From day one of the concept of this book (about 1941), our objective has been to make the elearest possible statements about the thinking processes which go into the good design of a mold. CarefuHy chosen illustrations show the rational process. Recommendations are made to maximize the effectiveness. Basically, the design of a mold is only one-third of the team effort in producing a particular plastic part. The best molder in the world will be handicapped by a badly designed or a badly made mold. The best mold maker in the world cannot make a good mold from a bad design. The best design in the world will only be the best when the mold is weH made and operated by a knowledgeable molder. Being right the first time is, or should be, the prime objective of any mold designer. In the 1930's and 40's, it seemed every mold was an "invention. " A 1500 ton compression press was a "monster. " There were few design guidelines except the expertise of those toolmakers who had to use my designs. Fortunately for me, when a problem arose, my immediate mentor simply said, "Wayne, you designed it-go take care of the problem. " The comments of those toolmakers were not always complimentary.

I am pleased to present the Fifth Edition of the Plastics Engineering Handbook. Last published in 1976, this version of the standard industry reference on plastics processing incorporates the numerous revisions and additions necessitated by 14 years of activity in a dynamic industry. At that last printing, then-SPI President Ralph L. Harding, Jr. anticipated that plastics pro duction would top 26 billion pounds in 1976 (up from 1.25 billion in 1947, when the First Edition of this book was issued). As I write, plastics production in the United States had reached almost 60 billion pounds annually. Indeed, the story of the U.S. plastics industry always has been one of phenomenal growth and unparalleled innovation. While these factors make compilation of a book such as this difficult, they also make it necessary. Thus I acknowledge all those who worked to gather and relate the information included in this 1991 edition and thank them for the effort it took to make the Plastics Engineering Handbook a definitive source and invaluable tool for our industry. Larry L. Thomas President The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.

A comprehensive reference on the properties, selection, processing, and applications of the most widely used nonmetallic engineering materials. Section 1, General Information and Data, contains information applicable both to polymers and to ceramics and glasses. It includes an illustrated glossary, a collection of engineering tables and data, and a guide to materials selection. Sections 2 through 7 focus on polymeric materials--plastics, elastomers, polymer-matrix composites, adhesives, and sealants--with the information largely updated and expanded from the first three volumes of the Engineered Materials Handbook. Ceramics and glasses are covered in Sections 8 through 12, also with updated and expanded information. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This third edition has been written to thoroughly update the coverage of injection molding in the World of Plastics. There have been changes, including extensive additions, to over 50% of the content of the second edition. Many examples are provided of processing different plastics and relating the results to critiCal factors, which range from product design to meeting performance requirements to reducing costs to zero-defect targets. Changes have not been made that concern what is basic to injection molding. However, more basic information has been added concerning present and future developments, resulting in the book being more useful for a long time to come. Detailed explanations and interpretation of individual subjects (more than 1500) are provided, using a total of 914 figures and 209 tables. Throughout the book there is extensive information on problems and solutions as well as extensive cross referencing on its many different subjects. This book represents the ENCYCLOPEDIA on IM, as is evident from its extensive and detailed text that follows from its lengthy Table of CONTENTS and INDEX with over 5200 entries. The worldwide industry encompasses many hundreds of useful plastic-related computer programs. This book lists these programs (ranging from operational training to product design to molding to marketing) and explains them briefly, but no program or series of programs can provide the details obtained and the extent of information contained in this single sourcebook.

The handbook explains in plain terms why moldings shrink and warp, shows how additives and reinforcements change the picture, sets out the effect of molding process conditions, and tells why you never can have a single ""correct"" shrinkage value. But that's not all. The handbook shows how to alleviate the problem by careful design of the molded part and the mold and by proper material selection. It also examines computer-aided methods of forecasting shrinkage and warpage. And most important of all, the handbook gives you the data you need to work with.This is the most complete collection of shrinkage data ever made and includes an extensive compilation of hard-to-find multi-point information on how processing, part design, mold design, material and post mold treatment affect the part's final dimensions. Manufacturers' figures for thousands of grades, along with an exhaustive search of magazines, journals, conference papers, books, web sites and brochures combine to make this a powerful resource.A lot depends on a dimensionally correct molding. Quality, speed to market, profit margins for the molder and toolmaker, the efficiency of secondary and assembly operations, reputation; all these are on the line. The Mold Shrinkage and Warpage Handbook is the book for people who have to live with shrinkage and warpage. It is the only book for people who have to commit themselves.

