Plastics Engineering articles from January 2003

Plastics Engineering archives from January 2003

Correction...Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2003... A paragraph appearing on page 28 of the Additives Annual article in the November 2002 issue of Plastics Engineering contained an error. The correct paragraph should read: Chemson, Inc., announces the development of Naftosafe PLP 3000...

Liquid Silicone Rubber "expands" product line. (Materials).
January 1, 2003... An expanded product line from CRI-SIL, a division of IMMIX Technologies, includes Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and platinum-cured Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) products. The materials are used for the manufacture of an assortment of...

Flame retardant agrees with Montreal Protocol. (Materials).
January 1, 2003... Firemaster 520, a higher-reactivity flame retardant for rigid polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam applications, was developed by Great Lakes Chemical Corp. in consultation with foam manufacturers who need to change their...

Colors to catch the eye. (Materials).
January 1, 2003... The Blue Planet Sequence line of special-effect color concentrates from the packaging business unit of PolyOne Corp is said to be suited for use in opaque thermoplastic containers in the health and beauty aid (HBA) and cosmetic markets, and in...

Prototyping resins. (Materials).
January 1, 2003... IDSM Somos, a developer of materials technology for the rapid prototyping industry, has introduced Somos WaterShed, a general-purpose resin that is said to exhibit excellent water and humidity resistance. WaterShed resins are part of the...

Foam with memory makes an "impression". (Materials).
January 1, 2003... A molded polyurethane foam product that has a soft feel and recovers its shape much slower than ordinary foam is gaining the interest of consumers with its use in office products (chair seats and armrests), medical products (pads for...

"Stretching" the horizon for fibers. (Materials).
January 1, 2003... An elastic fiber called Dow XLA, or "The Freedom Fiber," has been introduced by Dow Fiber Solutions, a new business division of The Dow Chemical Co. Dow XLA is said to offer a high degree of flexibility to fabric technologists, designers, and...

Rubberized TPU alloys. (Materials).
January 1, 2003... Developed to impart a rubbery, soft-touch feel and a rubber matte finish surface appearance, Versollan TPE alloys from GLS Corp. contain specialty thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) from BASF Corp. Initially offered in Shore A hardnesses of 55...

Flame retardants.(an overview)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... Flame retardants improve the fire safety of plastics and other materials by reducing their flammability at different stages of combustion. Some work by delaying ignition, while others deprive the fire of fuel or heat after ignition, interfering...

Molds, Dies & Mold Components Buyers' Guide.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2003... PLASTICS ENGINEERING THE PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE OF THE GLOBAL PLASTICS INDUSTRY Molds, Dies & Mold Components BUYERS' GUIDE COMPANY PE Data Zone Page Number Artech Advanced Materials...

New process aid technology--twice as fast, half as much. (From DuPont Dow Elastomers).
January 1, 2003... New-to-industry polymer process additives from DuPont Dow--used in the production of blown film, cast film, extruded pipe, and wire and cable--represent a breakthrough in process aid technology. The new Viton[R] FreeFlow[TM] Z technology...

So you want a flame-retarded formulation...: guidance for the novice, and burning questions you should be prepared to answer.
January 1, 2003... Flame-retardant polymer formulations play an important role in the manufacture and safe use of a variety of everyday products from television cabinets to office equipment and automobiles. There isn't a home or business that doesn't in some way...

Crime stopper. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... Makrolon Hygard laminate from Sheffield Plastics combines Bayer's Makrolon AR (abrasion-resistant) polycarbonate sheet hard coat technology with new glazing techniques for high-level security and cost-effective installation. Consisting of...

For defensive purposes. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... DuPont reports that flexible cables made with its Tefzel fluoropolymer resin and Aracon metal-clad fiber deliver weight savings and high-fidelity signal transmissions in satellites for the U.S.'s anti-missile defense system known as SBIRS...

