“Industry 4.0” and the Internet of Things
COVER STORY
Keeping Up with “Smarter” Machines
Driven by Industry 4.0, injection molding machines and their peripherals seek total integration
By Jan H. Schut
Data is Power in Dosing and Blending
Interconnected control systems and optimized data access can be used to improve process efficiency
By Jennifer Markarian
Foaming Up Nicely
Injection molded foams are worth their weight in resin savings, but they still have much room for improvement
By Jon Evans
CONSULTANT'S CORNER
The Incumbent Resin Effect for Single-Screw Extrusion of PE Resins
By Mark A. Spalding, Qian Gou Xiaofei Sun, and Qing Shi
INSIDE SPI
Five Regulatory Issues to Watch in 2016
News about the state of the plastics industry from SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association
TECHINICAL PAPERS
Technical Papers: 3-D Printing Filament Processing & Materials
Optimizing Precision & Productivity in Extruding 3-D Printing Filament
By Dave Czarnik
Improving PLA-Based Material for 3-D Printers Using Fused Deposition Modeling
By Saied H. Kochesfahani
Mineral fillers in PLA filament might open the door to high-quality personal desktop 3-D printing
Thermoplastic Composites Take Off in Aircraft Interiors
By Peggy Malnati
Plastics-Makers Help Drive Recycling Growth
By American Chemistry Council
Communication is the key for strengthening recycling efforts nationwide
DEPARTMENTS
Industry News
Industry Patents
By Dr. Roger Corneliussen
Energy-Saving Tip
By Dr. Robin Kent
Upcoming Industry Events
Market Place
Advertiser Index
About the cover:
Interconnectedness of molding machines, auxiliaries, and… everything—that’s the core of Industry 4.0/Internet of Things innovations; see our cover story (cover designed by SPE MarComm Team).
