Hanser Publications

This book introduces the reader to the concepts of Scientific Molding and Scientific Processing for Injection Molding, geared towards developing a robust, repeatable, and reproducible (3Rs) molding process. It explains the underlying principles of polymer science: the properties that are important to injection molding and their application to molding process development. The effects of polymer morphology, thermal transitions, drying, and rheology on the injection molding process are explained in detail. The development of a robust molding process is broken down into two sections: the Cosmetic Process and the Dimensional Process. Scientific molding procedures to establish a 3R process are provided.

The concept of Design of Experiments (DOEs) for and in injection molding is explained, giving insight into the cosmetic and dimensional process windows. A plan to release qualified molds into production with troubleshooting tips is also provided. Topics that impact a robust process such as the use of regrind, mold cooling, and venting are also described.

Readers will be able to utilize the knowledge gained from the book in their day-to-day operations immediately.

This third edition includes a completely new subchapter covering melt preparation, as well as much additional, revised, and updated material throughout the book. The revisions are deeply informed by the author’s long and ongoing experience as a trainer, resulting in improved ways to conduct a study, perform experiments, or explain a concept.

Data Science, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI are currently some of the most talked-about concepts in industry, government, and society, and yet also the most misunderstood. This book will clarify these concepts and provide you with practical knowledge to apply them:

- Understand crucial data science concepts, from statistics and mathematics to legal and ethical considerations.

- Learn how to build data platforms and deploy safe and robust data projects to production.

- Gain the vocabulary to communicate technical requirements and roadmaps to diverse business stakeholders.

- Dive into practical case studies that illustrate how knowledge generated from data is changing various industries over the long term.

The team of authors consists of data experts from business and academia, including data scientists, engineers, business leaders and legal experts. Their broad, deep guide to all aspects of working with data and AI includes:

- Machine Learning Fundamentals: Foundations of mathematics and statistics, plus common frameworks for applying ML in practice: from statistical ML to neural networks, Transformers and AutoML

- Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision: How to extract valuable insights from text, images and video data, and put it to use in real world applications

- Foundation Models and Generative AI: Understand the strengths, challenges, and practical considerations for working with generative models for text, image, video, and other types of data

- Modeling and Simulation: Model the behavior of complex systems and do a What-If analysis covering different scenarios

- Data Science, ML and AI in production: How can you use cloud and database technologies and MLOps to turn experimentation into a working data product?

- Talking about Data: Communication and presentation skills for effective data teams and innovative business leaders

- Building Safe, Responsible AI: Best practices in ML Security; safeguarding generative AI models from attack; and how to adhere to GDPR, CCPA, and the new AI act

All authors are members of the Vienna Data Science Group (VDSG), an NGO that aims to establish a platform for exchanging knowledge on the application of data science, AI and Machine Learning and raising awareness of the opportunities and potential risks of these technologies.

This book closes a fundamental gap in the field of mold design. The use of injection molding coatings extends the technical possibilities in the field of plastics production, such as the achievable flow path length, the use of abrasive and corrosive plastics, and the achievable tool life. This possibility of functionalization has so far been somewhat neglected due to a lack of available information on the state of the art and possible applications. This book therefore brings together the available knowledge of various experts in a way that is understandable for engineering students and tool and mold makers.

The book covers the individual steps of coating technologies. First, the steel materials that are mainly used for the construction of tools in plastics processing are presented. This is followed by the current status of the various coating technologies. The existing coating technologies are presented and characterized with regard to their suitability for use in tool technology in the plastics processing environment. The third part deals with the characterization of the deposited coatings. On the one hand, the focus is on the characterization of the actual coating, such as chemical composition, coating layout and coating thickness. Secondly, the measurement methods for determining the functional properties of the deposited coatings, such as hardness and wear resistance, thermal properties, thermal conductivity and tribological properties, are presented. Finally, the use of appropriate coatings is illustrated using practical examples from plastics technology.

"Practical Rubber Rheology and Dynamic Properties" provides a unique overview of rubber rheology from a practical perspective. Written by expert authors with many years of experience in the rubber industry, it focuses on applications of rubber rheology testing to solving industrial problems, rubber compound development, predicting changes in processability in the plant, quality assurance, and research and development. However, basic principles are also covered.

