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Plastics Technology
Development of large-part low-pressure injection molding started with the structural foam process decades ago and evolved. Counter pressure and co-injection were early adaptations to improve surface finish. Gas assisted injection molding emerged as a method to produce large thin walled pieces with thicker structural ribs. The latest addition to the website is a collection of…
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About Steve Ham
Who is Steve Ham? Product DevelopmentMarketing Plan/Sales ImplementationStructural Plastics Process EnhancementSeminars and Workshops on Various Structural Plastics Technologies Structural Plastic and Continuous Improvement Production programs which suffer from problems will affect timing and degree of profit. Problem identification is essential in determining the cost and timing for various remedies. Good decisions can only be made…
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The Cars of Enzo Ferrari
No other marque evokes the imagination as does Ferrari. The very name stirs images of great racing drivers, historic racetracks, Hollywood movie stars, and millionaires. Over the past eighteen years, many wonderful Ferraris have graced the HMF show field, but 2025 was the first year when we will honored the marque and its creator with…
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Water Assisted Injection Molding
This fascinating technology isn’t right for every application. Here is a link to the story: WAM is up and running – Molding 2004 B
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BMW Art Cars
BMW was founded early in the twentieth century as an engine builder. Within a decade the company was building vehicles for enthusiasts seeking the “Ultimate Driving Experience”. Dodging bankruptcy several times in post WWII Europe, the company finally hit its stride in the late 1960’s with several beautiful and commercially successful “driver’s cars”. Riding on…
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Frank Lockhart- America’s Speed King
“From Boy Wonder to National Hero to Obscurity” For a brief twenty-three-month period from 1926 to 1928 a brilliant star came into view and then disappeared just as quickly. Frank Lockhart shocked the world and gained international fame with his phenomenal driving style and technical expertise. The Early Years Born in 1903 in Dayton Ohio…
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Best of the Structural Plastics Conferences 1974-2002
A selection of technical papers and applications from the Society of the Plastics Industries’ annual technical conferences 1974-2002. Over this thirty year period, the annual conference generated 727 white papers and displayed thousands of new applications. Here are some samples of the best of the best. We start with several design oriented papers: The following…
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Comparing the Various Structural Plastics Processes
Nitrogen assisted alternatives to high pressure injection molding of large pieces are explored- Structural Foam, Counterpressure, Gas Assist, and External Gas Molding. Plastic flow and resin shrinkage are considered. There is something about bubbles of nitrogen gas in molded plastic that assists with the process. Nitrogen gas is really a choice of convenience since it…
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China Clipper
In 1935 a very special airplane was commissioned by Pan American Airlines. On its first commercial flight it became the first trans-pacific airmail and passenger service. She was the China Clipper, the first of three M-130’s built. The mood of the country was in transition. The boom of the twenties had collapsed into the depression.…
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Cashiers Plastic Corporation
Cashiers Plastic was a leading custom molding manufacturer from 1969 to 2006. Located in an unlikely resort town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it provided a unique background for excellence. One Man’s Vision- Fifty Years On This is a story about the Cashiers community and how one man’s vision created opportunity for a whole generation…