http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/fuzzy-thinking-what-are-the-symptoms-of-menopause.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fuzzy-thinking-what-are-the-symptoms-of-menopause.html Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500
How often have you forgotten your car keys, right after you put them down? Or your reading glasses? Some women have 5 or 6 pairs of glasses because they just cannot keep track of them! Of course, this may not have anything to do with the symptoms of menopause, but very often it is one of the most common symptoms: fuzzy thinking.

Frequently, fuzzy thinking means that your body is trying to tell you that it is overburdened, stressed out and in need of some attention. The stresses of modern day living, with it's multi-tasking and endless bombardment of information can take a huge toll on your hormonal balance. This imbalance can cause the very annoying menopause symptom of fuzzy thinking.

What are the reasons for fuzzy thinking?

When the body is overburdened it automatically shuts down for a spell. It is just a simple matter of survival. Imagine a filing cabinet full of folders that keep getting more and more added until it is over-capacity. Add a lack of adequate rest, poor nutrition, too much caffeine, etc. and the stage is set for a period of fuzzy thinking.

During menopause it is normal for the hormones to slow down production. This can easily cause a hormonal imbalance that sets off the foggy, clouded thinking. Try as you might, something is just missing and you cannot focus or concentrate. This is because the necessary hormones are simply not there in adequate supply.

What can you do about fuzzy thinking?

First realize that, in all likelihood, your case is not so severe. Also, you can rest assured that there is almost always a great deal you can do on your own to help. Of course, very severe cases should be treated by a medical doctor.

One of the first places to look is your daily planner. If it is jam packed to the max with appointments and things to do you should find a way to change this. It may not be so easily done, but it can be done and will bring quick results.

Another likely suspect is your sleeping pattern. It does not take long for a chronic lack of sleep to do damage to the brain. There is no way around it: the human body requires adequate sleep and rest to function properly.

You might think that a lack of sleep has little effect on the brain, but many studies have shown a decreased ability to recall things from the short-term memory and an inability to process information for the long term memory. Not only that, but the ability to quickly react is affected by a lack of quality sleep.

Nutrition plays a huge role as well in preventing fuzzy thinking. A good example is to remember how it was to participate in a lengthy meeting on an empty stomach! Or the wasted feeling of too much sugar and caffeine, especially when it wears off!

On the other hand, having a healthy diet can work wonders for the body and mind. Good nutrition supplies the ingredients our bodies need to operate at their best. Taking a quality vitamin/mineral supplement is also good advice.

What are the symptoms of menopause is a series of articles dealing with the many symptoms of menopause. Fuzzy thinking is one of the most common menopause symptoms, and one of the easiest to do something about on your own.

--
Safe Menopause Relief and Family Stress and Healthare two of the projects that Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd, have worked together on to help families. They live and work in the Upper Valley of Vermont.


Randy Hough

This all started when a therapist asked Randy what his secret was. This led to a search for safe and natural remedies for the stresses of modern life. Our site, http://safemenopauserelief.com has well researched information on products and methods to help you. There really are many ways to get safe menopause relief.

"All they wanted was love and affection!" Line from a song by the Irish band, Clannad, about street kids.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/what-are-the-symptoms-of-menopause-fuzzy-thinking.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/what-are-the-symptoms-of-menopause-fuzzy-thinking.html Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500
How often have you forgotten your car keys, right after you put them down? Or your reading glasses? Some women have 5 or 6 pairs of glasses because they just cannot keep track of them! Of course, this may not have anything to do with the symptoms of menopause, but very often it is one of the most common symptoms: fuzzy thinking.

Frequently, fuzzy thinking means that your body is trying to tell you that it is overburdened, stressed out and in need of some attention. The stresses of modern day living, with it's multi-tasking and endless bombardment of information can take a huge toll on your hormonal balance. This imbalance can cause the very annoying menopause symptom of fuzzy thinking.

What are the reasons for fuzzy thinking?

When the body is overburdened it automatically shuts down for a spell. It is just a simple matter of survival. Imagine a filing cabinet full of folders that keep getting more and more added until it is over-capacity. Add a lack of adequate rest, poor nutrition, too much caffeine, etc. and the stage is set for a period of fuzzy thinking.