Aimed at practitioners in the rubber industry, this book promotes understanding of the material to support efficient production of the high-quality rubber products demanded in today's market. It is also suitable for students and their instructors on rubber courses taught in universities.

This is the first book focusing on the subject of injection mold sampling.

A standardized, structured, and systematic procedure for sampling injection molds is essential for a successful injection molding process. This work provides everything you need to know, guiding you from the placing of an order for a mold sampling to the transfer to series production. With the complete sequence of the individual sampling steps, lots of background information, notes, practical examples and tips, and a colorful, well-illustrated design, the sampling procedure is conveyed in a reader-friendly way.

The main topics covered are the structured procedure of a mold sampling, taking into account energy efficiency, documentation, and communication; a mold sampling analysis; optimum machine setup using strategic procedures and methods on the injection molding machine; process optimization with subsequent investigation of process capability; and a Run@Rate process.

This book is ideally suited for practical users working at the injection molding machine as well as serving as a textbook at vocational schools, further education institutions, and universities.

In plastics technology, a wide variety of computer programs are used for the design and optimization of molded plastic parts and for mold design. These programs calculate the filling process, the holding pressure phase, and the cooling phase of the molded part in the mold. The results include, for example, pressures, temperatures, weld/knit lines, and voids. The shrinkage and warpage behavior of the molded part can also be predicted. Understanding and interpreting these simulation results is not trivial, although they are colorful representations with numerical values. Regardless of whether one has many years of experience as a designer, a mold maker, or an injection molder, or whether one is in training or studying, simulation is becoming increasingly important. For this reason, experts who know how to use these programs correctly are increasingly sought after in the market.

This book is intended to expand readers’ specialist knowledge in the field of simulation, thereby increasing their ability to recognize and avoid molding errors at an early stage. Readers will also learn to draw the right conclusions from the simulation results and develop their own solutions.

More than half of all injection molded plastic parts can be produced more cost-effectively and with better tolerances using foam injection molding compared to traditional compact injection molding.

For the part designer, the focus is on the functionality of the molded part, not on the plastic-compatible design, which is precisely what compact injection molding requires. This book describes the necessary fundamentals of physical foam injection molding, clearly illustrated by means of detailed, industrially proven examples to show the technology’s potential. Machine and mold technology are also explained in detail, and polymers suitable for the process are discussed. The focus is always on the question of whether the potential of physical foam injection molding has already been exhausted or whether it is emerging as a second standard process alongside compact injection molding.

The experienced authors make it possible to look beyond the end of one’s nose. The reader can see which plastic parts can be converted from compact to foam injection molding, and is encouraged to rethink the part design. With this book, specialists are able to examine an application for their own company and analyze it with regard to its economic implementation. However, the book also shows the clear limitations of this technology.

Practical and easy to understand, this book describes the injection molding process and the settings of the injection molding machine to produce high-quality injection molded parts. It is intended as a guide for the machine operator and provides clear instructions for process optimization.

How exactly does injection molding work? How do you set up the machine optimally? How do you produce a high-quality injection molded part? The book conveys all of this in an easy-to-understand form.

The common special processes are described in detail and the necessary additional physical principles are explained. The chapter “Optimization of Quality” describes how quality can be documented and which tools are available for quality optimization. This also includes artificial intelligence (SPC, EVOP). The ever-more important topic of sustainability is also covered in a separate chapter.

This book provides a structured methodology and scientific basis for engineering injection molds. The topics are presented in a top-down manner, beginning with introductory definitions and the big picture before proceeding to layout and detailed design of molds. The book provides very pragmatic analysis with worked examples that can be readily adapted to real-world product design applications. It will help students and practitioners to understand the inner workings of injection molds and encourage them to think outside the box in developing innovative and highly functional mold designs.

Injection molding continues to be a core plastics manufacturing process, but now has competition from additive manufacturing for certain applications, and environmental concerns are in the spotlight. The 3rd edition addresses these issues, in particular with a new chapter on mold manufacturing strategy to provide an overview of the most common machining and additive manufacturing processes with cost and time models to guide the manufacturing strategy; updated and simplified break-even cost models to assist in the mold layout design (number of cavities and type of mold) vs. 3D printing; a new section on environmental concerns include mold design for recycled resins; and updates to the International Tolerance standards, and the new technology and simulation sections.

