribution across main feed and side feeders based on bulk density, moisture, and viscosity to avoid agglomeration.
- Install a melt pump rated for high-filler compounds to decouple pressure build-up from the die and reduce discharge temperature.

These steps address vent blocking and ensure homogeneous dispersion without altering the polymer matrix. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/how-to-produce-highly-filled-compounds-on-co-rotating-twin-screw-extruders

Shot-mass repeatability studies can distinguish non-return valve wear from the effects of machine settings.A shot-mass r...
05/16/2026

Shot-mass repeatability studies can distinguish non-return valve wear from the effects of machine settings.

A shot-mass repeatability study measures consistency in melt delivery during injection molding. This metric directly influences process repeatability, dimensional stability and product quality. Variations in part weight may appear to indicate a worn non-return valve when machine parameters are the actual source.

Key settings that affect results include back pressure, decompression amount and speed, screw rotation speed, melt temperature stability and shot-size-to-barrel-capacity ratio. Recommended starting points are 500-1,000 psi back pressure and 0.1-0.3 inch of linear decompression. Screw rotation should finish 2-4 seconds before mold opening.

Acceptable shot-weight variation depends on machine type: less than 0.5 percent for all-electric units, less than 0.8 percent for servo-hydraulic units and less than 1.5 percent for older machines. Experiments that alter only decompression show how excess decompression can draw air into the barrel and produce unacceptable variation.

A properly designed study, using velocity-to-pressure transfer with pack-and-hold pressures set to zero, allows molders to interpret data accurately. This approach prevents unnecessary valve replacements and unplanned downtime while confirming whether front-end components are functioning within specification. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/non-return-valve-repeatability-worn-components-or-faulty-process-parameters

Process cooling starts with one critical piece of equipment: the chiller.But how does it actually work? This quick guide...
05/15/2026

Process cooling starts with one critical piece of equipment: the chiller.

But how does it actually work? This quick guide from Thermal Care breaks it down—from circulating coolant through your process to removing heat via a refrigeration cycle and sending it back out to keep temperatures in check.

If you’re looking to better understand heat transfer, improve efficiency or tighten process control, this is a solid place to start: https://www.ptonline.com/kc/process-cooling/basics/how-does-a-chiller-work?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=auto&utm_medium=social

PTXPO’s fourth edition came off despite wild weather and world events.On-site attendance was up 25% over the 2025 event ...
05/08/2026

PTXPO’s fourth edition came off despite wild weather and world events.

On-site attendance was up 25% over the 2025 event and the strongest registration of any edition of the show. In addition to the latest technologies and services, the plastics industry’s resilience and adaptability were on display at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, March 17-19.

Exhibiting suppliers talked about some customer reluctance to invest in the face of lingering economic and political uncertainty. As they try to navigate ever-changing tariff tides among other issues, plastics processors resolved to move forward with upgrades despite the tumult around them.

The show continues to evolve and add new elements, including:
- The Materials Symposium
- Pellet-to-Part Series
- Women in Plastics Breakfast
- Student outreach with formal tours for area schools and informal visits like Ferris State University’s Plastics Engineering Technology program

The uncertainty of the moment remains, but so do the opportunities. Watch PT’s channels for updates on the technologies and trends that were on display at the show. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/through-wind-snow-and-world-news

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