During menopause it is normal for the hormones to slow down production. This can easily cause a hormonal imbalance that sets off the foggy, clouded thinking. Try as you might, something is just missing and you cannot focus or concentrate. This is because the necessary hormones are simply not there in adequate supply.

What can be done about fuzzy thinking?

First realize that, in all likelihood, your case is not so severe. Also, you can rest assured that there is almost always a great deal you can do on your own to help. Of course, very severe cases should be treated by a medical doctor.

One of the first places to look is your daily planner. If it is jam packed to the max with appointments and things to do you should find a way to change this. It may not be so easily done, but it can be done and will bring quick results.

Another likely suspect is your sleeping pattern. It does not take long for a chronic lack of sleep to do damage to the brain. There is no way around it: the human body requires adequate sleep and rest to function properly.

You might think that a lack of sleep has little effect on the brain, but many studies have shown a decreased ability to recall things from the short-term memory and an inability to process information for the long term memory. Not only that, but the ability to quickly react is affected by a lack of quality sleep.

Nutrition plays a huge role as well in preventing fuzzy thinking. A good example is to remember how it was to participate in a lengthy meeting on an empty stomach! Or the wasted feeling of too much sugar and caffeine, especially when it wears off!

On the other hand, having a healthy diet can work wonders for the body and mind. Good nutrition supplies the ingredients our bodies need to operate at their best. Taking a quality vitamin/mineral supplement is also good advice.

What are the symptoms of menopause is a series of articles dealing with the many symptoms of menopause. Fuzzy thinking is one of the most common menopause symptoms, and one of the easiest to do something about on your own.

--
Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd,have worked together to create a family stress blog and a safe menopause relief web site. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.


Randy Hough

This all started when a therapist asked Randy what his secret was. This led to a search for safe and natural remedies for the stresses of modern life. Our site, http://safemenopauserelief.com has well researched information on products and methods to help you. There really are many ways to get safe menopause relief.

"All they wanted was love and affection!" Line from a song by the Irish band, Clannad, about street kids.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/parenting/sound-parenting-advice-for-single-dads.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/parenting/sound-parenting-advice-for-single-dads.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500 In a way, it doesn't really matter much why this is changing, I'm sure there are many theories to explain this social phenomena. What does matter is that being a single dad can be a very challenging task. Not that single motherhood is easy, but society is just much more adapted to single moms.
Besides the fact that most women have a natural maternal instinct that enables them to care for children, social agencies and institutions are simply more accustomed to single mothers than fathers.
Personally, I have raised 3 children as a single father. It has been a very strange trip, indeed! I have had to learn so many skills that I am not at all naturally inclined to that I am sometimes amazed. It amazes me because I actually have learned to use the phone book, the phone, agendas, calendars, planners, kitchen tools, recipe books, cleaning supplies, keep appointments and much more!
Here is some single parenting help for single dads
Resign yourself to the fact that you are a single dad. This means that you are a prisoner of your family and must not try to escape.
Accept the fact that this job is thankless and relentless. You will be criticized for what you do and what you do not do. Plus, it is a 24/7 task. If you slack off for very long, it will come back to haunt you! Realize that anything you let slip will come back with a vengeance. If you neglect to follow up, show up, clean up, make up and any other kind of up, you will pay dearly. This is part of the relentlessness of single parenting. You pay now or pay later, and it is much better to pay now!
Accept the fact that you must assume all the responsibilities that a mother would have, plus your own as a father. This does not mean that you will be able to do all that she could have done, but you still need to do the work of two people.
Accept that fact that you are not the mother and father! This means that you will never be able to be warm and cuddly, overly attentive to little scratches and personal needs. Your tenderness is more like a good woman's coarseness, but that is just the way it is.
Forget about a normal social life, at least until the children get older. You might be able to manage dating or socializing if you only have one child, but it probably is still a challenge.
Take care of yourself. Get exercise, don't drink too much, keep your appearance up by shaving and keeping your clothes clean and nice. Your children already feel inferior, don't add to their stress by looking like a lumberjack when you come to pick them up.
If you get to the point where mannequins look attractive, you need to get out and be with people. If the check out girl at the grocery store calls you honey and you feel good about it, you need to make a way to be with people. And if she touches your hand when she gives you the change, and you are thrilled, you really need to get out more!
Learn the art of networking. It takes a village to raise a child, so find your village and become a part of it. There are many, many other people just like you who need a helping hand. Share the load and it is lighter for everyone.
Learn to communicate. Talk to the teachers, the principal, the counselors, the coaches, everyone who has to do with your children. You can learn a lot about your children, as well as yourself. It can be a hard to pill to swallow when you find out your are more or less incompetent. But how else can you learn if you never find out where you are truly at?
Conclusion
Parenting is difficult under the best of conditions. Parenting as a single dad is even more challenging. It is an adventure unlike anything else and, in the end, your relationship with your children will last forever.

