Electroplating of plastics
There have been no significant developments in the surface treatment of metals for more than 60 years. Most of the developments concern chemicals and are aimed at meeting regulatory requirements and improving aesthetic properties. Meanwhile, manufacturing is evolving rapidly, new materials and component manufacturing methods are emerging, and new applications are demanding electrical properties and connectivity.
Smart plastics: how data intelligence is transforming production
The article discusses ways to boost production, meet environmental regulations and reduce costs with data-driven technology solutions. Data has become a key driver of manufacturing and efficiency, particularly in the plastics industry.
Plastics with metallic properties
Researchers at Dresden University of Technology (TUD) have developed a two-dimensional conducting polymer. The new type of polyaniline (2DPANI) has a special electrical conductivity and transmits charges like metals. The discovery opens up new possibilities for higher performance organic electronics.
New modified calcium carbonate types for polyamide and polycarbonate
Omya, a 140-year-old Swiss-based company, offers special mineral-based materials for the plastics industry. Several new products were launched at Fakuma 2024. Calcium carbonate is widely used as a filler for plastics, which in addition to improving mechanical properties also reduces costs.
Biobased additive from food by-products Olive kernel as additive
The Maltese company BioPowder was founded in 2017. Their mission is to recycle materials that become surplus as by-products in the food industry, especially in fruit processing. They don't want to use materials that are also suitable for food, so their products are mainly made from seeds and seed hulls that are waste after processing.
Latest news from digital manufacturing
Engel has developed a number of digital solutions for injection moulding companies, including a prototype of the EngelGPT language model integrated directly into the customer portal, where all machine and process data is available directly in the plant by human voice.