Doctors' orders. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... Having assumed production of a line of surgical trocar sleeves, Classic Industries reports that it has achieved a two-fold increase in production, improved quality, and reduced costs, while eliminating the need for the customer (a Fortune 100...

Lab technicians, take note. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... The new 96-well Multi-Tier Micro Plate from Bio Tech Solutions, Inc., of Mt. Laurel, N.J., uses Topas COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) to gain essential flatness and dimensional accuracy, reports Ticona, manufacturer of the material. Said to...

News about brews. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... Brick Brewery announces that it is the first Canadian brewer to package beer in a "revolutionary" plastic bottle. The new wide-mouth 16-oz (473-ml) PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle holds more beer than the standard glass beer bottle,...

Polysulfone on a power trip. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... Udel P-1700 polysulfone from Solvay Advanced Polymers is a key ingredient in SRM F3 series battery cells manufactured by Saft of Cockeysville, Maryland. Typically used for electrical backup systems in rail transport systems, these...

Beyond primary colors. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... Aura is a proprietary color-infusion technology being launched as part of Bayer Plastics' new Fantasia color and special-effects program for engineering resins. Aura infuses the surface of already-molded thermoplastic parts with color....

Career corner: are you ready for your next performance review?
January 1, 2003... Performance reviews provide an opportunity to remarket yourself to your employer. If you approach the review process with the mind-set of a "free agent" who controls his or her own career destiny, you'll be more prepared and project greater...

Handle with care. (Plastics Applications).
January 1, 2003... To help protect fragile items during shipping, 3M introduces Air Cushion Packaging. Made of durable plastic, says 3M, the product is essentially a "bag within a bag." The inner bag conforms to the shape of the object, while the outer pouch...

Technologies at NPE 2003 will affect the future of every manufacturing industry. (NPE 2003).
January 1, 2003... "Name any plastic component or end-use product, and at NPE 2003 you will find many companies displaying technologies for its manufacture." This is how NPE 2003 chairman H. Gunther Hoyt sums up the diversity of exhibitors slated to participate...

More capacity, smaller footprint. (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... The BOY Model 55, a 60.6 US ton (550 kN) machine, and the Model 90, a 99.2 US ton (900 kN) machine, have been added to the lineup of Boy injection molding machines. The Model 90 expands the company's capacity range beyond its previous maximum...

"Changing" for the better. (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... An integrated mold changing system can substantially reduce costly mold change times and address complicated logistical problems at manufacturing facilities. As part of just-in-time manufacturing operations, more frequent mold changes can...

Sight flow indicator makes "Double-Sure". (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... Designed for the high pressures and high temperatures typically found in ultrapure processing environments, the Double-Sure dual-containment sight flow indicators are dual-containment sight glasses with a 150 psig pressure rating and an...

Running the vacuum. (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... The line of Low Pressure Dryers (LPD) from Maguire Products differs from conventional dehumidifying dryers, the company says, in two ways: 1) instead of heating the resin and flowing dry air over the pellets to slowly draw the moisture out, LPD...

PET dryers use energy sparingly. (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... A series of adjustable-dew-point dryers designed specifically for PET applications- Continuous Desiccant Dryers (CDD), models CDD-025 0 through CDD2500-are available with throughputs ranging from 250 to 2500 lbs/hr. These dryers can be placed...

Super-strong grinders for recycling. (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... With extra heavy-duty all-steel construction and thicker side-walls, RTI vertical rotary grinders for recycling wood and plastic waste are built to last, according to the manufacturer, Recycling Technologies, Inc. The grinders are engineered...

Extra productivity. (Plastics Machinery/Processing).
January 1, 2003... Focused on improving processors' productivity, AEC's line of downstream extrusion equipment is designed to provide durability and quality to the extrusion industry. With belt and wheel pullers, embossers, cutters, saws, water baths, vacuum...

Plastics center at age 20: entering new era of growth. (National Plastics Center & Museum: 1982-2002).
January 1, 2003... In October of 2002 the National Plastics Center & Museum (NPCM) held a gala celebration to mark a dual anniversary--20 years as a cause organized by members of the plastics industry and ten years as an institution open to the public. But these...