--
We are a group of parents and professionals who are passionate about helping families manage the stress of modern life. Our site is: http://stress-familyhealth.net

We offer advice and resources on some of the more difficult aspects of raising a family. Stress at work, how to get pregnant, parenting advice for single fathers and single mothers are some of our topics.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/depression/how-to-live-with-someone-who-has-a-personality-disorder.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/depression/how-to-live-with-someone-who-has-a-personality-disorder.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
There are many excellent therapists, counselors, and medical practitioners who specialize in treating personality disorders, but very often the caregivers are overlooked. Just as Mom and Dad can be taken for granted by the children, they can also be assumed to be doing just fine in such a stressful environment.

It doesn't matter much what the personality disorder is when it concerns the well-being of the family. It could be borderline personality disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or manic depression. The caregivers need to be taken care of as well!

Be careful for Crazy Making

Crazy making is a term to describe a common effect that someone with a personality disorder can have on the one caring for them. It means that the caregiver begins to question his own sanity. It can and does happen that you become so surrounded by the relentless symptoms of a disorder that you lose sight of reality. It begins to make you crazy, hence the term: crazy making.

If you have been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Day after day, night after night, maybe your spouse acts out. Sometimes it is subtle, other times it is blatantly obvious that something is wrong. But if there is nobody else to talk to, or you are afraid to confide in another, it creeps up on you and you start to question your own mental condition.

Some typical examples of crazy making

Suppose for a moment that your adult son, who still lives at home, owes you some money. You politely, but firmly ask him for the money, which is past due. This should not be a complicated matter, he borrowed it and promised to pay it back on a certain date.

One favorite tactic is what I call smoke and mirrors. He brings up numerous semi-relevant topics to distract you, all the while appearing like an honest person. He has developed a refined ability to cloud the matter and eventually bring it back on you! Now you might even owe him money!

He might tell you of his hardships, your hardships, your relationship to the other children and how you favor them, and on and on and on. Next thing you know, you actually should have given him this money anyway, somehow he is entitled to it.

The worst thing is that you might fall for it, at least a few times. Eventually though, you begin to realize that you are being manipulated very skillfully. It it when you put your foot down that the sh*t hits the fan.

Another example is when they tell you (and everyone else within earshot) how you think, feel and act. Never mind that it is not true, they are telling you anyway. In fact, they have the uncanny ability to make five hens out of a feather any time, day or night!

Even when such a person is shown to be wrong and they acknowledge this, soon they are back to the original embellished story that protects them from reality. Their show simply must go on, in spite of the facts or feelings of other people.

How to avoid the effects of crazy making

The first thing is to recognize it. If you live with somebody who has a personality disorder, you will see it all the time. It becomes entirely predictable, once you learn the signs.

Educate yourself. There are numerous books available that are very helpful in learning to cope with the stress of crazy making.

Take your life back. You have the right to a safe and healthy life. Take care of you health, your finances, your well-being. This is also one of the best things you can do for the family member who has a personality disorder.

Be forewarned, however: once you begin to take your life back, the episodes will most likely escalate, at least for a time. Make sure you have an adequate support system in the form of friends, family, church, therapists, etc.