This book creates a new perspective on the design of plastic parts. In many books there is a strong focus on the material, the material properties, and the calculation or dimensioning. What is often not taken into account is that very many plastic components only have to withstand low loads; in very many applications, the focus is on the actual design. This requires a good understanding of the injection molds that must be built to produce the plastic components. Depending on the design of the injection molded component, these molds become more complex and more prone to failure during production.

The complex process of manufacturing a plastic part becomes holistically understandable as a link is created between the molder, the mold maker, and the part designer. The focus is on injection molds and therefore on thermoplastics. 

Everything that is necessary for the design and manufacture of an injection molded component is presented in a simple, extremely practical manner and limited to the essentials. Many descriptive pictures as well as examples based on the demonstration component "Polyman" facilitate the understanding enormously.

Single-screw or twin-screw extruder? When the need to produce a homogeneous polymer melt occurs in the industrial environment, both product attributes and equipment cost must be evaluated. For many applications both the single and twin-screw extruder will produce the desired homogeneous melt needed to form the product through an extrusion die. Some applications such as dispersive mixing of solids in a polymer matrix are best accomplished in a twin-screw extruder. On the other hand, applications involving chemical reactions, color concentrate distributive mixing, and in line polymer-polymer distributive mixing can be accomplished with either device.

However, for the same production rate, twin-screw extruders are generally more expensive than single-screw extruders with a diameter less than 200 mm. Therefore, a thorough understanding is needed for the concepts of solids conveying, melting, and mixing for the two types of extruders to make appropriate process acquisition decisions. This book covers engineering and technology concepts that should aid the practitioner in comparing these two types of extrusion equipment relative to process requirements.

This book offers an up-to-date, platform-independent introduction to injection molding simulation, which plays a very important role in the design of molds and molded parts as well as process development and optimization. The content is structured and conveyed within an engineering framework. Complicated mathematical derivations are avoided as far as possible.

The necessary environment of the injection molding simulation is illuminated alongside, so that the creation of a suitable simulation model, the knowledge of the model-specific limits, and the interpretation of the results are possible. Guidance is also provided regarding the interpretation of results so that they can be better evaluated quantitatively.

The book is designed as a textbook and thus is suitable to accompany courses covering injection molding simulation. The content is largely independent of any particular software package; however, introductory practice examples for Autodesk Moldflow Insight and Moldex3D are included as step-by-step instructions.

Data Science, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence are currently some of the most talked-about concepts in industry, government, and society, and yet also the most misunderstood. This book will clarify these concepts and provide you with practical knowledge to apply them. Featuring: 

- A comprehensive overview of the various fields of application of data science

- Case studies from practice to make the described concepts tangible

- Practical examples to help you carry out simple data analysis projects

The book approaches the topic of data science from several sides. Crucially, it will show you how to build data platforms and apply data science tools and methods. Along the way, it will help you understand - and explain to various stakeholders - how to generate value from these techniques, such as applying data science to help organizations make faster decisions, reduce costs, and open up new markets. Furthermore, it will bring fundamental concepts related to data science to life, including statistics, mathematics, and legal considerations. Finally, the book outlines practical case studies that illustrate how knowledge generated from data is changing various industries over the long term. 

Contains these current issues:

- Mathematics basics: Mathematics for Machine Learning to help you understand and utilize various ML algorithms.

- Machine Learning: From statistical to neural and from Transformers and GPT-3 to AutoML, we introduce common frameworks for applying ML in practice

- Natural Language Processing: Tools and techniques for gaining insights from text data and developing language technologies

- Computer vision: How can we gain insights from images and videos with data science?

- Modeling and Simulation: Model the behavior of complex systems, such as the spread of COVID-19, and do a What-If analysis covering different scenarios.

- ML and AI in production: How to turn experimentation into a working data science product?

- Presenting your results: Essential presentation techniques for data scientists

An injection mold is the heart of any plastics molding workcell. Understanding the principles of an injection mold design and its importance to a successful plastic part is fundamental to the success of the product. This book helps guide the designer, engineer, project manager, and production manager in making sure that the injection mold to be designed will work as intended.