Shop electronically for automation solutions. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... To help customers and distributors choose the best Allen-Bradley industrial automation solution--from contactors and drives to pushbuttons and industrial computers--Rockwell Automation has released its new web-enabled and stand-alone Rockwell...

Visualization software is revisited. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... Release 3.1 of Virtual Vantage visualization software expands the supported dataset formats to include Tecplot 3D datasets, reports manufacturer Fuel-Tech N.V. Thus, says the company, any simulation software that can export data into Tecplot's...

Injection molders get a new troubleshooting tool. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... A new interactive tool from Syscon-PlantStar is said to "put the skills of an experienced molding technician on your plant floor on a 24/7 basis." Syscon-PlantStar says that it has collaborated with Paulson Training, Inc., to develop this...

A boost to innovation & product development. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... Sopheon has announced the latest release, version 4.0, of its Accolade product development software system. The company says that Accolade v.4.0 is "the industry's first product-development system that integrates human-based decision-support...

CFD software offers new cavitation model. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... AEA Technology Engineering Software reports that the latest version (2.12) of its CFX-TASCflow computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software for mechanical engineering offers a new and improved cavitation model, along with other benefits. ...

Glass run channel goes thermoplastic. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... EASi Engineering reports that its special-purpose seal software played a key role in the design of the "first all-thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) glass run channel." As the company explains, a glass run channel fits against the top of the movable...

Analysis & development tools, targeted at the professional. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... OriginLab Corp. has added add a suite of data analysis and custom utility development tools to OriginPro 7, a scientific graphing and analysis package for the professional. Key features include: * COM support. The Origin C language built...

Vision systems library adds an expansion. (Computer Hardware & Software).
January 1, 2003... Cognex Corp. reports that it has added new high performance vision software tools to its Vision-Pro PC-based machine vision systems. Joining the company's library of vision software for general-purpose inspection, measurement, identification,...

Assistance with FDA compliance. (Briefs).
January 1, 2003... Mattec Corp. announces that it has upgraded its Shop Floor Control System to provide certification capabilities for its customers who are required to meet FDA requirements 21 CFR Part 11. The new software for Mattec's machine interface units is...

The third dimension. (Briefs).
January 1, 2003... Digital Immersion Software Corp. has introduced its latest Presenter 3D as the "ideal companion software for Autodesk Inventor users." It is designed to deliver increased functionality and simplicity to product designers and manufacturers...

New chromatography capabilities. (Briefs).
January 1, 2003... Waters Corp. reports that its Empower software is a powerful and flexible chromatography data system (CDS) that offers new capabilities in chemical analysis and separations science technology. The program architecture is said to create an...

Tutorial on CAD/CAM tools. (Briefs).
January 1, 2003... First in a new "Getting Started" video series, a tutorial CD available free from VX Corp. presents the fundamentals of the company's CAD/CAM solutions. Taking the user step by step through the construction of a single product, the CD covers...

"Smart coatings" researchers seek battlefield advantage. (Industry News).(coatings for Army military vehicles)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A team of researchers based at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is working with the U.S. Army's Armament Research and Development Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, to develop "smart" coatings for Army military vehicles....

U. of Akron and U.S. Air Force launch photonics center. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The University of Akron (UA) reports that it has teamed with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Materials and Manufacturing Directorate to "explore the next generation of electronics--using [polymer-based] materials to transmit data...

PIA donates cash, books to plastics museum. (Industry News).(Plastics Institute of America contributes to the National Plastics Center & Museum )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In a show of support for the National Plastics Center & Museum (NPCM) (Leominster, Mass.), the Plastics Institute of America (PIA). (Lowell, Mass.) and several PIA board members have contributed a cash donation of $1000 and more than $5000...