--
We are a group of parents and professionals who are passionate about helping families manage the stress of modern life. Our site is: http://stress-familyhealth.net

We offer advice and resources on some of the more difficult aspects of raising a family. Stress at work, how to get pregnant, parenting advice for single fathers and single mothers are some of our topics.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/technology/world-class-manufacturing-and-lean-thinking.html http://www.articletrader.com/technology/world-class-manufacturing-and-lean-thinking.html Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Because of the incredibly low wages in developing countries, companies are forced to think lean or die. Many long standing companies have gone by the wayside and closed forever because they were unwilling or unable to adapt.

Yet some world class manufacturing companies have embraced lean thinking and are more profitable than ever! A good example of this is Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., located in Bolton, Ontario, Canada.

My first encounter with Husky was as a plastic injection mold maker. I was an apprentice and my master was a man who had previously worked for Husky. He was certainly the best mold maker I have ever worked with and he told me many stories about Husky and how good they were at mold making.

Since that time I have seen and used their products on an almost daily basis and recognize the expertise and quality. So it is no surprise that they have understood and embraced the lean manufacturing culture and mastered it.

Recently they introduced a new hot runner system to the plastic injection molding industry, called PRONTO. A hot runner system is a highly technical method of melting plastic raw material and injecting it into a steel mold. This is how most of the plastic things you use on a daily basis are produced. It is one of those things nobody thinks about or appreciates!

Husky is able to reduce leadtimes and costs, while maintaining their high standards of quality. They have managed this by producing the component through a combination of standard parts, automated design practices and lean manufacturing of custom plates and manifolds.

The two-week PRONTO systems resulted from Husky’s systematic lean implementation, which included the following steps:
Cross functional teams reviewed the entire value stream from shipment of the product through to initial order entry with a clear objective of reducing lead times to two weeks.
Using Six Sigma tools, manufacturing times and variation at each step in the process was measured.
Work balancing enabled improved flow and ensured constraint operations are effectively utilized.
Non-value added tasks were eliminated.
Standard work procedures were implemented to ensure consistency and flow.
Visual cueing systems were created to ensure quick response to any flow impediments.
From start to finish, each team coordinated their efforts to ensure consistent product flow at each handoff point.
The 50 percent reduction in leadtime was achieved in less than three months, with no impact to existing production or on time performance.
From the end-user perspective, this is a welcome change. In the past, each hot runner system was more or less custom made for every application. By standardizing the system mold designers can more easily plan the design and manufacture of injection molds. This cuts leadtimes and reduces costs, as well as making the job of the mold maker easier.

--
For over 30 years Randy Hough has worked in every aspect of theplastics injection mold making industry. This has provided a wealth of experience in the lean manufacturing process. His site http://whatisleanmanufacturing.com is full of tips and ideas for manufacturing companies.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/female-libido-enhancement-and-natural-herbs.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/female-libido-enhancement-and-natural-herbs.html Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
How do natural herbs help with female libido?

One of the most common reasons for a diminished libido is because of a hormonal imbalance. Many things in our modern life can cause an imbalance: stress, fatigue, contraceptives, medications, and the body's natural slow down with age. This is especially the case during menopause.

When the hormonal system is under stress for an extended period of time, an imbalance occurs. This makes it difficult for the woman's body to produce the hormones necessary for arousal and intimate satisfaction.

There are primarily three key hormones that fluctuate during menopause: estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Herbs that provide holistic relief in a gentle and natural manner can be a tremendous help in restoring hormonal balance.

What natural herbs are helpful?

Certain herbs work better together than alone. This synergy can be very powerful to help with many of the symptoms associated with an estrogen deficiency. Three of these natural herbs are Black Cohosh, Red Clover, and Kudzu.

Traditional cultures have use botanicals for centuries to treat symptoms that are typical of a lack of progesterone. Some of these symptoms include irritability, anxiety, and insomnia. Another sign of this deficiency is a low libido. Wild Yam, Chasteberry, and Passionflower are three well known herbs that have been used for ages.

