KERN IoP · TECHNICAL RESOURCES
Technical publications by Laura Flórez
Materials, polymer processing, recycling and industrial digitalisation.
Technical resources · Founding team · Laura Flórez’s profile
Experience and areas of expertise
Laura Flórez has worked in polymer research, plastics processing and the transfer of technical knowledge. Her publications cover bioplastics, injection moulding, simulation, recycled materials, circularity and applications of digitalisation in manufacturing.
Her doctoral training at the IKV of RWTH Aachen and her industry experience are reflected in technical articles, editorials and scientific conference contributions. The references bring together historical publications and recent contributions to SPE’s Plastics Engineering.
- Polymer engineering and injection moulding
- Simulation, defects and process control
- Recycling, bioplastics and packaging
- Digitalisation and sustainability
Articles and publications ↓ · Conferences and technical activities ↓
Explore publications by year
Select a year to browse the publications. Technical articles and scientific or conference contributions are organised into two complementary tracks.
2026 17 contributions
Articles and technical communication
17 referencesSPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Energy and productivity
3 Ways to Reduce Cycle Time in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Relates melt temperature, back pressure and mould cooling to cooling time; includes a thermal diagnostic illustration by PM Tec Engineering.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Additive manufacturing
3D Printing Finds Growth Niches in the Plastics Industry
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Examines industrial 3D printing applications in inserts with conformal cooling, extrusion heads and functional cellular structures.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Chemical recycling
BASF and ETH Zurich Advance Mixed Plastic Waste Gasification
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Presents developments in gasifying mixed plastic waste with biomass as a route to chemical feedstocks, together with the challenges of assessing its environmental balance.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Recycling and the circular economy
Choosing the Right Recycling Technology for Each Application
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Compares recycling routes according to feedstock purity, expected performance, cost, energy consumption and emissions.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Composite materials
Chopped Fiber Compounding Enters Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Reviews the incorporation of chopped fibres directly during moulding, focusing on reinforcement integrity, dispersion and flexibility in compound formulation.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Foaming and recycling
Circular Automotive Foams: Recyclable TPE for Soft-Touch Parts
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Examines TPE and polypropylene foams for soft-touch automotive components, including recycled content, morphology control and appearance requirements.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Injection moulding and monitoring
Digital Process Control Supports Stable Molding of PCR and PIR
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Analyses process controls that compensate for batch-to-batch and cycle-to-cycle variations when injection moulding post-consumer and post-industrial recycled materials.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Simulation and digital twins
Digitalization and Simulation: Redefining What is Possible
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Reviews material digital twins, polyurethane processing simulation and the potential of AI models to accelerate defect prediction.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Traceability and sustainability
Digitalization Makes LCA More Accurate and Traceable
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Explains how production data, traceability and updated inventories contribute to more consistent and verifiable life cycle assessments.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Digitalisation and productivity
Digitalization to Improve Productivity
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Discusses the use of machine data, OEE indicators and continuous process observation to anticipate quality variation and guide operational adjustments.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Digitalisation and knowledge
Digitalization: A Tool to Access Industry Knowledge
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Analyses tools that capture and structure experts’ operational knowledge to support diagnosis and production troubleshooting.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Recycling and packaging
Flexible Packaging: Collective Testing Delivers New Insight into Real-World Recycling
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Describes collaborative recyclability testing of flexible packaging and the relationship between design criteria and actual behaviour in recovery systems.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Recycling and packaging
Flexloop Targets High-Purity Recycling for Flexible Packaging
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Describes solvent extraction of contaminants from flexible films to produce higher-purity recyclate and facilitate circular film-to-film applications.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Materials and validation
How to Test for Chemical Resistance in Plastic Components
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Proposes chemical exposure tests and criteria for documenting trials representative of the actual use of polymer components.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Recycling and traceability
New German Project Uses AI and Batch Data to Improve PCR Quality
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Presents the SoliD-Q project and its combination of sorting, batch data, compounding control and digital passports to assure recycled material properties.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Technical recycling
Recovering High-Purity PC/ABS from End-of-Life Vehicles
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Explains the recovery of PC/ABS blends from vehicles through sorting and dissolution-based separation, together with recyclate quality requirements.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2026 · Quality and injection moulding
What Is Shrinkage in Injection Molding?
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Explains shrinkage in amorphous and semicrystalline polymers, anisotropy in reinforced materials, and dimensional stability control through cooling and packing.
