Record Pressing Engineering Handbook

[ytsman]

Hello all-

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a record pressing technical handbook? I've been trying to learn more about mold design, thermoplastic resin, causes of warping and guidelines for zone temps etc. but all I can find is information about injection molding. I assume that there was a handbook made at some point in vinyl record manufacturing's heyday but it's so hard to find one now that nobody is writing scholarly articles about record pressing anymore.

[Aussie0zborn]

Unfortunately, nobody ever wrote such a book. The larger record manufacturers of the day developed a lot of the technology and processes in-house and these were well protected "trade secrets". A PolyGram technical manual states that the document is for limited distribution "lest it falls into the wrong hands". There were many independent suppliers but their technology seems to have been lost once they went out of business.