In the Ayurvedic traditions of India, an herb called Ashwagandha is known to have aphrodisiac and mood stabilizing properties. Studies bear this out and demonstrate that it activates the body to produce androgens, which help balance the hormonal system.


Why does female libido diminish?

As mentioned above, our modern lifestyles can wreak havoc on a woman's hormonal system. Many women juggle so many responsibilities that they become overwhelmed and their system cannot keep up with the demands.

Some of the major culprits are
Poor diet. Too much caffeine, sugar and fast food will drain the body and deplete the adrenal glands.
Fad diets. These are usually unhealthy and rely on low fat, low carb foods. Over time, the body suffers and so does the female libido!
Stress and fatigue from work and home. Perhaps a nasty boss, a rebellious teenager, a grumpy spouse, or maybe all three at once! This will certainly drain the body of it's ability to maintain a balanced state.
Medications, such as anti-depressants and contraceptives can also cause a severe hormonal imbalance.
Lack of sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation will drain you faster than anything. A few days is fine, but a schedule of 4-6 hours per night will turn you into a zombie, never mind a libido!
Lack of exercise. Poor circulation, stress on the internal organs, etc. all contribute to a lack of desire and enjoyment.

To Conclude

While menopause can be a very challenging time, there are many safe and reliable approaches that can help increase your female libido. It takes time with natural methods, so be patient.

If something does not seem to be working, move on to something else. What works for one woman may not necessarily work for another. Every body is unique and you may need to experiment to reach your goal of a healthy, active female libido.

--
Randy Hough

This all started when a therapist asked Randy what his secret was. This led to a search for safe and natural remedies for the stresses of modern life. Our site, http://safemenopauserelief.com has well researched information on products and methods to help you. There really are many ways to get safe menopause relief.

"All they wanted was love and affection!" Line from a song by the Irish band, Clannad, about street kids.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/female-libido-and-menopause-these-can-be-the-best-years.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/female-libido-and-menopause-these-can-be-the-best-years.html Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Female libido is very closely connected to your hormonal balance, so it comes as no surprise that there can be such a lack of libido. This is one of the most common symptoms of menopause. The good news is that there are numerous natural methods that are a female libido enhancement.

What causes decreased libido?

* A Hormonal imbalance is the most basic cause of a decreased libido. This can come in many forms, but a lack of Progesterone, which is essential for libido, is usually the main cause.
* Fatigue is very often a huge factor. Many women experience profound fatigue as a symptom of menopause; it is hard to become aroused when you are fatigued!
* Dieting can disrupt the hormonal balance, which in turn can cause a lack of libido. Low carb, low fat diets are often to blame because the essential nutrients are missing for proper hormonal production.
* Vaginal dryness can make intercourse uncomfortable or even painful. It is only natural to avoid the discomfort and pain, which causes decreased libido. This if often caused by the decreased production of estrogen during menopause.
* Adrenal fatigue can affect the female libido. Relentless stress and demands on the body due to a high pressured life-style can drain the adrenal glands and disrupt the production of the hormones essential for a healthy female libido.


How to increase libido

It is commonly understood that a woman's brain is her greatest sexual organ. The desire and level of satisfaction certainly rest on emotional and psychological factors as much as the physical factors. Probably even more so!

Menopause is a time of great change, and a woman's sexuality can dramatically change during this time. With kids out of the house, and no chance of pregnancy, many women feel much more open with their own sexuality.

For others, it can be a confusing time of change. Their nest may be emptying, their relationship with their spouse might be in transition, and these issues must be dealt with if the female libido is to increase.

Female libido enhancement

Here are some recommended ways to increase libido, naturally

* Use a lubricant. This is such a simple and obvious solution to vaginal dryness, yet many women are embarrassed to use a water based lubricant during intercourse. The results are immediate and satisfying.
* Herbal remedies can be a great help. Herbs such as black cohosh, maca, red clover, and Kudzu are all well known herbal remedies that help restore your hormonal balance. Other botanicals, such as Passionflower, Chasteberry and Wild Yam are associated with progesterone.Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb known to have aphrodisiac qualities
* Drink plenty of water. This will help cleanse your system and help with vaginal dryness.
* Avoid medications, whenever possible. This is not to imply neglecting your medical health! Yet some people rely on powerful medications unnecessarily and many of these drugs put a damper on the female libido.
* Use a natural progesterone cream. This will greatly help balance your hormones and increase your libido. It also will soften your skin!
* Take a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement. There are many excellent sources available.