This book will take the reader through the process of conceptualizing and designing an injection mold that will produce the desired plastic part. Since it all starts with the plastic part, the book will first focus on key features and details of the plastic part which are necessary for good mold design. The design of the main components of an injection mold will be discussed and good design practices will be shared. Finally the process of testing and gaining customer acceptance of the mold for production will be detailed. A comprehensive appendix and detailed drawings will provide the required detail for completing a mold design.

Powder bed-based additive manufacturing with polymers (PBF-P) has a special position in the world of 3D printing. On the one hand, the components are manufactured without support structures, and on the other hand, the property profile of the components is similar to that of series components, as is also known from injection molding, but with clear advantages in terms of component complexity.

In laser sintering (LS), individual component layers are fused with the aid of suitable laser radiation. In recent years, LS components have gained widespread use in industrial applications, so that today one can already speak of an established technology. Nevertheless, there are still many hurdles for LS to overcome in the future in order to free itself from the status of a niche technology. Material diversity and industry-compliant, quality-assurance measures are among the challenges to be mentioned here.

To this end, the second edition of this book sheds light on the current state of the art in terms of machine technology and process flow, and specifically on the requirements for the materials used. In addition, the following topics are presented:

- Implementation of LS in industrial process chains

- Status of international standardization

- Innovations in the field of LS materials

- Properties of LS components

- Selected application examples

The second edition has been updated throughout; in particular, the material and machine specifications have been extensively revised.

Plastics extrusion is one of the most important industrial processes worldwide. Over past decades, understanding of extrusion technologies has advanced by the global research efforts, but, due to the fact that the metal barrel hinders direct visualizations to be made by the naked eye, the “true” dynamic processing characteristics of extrusion processes remain unclear. Analytical attempts have thus been carried out either by indirect, static empirical approaches or theoretical mathematical analyses. None of them offer a realistic depiction of what takes place inside the barrel during an extrusion process. As such, the barrel can be considered as a “black-box”.

This book reveals the “true” dynamic extrusion processing characteristics, accumulated from years of research experience based on the novel visualization technique developed by Professor Zhu of the Beijing University of Chemical Technology. The qualitative discussions within provide not only insight into the scientific aspects of the subject, but also information of practical significance for those in the industry who need to perform process and hardware designs and optimizations.

Included are conventional mathematical representations of the single- and twin-screw extrusion technologies. This provides a comprehensive foundation for undergraduate courses in, e.g., plastics processing engineering. Other topics covered are specifically selected to provide a comprehensive technical and market-trend background to readers at all levels. The current status and future potential of sustainable and biodegradable polymers are also emphasized.

Biodegradable polymers (BDPs) based on renewable sources have been drawing scientific as well as industrial attention due to their potential to replace fossil derived polymers (FDPs) for a large number of applications. Furthermore, BDPs introduce the viability of bio-degradation at the end of their life cycle, thus reducing the environmental impact of most FDPs.

This book covers the basic properties of BDPs according to their classifications, the rheology of BDPs and their blends, and their numerous applications, with an emphasis on processing: As BDPs possess attractive attributes compared to FDPs (which is discussed in the book), their processing has been investigated using conventional processing technologies. However, BDPs are sensitive to the processing conditions due to their composition, which is tuned to bio-degradation. Hence, special attention has been directed to minimize the in-process degradation and enhance their final processed properties. To remedy some of the BDP processing shortcomings, special additives, fillers, and blends have been incorporated and developed with minimal effect on the BDPs’ bio-degradation rate. All of these aspects of BDP processing are considered in this book, including their characteristics in extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, and 3D printing, as well as the processing of recycled BDPs.

Plastics have a very important role to play in energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies of the present and future, but for them to be classified as sustainable materials, there is a great need for practical and economic recycling methods and infrastructure. This book fills the gap for a modern comprehensive technical guide to recycling of plastics, covering the whole value chain from raw materials to recycled materials.

All important recycling technologies (mechanical, chemical/feedstock, dissolution) are discussed and compared to each other and alternative disposal methods such as energy recovery and gasification. Collecting, sorting, and purification methods are also covered, as are economic, legal, and political aspects.