Higher diamondoids: nanotechnology's next level? (Industry News).(researchers at Chevron Texaco Corp.'s Energy Research and Technology Co. discover new class of molecular building blocks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Chevron Texaco Corp. has announced that researchers at its Energy Research and Technology Co. in Richmond, California, have discovered a new class of molecular building blocks called "higher diamondoids." Found in petroleum, says ChevronTexaco,...

Xaloy, Inc. (Acquisitions).(acquires former Progressive Alloys twin-barrel business and assets from Spirex Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Based in Pulaski, Virginia, Xaloy, Inc., is expanding its capabilities in twin-screw extrusion barrels with the acquisition of the former Progressive Alloys twin-barrel business and assets from Spirex Corp. of Youngstown, Ohio. Currently based...

GE Specialty Materials. (Acquisitions).(completed acquisition of the assets of Advanced Ceramics Corp. and Advanced Ceramics International Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut, GE Specialty Materials, a unit of the General Electric Company, has completed its acquisition of the assets of boron nitride producer Advanced Ceramics Corp. (ACC) and Advanced Ceramics International Corp....

Rohm and Haas Company. (Acquisitions).(to purchase global plastics additives business of Kureha Chemical Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas Company has agreed to purchase the global plastics additives business of Kureha Chemical Company for a reported $65.5 million. Terms call for Rohm and Haas to acquire Kureha's commercial operations throughout...

Alcoa Home Exteriors. (Acquisitions).(has acquired Richwood Building Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Alcoa Home Exteriors has acquired Richwood Building Products, Inc., a Richmond, Virginia-based manufacturer of molded specialty accessory building products. Richwood has 57 employees.

Great Lakes Chemical Corp. (Acquisitions).(acquires Flexsys America's nonstaining phenolic antioxidants business)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Great Lakes Chemical Corp. of Indianapolis has announced its acquisition of Flexsys America's nonstaining phenolic antioxidants business, which includes process technology associated with Santonox TBMC, Santovar TAHQ, and Santowhite BBMC. Great...

Huntsman Polyurethanes' Auburn Hills, Michigan, facility received the Rising Star level site award from the State of Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). (Awards).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Huntsman Polyurethanes' Auburn Hills, Michigan, facility received the Rising Star level site award from the State of Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) on Nov. 18, 2002. This designation...

The U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA has bestowed the Star Award for outstanding safety compliance on the Sanford. (Awards).(Maine testing and manufacturing facility of Cyro Industries awarded)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA has bestowed the Star Award for outstanding safety compliance on the Sanford, Maine, testing and manufacturing facility of Cyro Industries. Part of OSHA's VPP, this designation is reserved for work sites that...

Frost and Sullivan (Oxford, U.K.) has bestowed its 2002 Market Engineering Award upon Rhodia Engineering Plastics, headquartered in Lyon, France. (Awards).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Frost and Sullivan (Oxford, U.K.) has bestowed its 2002 Market Engineering Award upon Rhodia Engineering Plastics, headquartered in Lyon, France. The award is based on the opinions of end-users of polyamide for automotive applications, who were...

Milacron, Inc. (Consolidation).(is restructuring its plastics technologies businesses)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... To improve operating efficiency and customer service, says Milacron, Inc., it is restructuring its plastics technologies businesses-"in effect, establishing a single, integrated center for all machinery manufacturing operations in North...

RLH Machine Tools Inc. (Distributors).(appointed exclusive distributor of Makino's metal-cutting and die/mold machinery)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Mason, Ohio, Makino has appointed RLH Machine Tools Inc. as exclusive distributor for its metal-cutting and die/mold machinery in Florida. RLH is based in Clearwater, Fla. And as the exclusive distributor for this equipment in...

Plasticolors, Inc. (Distributors).(selected Archway Sales Inc. to promote and distribute its products)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Plasticolors, Inc., of Ashtabula, Ohio, has selected Archway Sales, Inc., with corporate headquarters in St. Louis, to promote and distribute its products in the central United States. Archway will handle products in the paint & coatings,...