Conclusion

Menopause does not need to mean the end of a happy, active intimate life! On the contrary, women who have been able to maintain their health, or who have learned to keep their hormonal balance healthy, experience a greater freedom of expression and passion than before!

--
Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd,have worked together to create a family stress blog and a safe menopause relief web site. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/female-libido-and-vaginal-dryness.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/women/female-libido-and-vaginal-dryness.html Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
This directly affects the female libido and causes painful intercourse. If this symptom is left untreated, many problems can follow. A lack of sexual satisfaction can add a lot of stress to any relationship.Fortunately, for most women, there are a number of simple and inexpensive natural remedies available.

What is the reason for vaginal dryness?

During menopause the level of estrogen declines, which causes thinning and dryness of the vaginal wall. This is the most common cause of vaginal dryness. A reduction in muscle tone and slower arousal time are also important factors.

Emotional issues from feeling depressed or under stress, which may be best helped by counseling. Unresolved problems in your relationships can also cause a lack of arousal and vaginal dryness. No herbal remedy can take the place of resolving matters with your loved ones, but the remedies mentioned here can certainly help with your physical symptoms.

Medical conditions, such as Sjögren’s disease can be the underlying cause for vaginal dryness. If your dryness is severe or you do not respond to the simple natural remedies at all, check with your physician for medical advice.

What can be done about vaginal dryness?

As with most natural remedies, you need to be patient. Most of these remedies take a week or two to take effect. You will be glad you took the time!

Drink lots of water! It is surprising how little clear water most people actually drink during the day. There may be a lot of coffee, tea, juice, soda, sports drinks, vitamin water, etc., consumed; but very little simple water. We should be drinking 8-10 cups a day. At first that seems like a lot, but you quickly get used to it.The water does many marvelous things. It cleanses the system of toxins, speeds your metabolism, helps lubricate the body, including the vagina.

Watch what you eat. Be sure to include soy and flax seed. These are both good sources of phytoestrogens. Eat foods that help your body produce the necessary hormones. Dieting can be a major cause of hormonal imbalance, and many women suffer from this.

Take a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement. Even with proper nutrition from a healthy diet, it is advisable to supplement your nutrition with vitamins and minerals. This helps to ensure that nothing is missing.

Use a personal lubricant. This might seem so obvious that it is not worth mentioning, but many women just do not give it a try. This is too bad, because there are many benefits from such a simple remedy. The lubricant can be used to moisten the vagina before intercourse, as well as before bed. For many women, this has made a huge difference in their female libido and enjoyment of intercourse.

Phytotherapy is highly recommended to treat vaginal dryness. By treating the dryness at a cellular level, the underlying cause is often addressed and helped. There are numerous herbal formulas available just for this purpose.

Conclusion.

Vaginal dryness is one of the most common symptoms of menopause, yet it is one of the easiest to manage. Find the underlying causes and resolve them. You should also follow up by using the recommended remedies described here to get the best results.

--
Randy Hough and Laura Simon, MSW,MEd,have worked together to create a family stress blog and a safe menopause relief web site. They live and work in the beautiful Upper Valley of Vermont.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/hot-runner-systems-in-plastic-molding.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/hot-runner-systems-in-plastic-molding.html Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
With the increasing sophistication of today's plastic injection molds, the use of a hot runner system is becoming an industry standard. Many applications simply are not possible with the old standard sprue and cold runner system, and hot runners offer a great way to maintain uniform wall thickness and eliminate knit lines and flow lines.

