Plastics Engineering articles from February 2008

Plastics Engineering archives from February 2008

Thermosets stay forever young: plenty of innovations remain for thermosetting plastics: thermosets were among the earliest polymeric materials, but their continuing development is sometimes overlooked. Some of the most recent innovations were presented at last October's Thermoset Molding Conference, hosted by the Department of Engineering Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA).(NORTH AMERICA)
February 1, 2008... This growing annual conference had 140 attendees, reports Paul Gramann, consultant for The Madison Group and chair of the SPE Thermoset Division. "The conference was quite special in that the thermoset industry celebrated 100 years of...

Multicomponent moulding: getting the right combination: multicomponent moulding may have reached middle age, but the technology is full of life and evolving fast.(EUROPE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Multicomponent injection moulding (also called coinjection) is almost 50 years old. It began as a technology that combined separate assemblies into a single process for producing differently coloured components from...

Robots deliver: automating plastics processing is now for everybody.(NORTH AMERICA)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robotic automation geared specifically for the plastics industry continues to expand as processors recognize the benefits robots can provide--labor savings, reduced molding-cycle times, improved part quality,...

High-performance polymers: market report: in a newly published study on high-performance polymers, analyst firm Frost & Sullivan makes an upbeat assessment of the market, forecasting high growth rates in the medium to long term.(EUROPE)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High-performance polymers occupy the top position in the performance pyramid (Chart 1); they are characterised by their superlative mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. These also have been among the....

The history of tomorrow's materials: protein-based biopolymers.(NORTH AMERICA)
February 1, 2008... How to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels? Plastics derived from renewable resources are one part of the answer. Engineering viable biobased materials contributes to a more sustainable future economy. Additionally, many biobased materials...

Industry patents: the patent is a legal document giving the holder a license to capitalize on the invention without competition for a few years. In exchange, the holder teaches the basis of the invention. The patent is forward-looking, representing a technical horizon.
February 1, 2008... Ceramic/Polymer Composites U.S. Patent 7,290,586 (November 6, 2007), "Bicontinuous Composites," Rodney Martin Sambrook (Dytech Corp. Ltd., Sheffield, Great Britain). Sambrook has developed a three-dimensional composite based on an...

European Thermoforming Division.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP: Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities)
February 1, 2008... The European Thermoforming Division has confirmed that many delegates have signed up for its conference in Germany (April 3-5, Hotel Maritim, Berlin). Attendees will be coming from Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. In addition...

Czech Republic Section.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP: Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Last year's Czech Republic Section's Novel Trends in Rheology conference was a great success; full details are available at http://novdtrends.uth.cz/. The programme included recent developments in polymer-melt-flow visualisation, theology of...

SPE Europe Board.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP: Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities)
February 1, 2008... The SPE Europe Board held a meeting in Brussels in January where the initial planning for SPE's Eurotec Conference (Barcelona 2009) was discussed. Fundamental issues included available venues and timing for the event. Details will be finalised...

SPE Israel.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP: Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... SPE Israel has been coordinating its activities with the Israel Polymer and Plastics Society (IPPS). IPPS' annual meeting was held in December in Tel Aviv;, the theme was From Synthesis to Applications. This was sponsored by SPE Israel; more...

The UK & Ireland Section is preparing a full programme for 2008; although members may see little activity, there is much going on behind the scenes.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP: Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities)
February 1, 2008... The UK & Ireland Section is preparing a full programme for 2008; although members may see little activity, there is much going on behind the scenes. Beginning February 13, a Section meeting will be held on the second Wednesday of every other...

SPE Turkey.(SPE NEWS ROUNDUP: Ken Braney's monthly look at SPE's European activities)(Society of Petroleum Engineers)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... SPE Turkey has increased its membership by 35% over the past year, and should become a full Section in the coming months. The year 2007 was filled with activities, starting with the Division's first meeting in May with the ASD (Turkish...

Industry events.(EUROPE)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... FEBRUARY 7-10, Packaging & Converting Executive Forum (PACE 2008) Site: Vienna, Austria Website: www.paceforum.com 12-14, Grass Yarn & Tufters Forum Site: Zurich, Switzerland Website: www.amiplastics.com 18-20,...

Industry events.(NORTH AMERICA)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... SPE CONFERENCES Mar. 3-5. SPE's Polymer Nanocomposites TopCon. Site: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvnia, USA. Sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Section. Contact: Patrick W. Kelly, Conference Chair, Sund & German Co., P.O. Box...