Edward F. Borro, Sr.
Hooker Chemical Corporation
Inducted 1973
Edward Borro (1921 – 2011) pioneered the development and application of thermoset molding compounds. He was associated with the Durez Division of Hooker Chemical Corporation from 1937 until his retirement. He made many significant contributions to the technical literature on plastics, including machining of phenolics (1943); transfer molding technology (1944); the cup method of measuring the flow of thermosets (1945); the closed mold molding process (1950); the vacuum technique for transfer molding (1962); and gating systems for thermoset molding (1970).
Edward noted on his Induction into the Plastics Academy Hall of Fame: “During my many years in the plastics industry, the advancement in materials, the improvements in molding press design, and the refinement in tooling filled me with great enthusiasm for thermoset materials. I pioneered and followed many changes in molding methods and retired from the industry at the beginning of the era of injection molding of thermosets.
With this molding process, I can see a tremendous challenge to the plastics engineer and further growth of the thermoset industry. I also see a great challenge as process controls become more and more accepted. In my early days, what was an art peculiar to talented molders can now be stored on a tape that can control all facets of the molding operation. The memory of the computer is replacing the memory of the human mind. I see this trend primarily in the injection molding process.
I have always been a great advocate of compression molding. I now observe the great progress made by using a heated barrel and screw to prepare an extrusion of preheated material. The charge can be properly metered so that it can be screw-fed to the loading board of compression or transfer molds. The increased preheat temperature permits extremely short cycles, so the engineer must carefully study the economics of this approach versus injection molding. The elimination of the preform and auxiliary equipment cuts production costs as well as capital expenditures.
Second, my interest in molding methods is my concern with mold design and construction. A refinement in the process of removing steel by electrical or chemical erosion had permitted molds to be produced to close tolerances and designs that were almost impossible when one had to rely on machining away the steel. The adoption of the computer has helped the tool industry to produce molds even with the shortage of skilled tool makers.
What do I see in the future for the thermoset industry? The engineering thermoset materials will continue to open up new markets. Still, perhaps the greatest rapid growth will be in the automotive industry. Our problems of improving environmental conditions are fostering new applications for thermosets. Transmission, brake system components, ignition, and carburetor design are some areas in which research and design engineers are turning to the old “workhorse” plastic-phenolic compounds.
What’s in the future? I challenge the plastics engineer, the machine and tool industry project engineer, and all supporting industry engineers to find new and better methods of producing molded parts of improved quality for new markets at reduced production rates and higher profits. If this is achieved, the future can only be beautiful.”
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic materials