For some time there has been a strong need in the plastic and related industries for a detailed, practical book on designing with plastics and composites (reinforced plastics). This one-source book meets this criterion by clearly explaining all aspects of designing with plastics, as can be seen from the Table of Contents and Index. It provides information on what is ahead as well as today's technology. It explains how to interrelate the process of meeting design performance requirements with that of selecting the proper plastic and manufacturing process to make a product at the lowest cost. This book has been prepared with an awareness that its usefulness will depend greatly upon its simplicity. The overall guiding premise has therefore been to provide all essential information. Each chapter is organized to best present a methodology for designing with plastics and composites. of industrial designers, whether in engineering This book will prove useful to all types or involved in products, molds, dies or equipment, and to people in new-product ventures, research and development, marketing, purchasing, and management who are involved with such different products as appliances, the building industry, autos, boats, electronics, furniture, medical, recreation, space vehicles, and others. In this handbook the basic essentials of the properties and processing behaviors of plastics are presented in a single source intended to be one the user will want to keep within easy reach.

This comprehensive book provides guidelines for maximizing plastics proc essing efficiency in the manufacture of all types of products, using all types of plastics. A practical approach is employed to present fundamental, yet comprehensive, coverage of processing concepts. The information and data presented by the many tables and figures interrelate the different variables that affect injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, thermoforming, compression molding, reinforced plastics molding, rotational molding, re action injection molding, coining, casting, and other processes. The text presents a great number of problems pertaining to different phases of processing. Solutions are provided that will meet product per formance requirements at the lowest cost. Many of the processing variables and their behaviors in the different processes are the same, as they all in volve basic conditions of temperature, time, and pressure. The book begins with information applicable to all processes, on topics such as melt soft ening flow and controls; all processes fit into an overall scheme that re quires the interaction and proper control of systems. Individual processes are reviewed to show the effects of changing different variables to meet the goal of zero defects. The content is arranged to provide a natural progres sion from simple to complex situations, which range from control of a sin gle manual machine to simulation of sophisticated computerized processes that interface with many different processing functions.

This volume focuses on the practical application of processes for manufacturing plastic products. It includes information on design for manufacturability (DFM), material selection, process selection, dies, molds, and tooling, extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, lamination, rotational molding, casting, foam processing, compression and transfer molding, fiber reinforced processing, assembly and fabrication, quality, plant engineering and maintenance, management.

Plastics have become increasingly important in the products used in our society, ranging from housing to packaging, transportation, business machines and especially in medicine and health products. Designing plastic parts for this wide range of uses has become a major activity for designers, architects, engineers, and others who are concerned with product development. Because plastics are unique materials with a broad range of proper ties they are adaptable to a variety of uses. The uniqueness of plastics stems from their physical characteristics which are as different from metals, glasses, and ceramics as these materials are different from each other. One major concern is the design of structures to take loads. Metals as well as the other materials are assumed to respond elastically and to recover completely their original shape after the load is removed. Based on this simple fact, extensive litera ture on applied mechanics of materials has been developed to enable designers to predict accurately the performance of structures under load. Many engineers depend on such texts as Timoshenko's Strength of Materials as a guide to the performance of structures. Using this as a guide, generations of engineers have designed economical and safe structural parts. Unfortunately, these design principles must be modified when designing with plastics since they do not respond elastically to stress and undergo permanent deformation with sus tained loading.

Handbook of Thermoplastic Elastomers, Second Edition presents a comprehensive working knowledge of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), providing an essential introduction for those learning the basics, but also detailed engineering data and best practice guidance for those already involved in polymerization, processing, and part manufacture. TPEs use short, cost-effective production cycles, with reduced energy consumption compared to other polymers, and are used in a range of industries including automotive, medical, construction and many more. This handbook provides all the practical information engineers need to successfully utilize this material group in their products, as well as the required knowledge to thoroughly ground themselves in the fundamental chemistry of TPEs. The data tables included in this book assist engineers and scientists in both selecting and processing the materials for a given product or application. In the second edition of this handbook, all chapters have been reviewed and updated. New polymers and applications have been added — particularly in the growing automotive and medical fields — and changes in chemistry and processing technology are covered. - Provides essential knowledge of the chemistry, processing, properties, and applications for both new and established technical professionals in any industry utilizing TPEs - Datasheets provide "at-a-glance" processing and technical information for a wide range of commercial TPEs and compounds, saving readers the need to contact suppliers - Includes data on additional materials and applications, particularly in automotive and medical industries