SM Resinas. (Distributors).(appointed distributor in Mexico for Teknor Color Company)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... SM Resinas, based in Alicante, Spain, has been named as a distributor in Mexico for Teknor Color Company of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. With operating branches in Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, SM Resinas will stock pellet concentrates...

Trend Technologies. (Divestiture).(to nearly all of its operating assets)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Trend Technologies announces that it has entered into a sales agreement with a group led by Earl Payton, the company's former chief executive officer, to sell virtually all of the company's operating assets for approximately $70 million. To...

Eger Products. (Expansion).(expansion of plant completed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Eger Products, based in Amelia, Ohio, has announced the completion of a 15,000-[ft.sup.2] expansion of its rotational molding and thermoforming plant. Increasing overall plant space by nearly 33%, says Eger, the expansion will be used as a trim...

ISO/QS Certification. (Industry News).(four companies receive certification)(Trace Laboratories)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The following have received ISO, QS, or other Certification: Trace Laboratories-Central, Palatine, Illinois, A2LA. Dynisco LLC, Franklin, Massachusetts, ISO 9001:2000, for its Instruments and Potymer Test divisions. Parker Hannifin...

Pactiv Corp. (Joint Ventures).(Acme Packaging Company Ltd. joins into alliance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Pactiv Corp.'s Kobusch Sengewald business unit in Halle, Westfalen, Germany, and Rollprint Packing Products, Inc., have jointly announced a southeast Asian addition to their global strategic medical packaging alliance. Acme Packaging Co. (Pte)...

Nypro, Inc. (Joint Ventures).(acquires stake in Profile Plastics Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Clinton, Massachusetts, Nypro, Inc., reports that it has initially purchased 20% of IMD (inmold decorating) injection molder Profile Plastics, Inc. Nypro has the option to purchase up to 50% of Profile, which has operations at...

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI). (Joint Ventures).(OEM agreement with CTC Analytics AG)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI) of Columbia, Maryland, and CTC Analytics AG, based in Zwingen, Switzerland, have entered into an OEM agreement, expanding the current Shimadzu Corp. OEM agreement for North America and Latin America. The...

Kapak Corp. and PPI Technologies (PPiT). (Joint Ventures).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Minneapolis-based Kapak Corp. and PPI Technologies (PPiT) of Sarasota, Florida, have entered into an informal partnership to facilitate market entry for flexible pouch applications.

Rhodia Engineering Plastics. (Joint Ventures).(partners with Tec Air Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Rhodia Engineering Plastics in Farmington Hills, Michigan, has teamed with Tec Air, Inc., based in Willow Springs, Illinois, on the development and manufacture of the engine cooling fan assembly that Tec Air supplies to Behr America. Says Tec...

Rhodia. (Joint Ventures).(partnering with Federal Mogul)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Rhodia also has teamed with Federal Mogul to reduce weight, parts, and complexity in Federal Mogul's patent-pending engine cover module with integrated ignition system. Says Rhodia, the companies have developed a module that incorporates a new...

Thomson ISI ResearchSoft. (Joint Ventures).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Thomson ISI ResearchSoft of Carlsbad, California, has announced a partnership agreement with Openly Informatics, Inc., developer of the 1Cate OpenURL link service for libraries. Under the agreement, ISI ResearchSoft will distribute iCate as...

Nanosys, Inc. (License).(announces licensing of patents and patent applications in nanotechnology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Nanosys, Inc., has announced the licensing of 40 key patents and patent applications in nanotechnology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the laboratory of Professor Moungi Bawendi....

Morton Custom Plastics, LLC (MCP). (Merger).(to sell its assets to Wilbert Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Harrisburg, North Carolina, Morton Custom Plastics, LLC (MCP), reports that it has reached a definitive agreement with Wilbert, Inc., for the sale of all MCP's assets. Based in Chicago, Wilbert is a privately held holding...

