The hot topic that has been in the news a lot lately has been the use of plastic. The visible pollution in our oceans receives widespread attention in all media. However, these reports tend to overlook the positive contributions that plastic does make. Energy, mobility, healthcare and the safety of our facilities are something to take into consideration. Here are 7 trends and technological developments in plastic technology:
- Sustainability
Society, with much reason, is calling for responsible and restricted use of finite resources. At Executool, by taking materials, production and specifications into account during the design phase of a product, we can improve the efficiency of the production process.
- Zero waste
To reduce the volume of waste that ends up in our natural environment, may plastics manufacturers strive towards zero-waste production. Production processes can be optimized with the help of newly developed digital tools. Th4ese make it possible to detect faults in products during the injection-molding process itself. In-line measurements and analysis systems are designed to realize a higher degree of quality assurance.
- Circular economy
Circular economy creates a wealth of opportunities and possibilities for the plastics industry. Soon, various machining manufacturers will present a wide range of technological solutions for the collection, sorting and processing of waste.
- Flexibility
There is a rising demand for practical solutions that reduce lead time. Some of these solutions include systems for rapid removal, adapter solutions and systems that can automatically detect the installed mold. More flexible production processes will ultimately lead to increased sustainability and reduced energy usage during the production of plastic products.
- Lightweight components
An effective way to reduce energy usage is to use light weight materials. Companies are now developing special injection-molding techniques for the large-scale production of lightweight components
- Biological basis
To meet the high expectations regarding sustainability matrices of thermoplastics, thermosets and polyurethane with a biological basis will be combined with synthetic or natural fibers.
- Digitization
Digitization is developing rapidly, which creates more opportunities for mold technology including information from processing conditions and temperature control. Developments in the field of IT result in better integration of the process flow and more transparency during production