2025 9 contributions
Articles and technical communication
9 referencesSPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Recycling in injection moulding
Effective Strategies for Incorporating PCR in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Explains design and processing adjustments for variable PCR properties and proposes documenting trials, curves and validation results.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Industry and markets
Facing Tariff Instability: Insights from Plastimagen-Mexico
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Summarises Plastimagen interviews on tariff uncertainty, investment and modernisation options for plastics processors.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Mould design
Get Gate Placement Right: Tips for Straighter Molded Parts
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Examines how gate location affects orientation, weld lines, deformation, residual stresses and core deflection.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Recycling in injection moulding
Getting PCR Right in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Reviews the characterisation and variability of post-consumer resins and proposes documenting adjustments and trials to make PCR incorporation into production more robust.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Defects and mould design
Intro to Plastics: Solving Jetting in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Examines the causes of jetting and changes to gate geometry; documents a PM Tec Engineering application using reinforced polypropylene.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Packaging design
Monomaterial Packaging: Unlocking Opportunities with MDO and High-Barrier Resins
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Examines predominantly PE flexible structures, machine-direction orientation (MDO) and EVOH barriers to reconcile functional performance with recyclability.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Material selection
Read Your Material Datasheet to Cut Molding Costs and Defects
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Guides the interpretation of polymer datasheets: melt flow rate, rheology, HDT, modulus, shrinkage and thermal expansion to improve design and process decisions.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Industry and markets
The Plastics Industry and Policy Changes Under Trump
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Brings together industry perspectives on tariffs, US policies and possible effects on plastics supply chains in Latin America.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2025 · Defects and mould design
Troubleshooting Diesel Effect in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Analyses burning caused by gas compression, mould venting, and maintenance and clamping force conditions associated with the defect.
2024 9 contributions
Articles and technical communication
9 referencesSPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Defects and mould design
3 Common Injection Molding Challenges and How to Solve Them
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Addresses recurring injection moulding problems and diagnostic strategies centred on temperature, packing and shrinkage.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Productivity and costs
3 Ideas To Optimize Your Costs in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Analyses mould changes, auxiliary equipment failures and material changes as sources of unproductive time and potential cost-reduction opportunities.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Cooling and quality
3 Tips for Cooling Design in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Discusses mould alloy selection, heat-transfer efficiency and circuit design to control cooling time.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Defects and mould design
Design-Related Surface Defects in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Relates surface defects to gate design, flow velocities and pigment sensitivity to shear.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Design for manufacturing
Essential Tips for Designing Injection Molded Parts
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Reviews wall thickness, concentrated material volumes and shrinkage to design components consistent with the thermal and rheological constraints of moulding.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Process parameters
Impact of Temperature on Molded Part Quality
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Explains the effects of melt and mould temperatures on crystallinity, surface finish, residual stresses and the stability of injection-moulded components.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Productivity and cycles
Optimizing Cycle Time in Injection Molding: Tips and Techniques
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Breaks down the stages of the injection moulding cycle and their dependence on the material and the thermal behaviour of the part and mould.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Cooling and quality
The Importance of Mold Temperature Control in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Relates mould temperature, coolant flow rate and temperature difference to dimensional repeatability, cycle time and part defects.
SPE · ORIGINAL ARTICLE · 2024 · Energy and productivity
Two Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption in Injection Molding
Plastics Engineering / SPE
Relates resin selection and injection moulding machine settings to energy consumption per cycle. Presents an applied trial using KERN IoP that reports a 5.7% reduction for the configuration evaluated; the result is specific to that case.
2022 4 contributions
Articles and technical communication
4 referencesHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2022 · Materials and sustainability
Bioplásticos: ¿hacia dónde va el mercado?
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Reviews bioplastics classifications, applications and market projections published in 2022; highlights the role of certification, regulation and buyer education.
HISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2022 · Circularity and recycling
Braskem Idesa: a un paso de obtener PCR grado alimenticio
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Reports on post-consumer polyolefin recovery in Mexico, coordination with the recycling chain and progress towards packaging applications with material-purity requirements.
HISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2022 · Robotics and automation
La robótica colaborativa incrementa calidad y seguridad
Reportero Industrial
Presents application areas for collaborative robots and examines the relationship between automation, operations shared with people, consistent quality and safety conditions.
HISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2022 · Materials and sustainability
Lo que son los bioplásticos y lo que no son
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
An editorial on the distinction between biobased feedstock and biodegradability, application limitations, waste management and the importance of avoiding misleading environmental claims.
2020 3 contributions
Articles and technical communication
3 referencesHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2020 · Circularity and industrial strategy
La economía circular, protagonista del 2019 en la industria del plástico
El Catalizador / Esenttia
Explains why manufacturers should incorporate design for recyclability, waste management and preservation of material value into product and operational decisions.
HISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2020 · Industry and markets
Perspectivas de la industria plástica en 2020
El Catalizador / Esenttia
Analyses prospects for Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, regulatory changes, industrial demand and adaptation strategies across the Latin American plastics value chain.
HISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2020 · Circularity and recycling
Tres pasos para llevar a su empresa hacia la economía circular
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Proposes three areas of work for advancing circularity: design decisions, material selection and recovery, and coordination among participants in the packaging value chain.
2019 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2019 · Circularity and recycling
Proteger el plástico desde su primer uso
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Examines preservation of plastic material value during use and recovery, and proposes design and industrial responsibility criteria to support subsequent recovery.
2018 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2018 · Packaging
¿Qué le espera al sector de envases en 2018?
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Explores the changes anticipated in the packaging market for 2018, in relation to industrial demand, material development and new market requirements.
2017 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2017 · Industry and markets
México: «tenemos que aprender a vernos como nos ven afuera»
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
An editorial on how international perceptions of Mexico influence competitiveness and opportunities for plastics-processing companies.
2016 1 contribution
Research and conferences
1 referenceSPE · ANTEC CONFERENCE · 2016 · Process simulation
SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding: An Alternate Approach to Resin Selection
SPE ANTEC — Proceedings
An ANTEC paper using virtual trials to compare grades with different melt flow rates and evaluate effects on injection pressure, clamping force, energy and cycle time. Co-authors: Gabriel Geyne and Matt Proske.
2014 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2014 · Packaging
Industria de envases plásticos en Colombia: crecimiento a través de calidad y especialización
El Empaque + Conversión
Reviews competitiveness factors for packaging producers in Colombia, with emphasis on quality, specialisation and market requirements.
Bibliographic reference
2013 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2013 · Injection moulding
La integración de procesos en inyección destaca en K2013
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Presents K2013 trends in multi-component injection moulding, overmoulding, integration of process stages and decoration within the same production unit.
2011 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2011 · Materials and sustainability
Bioplásticos: actualidad del mercado
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
A 2011 overview of available bioplastic feedstocks, potential packaging applications and commercial conditions for their adoption.
Bibliographic reference
2010 2 contributions
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2010 · Materials and sustainability
Oportunidades de innovación con materiales reforzados
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
Analyses polymer composites reinforced with natural fibres and fillers, their properties and industrial application opportunities compared with conventional reinforcements.
Research and conferences
1 referenceSPE · ANTEC CONFERENCE · 2010 · Foaming and mechanical properties
Improvement of the Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Foams Through Modification of the Foam Structure
SPE ANTEC — Proceedings
An ANTEC paper analysing improvements in thermoplastic foam strength through control of cellular structure, skin and density. Co-authors: Walter Michaeli, Dominik Obeloer and Markus Brinkmann.
2009 1 contribution
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2009 · Materials and sustainability
Madera plástica: presente y futuro
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com (historical citation); Extrusión (additional reference)
Examines wood–plastic composites, the use of waste as feedstock and opportunities for more durable products; an academic reference explicitly identifies the author.
Bibliographic reference
2008 2 contributions
Articles and technical communication
1 referenceHISTORICAL ARCHIVE · 2008 · Materials and sustainability
Bioplásticos: creciendo a pasos de gigante
Tecnología del Plástico / Plastico.com
A historical review of early bioplastics applications and commercial expectations in 2008, with attention to packaging uses and processing properties.
Research and conferences
1 referenceSPE · ANTEC CONFERENCE · 2008 · Foaming and mechanical properties
Effects of the Foam Morphology in the Mechanical Properties of Injection Molded Thermoplastic Foams
SPE ANTEC — Proceedings
An ANTEC paper on the influence of cell diameter, distribution and density, and skin thickness, on the mechanical performance of injection-moulded thermoplastic foams. Co-authors: Walter Michaeli, Thorsten Krumpholz and Dominik Obeloer.