Gas-assisted injection molding saves weight and cuts cycle time. With new resin blends and attention to processing parameters the technique can produce high-gloss, high-strength parts, too.
Die casting produces parts that are stronger than plastic-injection-molded parts, resist and manage heat, have less manufacturing scrap, and contribute little to global warming.
Richard Goshgarian from Instron Corp. demonstrates the operation of a video extensometer, a destructive test for measuring plastic tensile strength. 5:45
Solar Power Industries Inc., Belle Vernon, Pa., used FEA software for a combined transient heat-transfer and CFD analysis that let the company reshape the hot zone of its “minicaster” — a miniature version of a directional solidification furnace that casts silicon ingots used in solar cells.
A stereolithography resin called ProtoCast AF19120 generated significantly less burnout ash when used to make casting patterns for key aerospace parts.