A strong emphasis is placed on data comparability, e.g. by standardized methods in measuring data. Although this is a challenge to implement, comparing data across technologies, regions, and stakeholders along the value chain yields important benefits. Key instruments for such a target are lifecycle assessments (LCAs), which are calculated in a standard way across the chapters to “calibrate“ the messages among the numerous expert co-authors.

This applications-oriented book describes the construction of an injection mold from the ground up. Included are explanations of the individual types of molds, components, and technical terms; design procedures; techniques, tips, and tricks in the construction of an injection mold; and pros and cons of various solutions.

Based on a plastic part ("bowl with lid") specially developed for this book, easily understandable text and many illustrative pictures and drawings provide the necessary knowledge for practical implementation. Step by step, the plastic part is modified and enhanced. The technologies and designs that are additionally needed for an injection mold are described by engineering drawings. Maintenance and repair, and essential manufacturing techniques are also discussed.

With full-color illustrations, this third edition builds on the success of the previous ones, with significantly expanded coverage of molding simulation, including many new figures, and updates and small corrections throughout the book.

Phase separation in polymer blends has achieved a tremendous techno-commercial importance. Most of the applications of polymer blends, such as tissue engineering, membrane technology, electromagnetic shielding, energy harvesting, structural materials, packaging, smart multiphase polymer coatings, depend on the morphologies developed during processing.

This book outlines the fundamental aspects of polymer blend thermodynamics, the state-of-the-art processing techniques for specific polymer blend systems currently in use, and the design and fabrication of multiphasic polymeric materials, which will present a multiplicity of opportunities in the water remediation, packaging, and electronic industries, to mention a few. It emphasizes recent research developments, processing techniques, characterization methods, factors influencing phase separation temperature in phase-separated, including partially miscible, polymer blends, and key research challenges in the development of phase-separated polymers materials.

With unique and systematic coverage of the journey from fundamentals to applications in polymer blends, this book is ideal for polymer scientists and engineers, material scientists, researchers, engineers, and under- and post-graduate students who are interested in this exciting field of research. It will help industrial researchers and R&D managers bring advanced phase-separated polymer materials/products to the market.  

Measurement uncertainty is an important component of modern materials analysis: it indicates the boundaries within which the test results can be trusted. Such results are necessary for understanding of, for example, material and product tolerances and lifetimes, vital for plastic product reliability and safety.

Determination of measurement uncertainty is normally quite laborious, but this book shows how the available interlaboratory test data for plastics can be used to calculate measurement uncertainty much more simply. It contains many interlaboratory test results in the fields of thermoanalysis, molar mass determination, and quantitative analysis of the composition of material, presented in tables and graphical charts, discussed in the text, and elaborated by practical examples.

In addition to the evaluation by means of the presented data (top-down approach), the relationship to the bottom-up approach specified in the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) is explained based on an example. Further sections deal with sampling, and the issue of whether or not the difference between analytical results is significant.

The validation of equipment, processes and methods is a basic requirement that nowadays has to be met in most industries. This handbook deals with the validation of computerized systems in general as well as with analytical method validation. The many detailed practical examples focus on thermal analysis of materials, such as plastics and rubber.

The handbook is intended for newcomers interested in the theoretical and regulatory aspects of validation and for thermal analysis practitioners who have to validate their equipment and methods.

This easy-to-understand guide provides the necessary information to implement a scientific molding program. It is a hands-on reference for people on the molding floor, including those previously lacking theoretical background or formal education.

The book covers how the injection molding machine prepares the plastic and understanding of plastic flow. The functions of the main machine components are explained and understanding of correct procedures and testing is developed. Each step of the process is clearly explained in a step-by-step manner, and simple examples of important calculations are provided. The practical approach is augmented by useful guides for troubleshooting and machine set-up. 

An Excel spreadsheet with a process test and a machine performance test is available as bonus material. The 2nd edition has various updates, improvements, and corrections throughout.

The demands for processing power, software, and communication are continuously increasing; in all industries and also in the automotive one. In vehicles, the need for higher data rates is driven by more electronic functions in general, but especially by ever more potent (camera) sensors, displays, and high performance ECUs.

