In this Plastics Industry Pulse, we will examine how thermoforming popularity compares by industry and why that matters. New to thermoforming? Thermoforming involves heating a plastic sheet to a pliable temperature and shaping it to a mold using air or vacuum pressure (or a combination of both). It is then cooled, removed from the mold, and trimmed. Secondary operations can then be performed. Learn more about thermoforming here.
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In this Plastics Industry Pulse, we’ll ask some questions about the 2019-2020 Annual Report data on changes in process popularity, with a special eye on injection molding.
Did you know: This is the sixth year that we’ve collected data on Process Popularity in the Plastics Industry.
Looking back on previous years as a comparison, this year’s data demonstrates a marked change in the popularity of injection molding. Over the last four years, respondents have indicated a growing interest in injection molding (59% in 2015, growing to 73% last year), while this year it took a 38% year-over-year dip to plunge to only 45%. Time will tell if this is just a statistical anomaly or if this represents an ongoing trend.
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In this Plastics Industry Pulse, we’ll examine the issue of recyclability as it relates to the plastics industry, while also considering overall trends in the industry in terms of production.