Major Recognition for Innovative Self-Lubricating Mold Technology

We are proud to announce that Tianyu Guan and the MiNAN have received the 2026 SPE IMPACT Graduate Student Concept Award, one of the most prestigious honors in injection molding innovation presented by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

The award-winning project, “Defect-free Production of Surface Micro/Nano Structures by Micro Injection-Molding,” was recognized for its breakthrough self-lubricating mold technology, which enables contamination-free demolding, high-precision replication of micro/nano features, and significantly improved manufacturing efficiency. By incorporating graphene-based mold innovations, the technology reduces surface roughness, eliminates the need for chemical demolding agents, and enhances sustainability through lower scrap rates and longer mold life.

The SPE jury highlighted the project’s outstanding innovation, manufacturing impact, human-centered design, and sustainability benefits. This recognition underscores our leadership in advancing next-generation precision manufacturing technologies and validates the global significance of our self-lubricating mold platform. Congratulations to the entire team on this remarkable achievement.