President Robert Koch of Boy Machines Inc. stands by a group of XS ultra-compact presses for micro and single-cavity injection molding. At NPE2009, the presses molded components of a personal-care kit.

CHICAGO -- For Boy Machines Inc., NPE2009 marked the North American introduction of its energy-sipping E-series of injection molding machines and the line of tiny XS presses, with just 11 tons of clamping force. (more)

AKRON, OHIO (July 2, 3:25 p.m. ET) -- Summer temperatures are rising across North America — and commodity resin prices are doing the same. Average per-pound selling prices for polyethylene and polypropylene in the region each are up since June 1, according to several buyers contacted recently by Plastics News. All grades of PE are up an average of 3 cents, while PP prices have catapulted up an average of 9 cents. Average per-pound prices for solid polystyrene also have zoomed up 7 cents since May 1. (more)

WASHINGTON (July 2, 10:25 a.m. ET) -- Some recyclers have been concerned that as more companies use bottles made from polylactic acid, those containers may contaminate the PET recycling stream. But tests at a full-scale recycler suggest that near infrared technology can effectively separate PLA and PET. (more)