This paper describes the development of the Injection Moulding Process Expert System (IMPRESS). The IMPRESS system diagnoses faults in injection moulding machinery which lead to dirt or other contamination appearing in the plastic mouldings which are produced. This KBS has recently been put into use at Plastic Engineers (Scotland) Ltd, and is proving useful both as an expert assistant when tech...

To blaze new trails for utilizing forestry processing residue, higher plant content biocomposites were proposed based on a combination of moso bamboo flour/silane KH550/high density polyethylene (HDPE), and the materials were characterized by diffractometry, spectroscopy, microscopy, and calorimetry. During surface modification, reactions between bamboo and silane occurred on the lignin aldehyd...

In order to investigate the mechanical properties of particulate reinforced polyethylene when using rotational moulding process, different mathematical models are used to predict the tensile properties. A series of micro-sized particles at various volume fractions are used as fillers for Liner MediumDensity Polyethylene (LMDPE) to verify those theoretical models. A comparison with the experimen...

The fabrication of microstructured surfaces using biological templates was investigated with the aim of exploring of a facile and low cost approach for the fabrication of structured surfaces with superhydrophobic properties. Two soft lithographic techniques, i.e., replica moulding and nano-imprinting, were used to replicate the surfaces of a biological substrate. Leaves of the Agave plant (Agav...

Glass-filled, toughened poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) resins can be readily moulded into highly impact-resistant structural parts for appliances and automotive components. The PET-based compounds are also suitable for construction (e.g. as structural members), equipment housings (e.g. printer and copier parts), agricultural applications (e.g. mower and tractor engine covers), materials han...

Continuous compression moulding (CCM) is an efficient process for manufacturing endless fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites, so called organic sheets. The semi-finished products are fully imp...