What are some advantages of hot runner systems?
Ability to minimize gate vestige
Uniform wall thickness
Lower cycle times
Less waste
Reduction or elimination of knit lines
Great for high cavitation molding
Often the only method for micro-molding. The center to center distance of the hot runner tips is as little as 17 mm.
Standardization of components can mean significant savings in material and manufacturing.
Many large molds rely exclusively on hot runners. Cold runners cannot meet the demands.

What about the maintenance of hot runner systems?

Hot runners systems require a new level of expertise on the part of the mold maker. However, this does not mean that it is overly complicated or highly specialized. A well designed system is relatively free from maintenance, once it is properly installed.

It can, and does happen, that mold makers become frustrated with hot runner systems and swear that they are too much trouble. This is usually due to the fact that the system is not properly installed or incorrectly operated in the molding process.

The leading hot runner system manufacturers have a well-trained team of specialists on hand to assist in the proper installation and operation of the systems. The time spent listening to these specialists is time well spent!

Are there different types of hot runner systems?

There are almost as many types of hot runner systems as there are suppliers! Most share some common features, however. There are sprue gated systems, valve gates, tip gates (the most common), and edge gates. Any of the major suppliers can describe in great detail why their system is the best for your application.

Long term benefits

Even though there is an initial investment with hot runner systems, it is easy to justify the long-term benefits. Without increasing the complexity of the design of the mold, a hot runner equipped mold can significantly reduce costs. Because the hot runner is designed and manufactured independently, yet concurrently, the lead times are not affected.

Mold makers should always suggest methods for his customer to reduce molding costs and increase the output of the mold. Being knowledgeable with hot runner systems is a good way to demonstrate an active role in helping the molders bottom line. This in turn makes the likelihood of increased business even greater for the mold maker.

--
Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. His eight lively children and work experience have taught him more than he ever imagined. He has a site dedicated to helping with family stress and one about plastic injection mold making.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/rapid-injection-molding-the-need-for-speed.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/rapid-injection-molding-the-need-for-speed.html Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
This is precisely what rapid injection molding is all about. Rapid, as in very rapid! These molds are made of high grade aluminum and can produce anywhere from a few parts to thousands.

Personally, I have worked on many aluminum molds that produce high quality parts even after several hundreds of thousands of cycles. At first I was highly skeptical, but after several years of making injection molding prototypes, It became routine.

How does rapid injection molding work?

It works by automating as much as possible in the mold making procedure. By taking the customer's 3-D model and automating the design and manufacture of the mold, the lead times are cut down to a fraction of the conventional process.
One of the central parts of the automation process lies in the design of the plastic part. By working with knowledgeable designers, many features, such as undercuts, can be minimized or eliminated.

Some of the features that must be considered are:

Part draft angles and radii
Ejection
Using straight pulls whenever possible
Simple approaches to side actions
The CNC milling process
Part size limits

What are the advantages of rapid injection molding?

A way to bridge the time gap between prototype and full production. If you need a working injection mold right now, this is the answer.
Short run production to get your product in the marketplace immediately.
Gives engineers a working model to approach a full-blown design for a production tool.

What are the disadvantages of rapid injection molding?

The aluminum molds are low production.
Works best for simpler parts with minimal side action and undercuts.
EDM machining is eliminated, thus some detail may be sacrificed.
The entire core and cavity are high-speed CNC machined, therefore the design has limitations.

Is rapid injection molding expensive?
Surprisingly, the cost is quite reasonable, though there is always a premium to pay for extremely quick turnaround. Typically though, the cost is much less than might be expected. This is due to the highly developed automation process of this type of mold making.

Conclusion
Rapid injection molding is a niche market segment of injection mold making. It serves a highly specialized marketplace, yet is very important withing the niche. The ability to get your injection molded plastic part to market in a matter of days is very valuable to the right company.
Also, the ability to bridge the gap between prototype and high production is a very useful tool for custom injection molders.

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Randy Hough lives and works in the Upper Valley of Vermont. He has been a master plastic injection mold maker for 30 years, a youth pastor for many years and has traveled and studied extensively in Europe. He also has 8 lively children who have taught him more than anything else. He has a site about dealing with family stress and a /www.global-plastic-injection-molding.com>plastic injection mold making site.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>