This book provides a holistic view on new SerDes and Ethernet high-speed communication solutions for cars. It addresses core physical components such as cables, connectors, or PCB design, as well as physical layer processing, use-case-specific protocols, and the use cases as such. It is important to the authors not only to explain the technologies, but also to provide context and background in respect to various technical choices. The intent is to help readers understand the current eco-system end-to-end, whether they are new to the automotive industry or experts who want to deepen their understanding on specific items, whether they are working for a car manufacturer directly or any of the suppliers, whether they are already involved or evaluating to get involved.

This practical introductory guide to injection molding simulation is aimed at both practicing engineers and students. It will help the reader to innovate and improve part design and molding processes, essential for efficient manufacturing.

A user-friendly, case-study-based approach is applied, enhanced by many illustrations in full color. The book is conceptually divided into three parts:

Chapters 1–5 introduce the fundamentals of injection molding, focusing the factors governing molding quality and how molding simulation methodology is developed. As they are essential to molding quality, the rheological, thermodynamic, thermal, mechanical, kinetic properties of plastics are fully elaborated in this part, as well as curing kinetics for thermoset plastics.

Chapters 6–11 introduce CAE verification of design, a valuable tool for both part and mold designers toward avoiding molding problems in the design stage and to solve issues encountered in injection molding. This part covers design guidelines of part, gating, runner, and cooling channel systems. Temperature control in hot runner systems, prediction and control of warpage, and fiber orientation are also discussed.

Chapters 12–17 introduce research and development in innovative molding, illustrating how CAE is applied to advanced molding techniques, including co-/bi-Injection molding, gas-/water-assisted injection molding, foam injection molding, powder injection molding, resin transfer molding, and integrated circuit packaging.

The authors come from the creative simulation team at CoreTech System (Moldex3D), winner of the PPS James L. White Innovation Award 2015. Several CAE case study exercises for execution in the Moldex3D software are included to allow readers to practice what they have learned and test their understanding.

In the 2nd edition, the concept of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) in injection molding is introduced. In order to integrate molding simulation and injection machines, the workflow of machine response characterization is illustrated. By taking into account the real-world machine response, users can more accurately reflect the real-world manufacturing conditions in simulations. The optimized processing conditions obtained from the simulation can then be directly applied on the shop floor, bridging the gap between simulation and manufacturing. In addition, a new flow-fiber coupling model, i.e., the informed-isotropic (IISO) viscosity developed by Dr. Favaloro and Prof. Pipes of Purdue University, to simulate the anisotropic flow for fiber-reinforced thermoplastics is introduced. The IISO coupling is available to simulate some peculiar, irregular filling patterns for fiber-reinforced melts at high fiber concentrations: the free surface advances faster along the side cavity walls.

Reliable and meaningful methods of polymer testing are necessary to support the plastics industry, being essential for understanding material and part properties, and evaluating materials for a part design, with important implications for product safety as well as operating conditions and lifetime. This book covers all the most important testing methods, from long-established basic techniques to recent developments, including the latest polymer testing standards.

By means of examples for the optimization of materials as well as for the evaluation of part properties, an insight into modern polymer testing and its interdisciplinary character is provided.

Included in this third edition is an all-new chapter on the testing of polymer films; additionally, many small updates and corrections have been made throughout the book.

This book unites the two sides of additive manufacturing: 1) the technical aspect of 3D printing of very different materials and 2) the disruptive consequences for value chains between producers, intermediaries, and customers due to modern business models. This is because 3D printing breaks with many existing business models: companies take over functions from their previous suppliers (following the "do-it-yourself" trend), intermediaries lose their livelihood (so-called "disintermediation"), manufacturers move their production to decentralized locations (e.g., retailers, car dealerships, or hospitals, so-called "decentralized production"), and (end) customers become much more intensive "prosumers" than marketing (as creator of this term) could ever imagine.

The business models of many existing companies from very different industries are becoming toxic, i.e., threatening their very existence, as in logistics and warehousing, industry, services, retail, or customer service. Conversely, there are also many opportunities for modern, existence-securing business models, which the book discusses in more detail. In this way, this book not only shows to a broad range of readers the dangers of disruptive 3D printing technology, but also offers solution approaches and procedural models for identifying new economic livelihoods and competitive advantages. Thanks to the collaboration of the two authors, a profound knowledge of already existing references and management models can be drawn upon.