Owens-Illinois (O-I) Plastics Group. (New Division).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Toledo-based Owens-Illinois (0-I) Plastics Group has announced a reorganization resulting in a new, consolidated business unit, Food & Beverage Products. Says 0-I, its customers now benefit from "one-stop, seamless shopping for all of their...

DAK Americas. (New Facilities).(construction of PET resin unit is on schedule)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... DAK Americas, headquartered in Chicago, reports that construction of its PET resin unit at its Cooper River site near Charleston, South Carolina, is on schedule. Expected to be operational by April 2003, says DAK, the new plant will double the...

Motion Industries, Inc. (New Facilities).(opened new branch in Kane, Pennsylvania)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Birmingham, Alabama-based Motion Industries, Inc., has opened a new branch in Kane, Pennsylvania. Located at 75 Ideal Farm Road, this site is part of Motion Industries' initiative to promote convenience in supplying customer needs.

EVAL Company of America. (New Facilities).(new application development office opens)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Based in Houston, EVAL Company of America has announced the opening of its new application development office in Livonia, Michigan. The new facility will offer sales support and application development services to the company's automotive...

Minerals Technologies Inc. (New Facilities).(its Specialty Minerals Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. subsodoary to construct satellite precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... New York City-based Minerals Technologies Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Specialty Minerals Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. will construct a satellite precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) plant at Sipitang, Sabah, Malaysia, at a paper...

Dow Plastics. (New Facilities).(completes new mass-ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) production train )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Dow Plastics has announced the completion of a new mass-ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) production train at its plant in Terneuzen, The Netherlands. Says Dow, the expansion will increase its global production capacity for Magnum ABS...

Chase Plastics. (New Locations).(relocates HQ)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Chase Plastics announces that it has expanded and relocated both its headquarters and primary warehouse facilities. The corporate office is now located in a new 9200-[ft.sup.2] facility in Clarkston, Michigan. The company's warehouse facility,...

Pelletron Corp. (New Locations).
January 1, 2003... Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Pelletron Corp. has announced the following relocations. Its new sales office/mailing/remittance address is 3004 Hempland Road, Lancaster, PA 17601 (effective Dec. 1, 2002); its new lab/receiving...

Camfil Farr. (New Names).(changes name of its Air Pollution Control Products Group )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Camfil Farr's Air Pollution Control Products Group will now be called Farr Air Pollution Control (Farr APC). The change helps to differentiate the company's dust collection business while capitalizing on the name recognition of Farr in the air...

Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc. (HKS). (New Names).(changes name to Abaqus Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based provider of finite element analysis (FEA) software Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc. (HKS), announces that its corporate name has been changed to Abaqus, Inc., effective immediately. Consolidating the company...

Sheffield Plastics, Inc. (New Names).(changes names of Hyzod and Hygard polycarbonate (PC) sheet products to Makrolon)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Sheffield Plastics, Inc., a Bayer company based in Sheffield, Massachusetts, has changed the names of Hyzod and Hygard polycarbonate (PC) sheet products to Makrolon. Sheffield's PC products have been made from Makrolon resins provided by the...

Alcoa Building Products, Inc. (New Names).(now called Alcoa Home Exteriors, Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Alcoa Building Products, Inc., has announced the change of its name to Alcoa Home Exteriors, Inc., effective Dec. 1, 2002. Says Alcoa, the new name reflects the growing identity and focus of the company as a color and design solution provider...

Waltec Plastics, Inc. (New Names).(changes name to Baytech Plastics, Inc)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Waltec Plastics, Inc., of Midland, Ontario, Canada, announces that, effective Dec. 16, 2002, has changed its name to Baytech Plastics, Inc. While its name and logo have been officially changed, the company notes, it remains the same legal...

Rogers Corp. (New Subsidiary).(opens Rogers Technologies Suzhou Company Ltd)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Rogers Corp. of Rogers, Connecticut, has announced the opening of Rogers Technologies Suzhou Company Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary located in Suzhou, People's Republic of China. The 25,400 [ft.sup.2] facility will add manufacturing capability...