Plastics Engineering articles from January 2009

Plastics Engineering archives from January 2009

Council approves membership dues increase.(From SPE)
January 1, 2009... The SPE Council, as part of the 2009 budget process, has approved a dues increase. Effective April 1, 2009, annual dues for new members will be US$144, which includes a one-time $15 initiation fee. Annual dues for renewing members will be $129....

Foams seek sustainability: material and process developers shoot for "greener" polymeric foams.(NORTH AMERICA)
January 1, 2009... Foamed plastics are critical components in many safety, insulation, and weight-saving applications, a fact that contrasts with the often negative public image of foam packaging. Yet advancements in foaming overall are driving new applications...

PET bottle technology: a weight-watchers' race against time.(EUROPE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When production of PET bottle preforms began in the early 1970s, you almost had time to go for a drink between cycles. Today, it's best not to blink. Speed is not everything in this business, but it's a good part of...

Medical plastics: new materials, defect-free processing meeting needs of medical-device industry.(NORTH AMERICA)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The medical-device industry continues to consume increasing amounts of plastics to meet the needs of an aging population and changing trends in health care. Plastics processors who can consistently produce...

2008 product roundup: what were some of the product highlights from 2008? Plastics Engineering spoke to a cross section of Europe's materials and machinery companies to find out what they considered their major releases for the year.(EUROPE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] MATERIALS BASF The 2008 "star product" from BASF was a new POM (polyoxymethylene) range for blow moulding that became commercially available in March. Ultraform E3120 BM is said to offer efficient,...

NPE2009: "Emerging Technologies" pavilion to focus on environment, economy: U.S. government agencies will participate; DuPont will sponsor.(NORTH AMERICA)
January 1, 2009... A new type of multi-exhibitor pavilion to debut at the NPE2009 international plastics exposition in Chicago will present the latest developments in four emerging technologies that are already helping to determine the future, not just of the...

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.(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Pervaporation Membranes U.S. Patent 7,410,065 (August 12, 2008), "Membrane for the Separation of Material Mixtures and Method for Production Thereof," Katrin Ebert, Bastian Ruffmann, Joachim Koll, and Axel Wenzlaff (GKSS-Forschungszentrum...

For members only: get answers, solve problems and network.
January 1, 2009... Technical Groups are the heart of SPE, and your first source for up-to-the-minute technical information and an international community of colleagues. Your SPE membership includes free membership in your primary technical Division, local...

Thermoforming 2008: "discover your leading edge".(Conference news)
January 1, 2009... September 2008--Attendees gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, for SPE's 18th annual Thermoforming Conference. The four-day conference included more than 35 technical presentations, over 80 exhibiting companies, and educational and awards...

European Medical Polymers.(EUROPE: SPE NEWSROUNDUP)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... One of SPE Europe's great achievements in 2008 was the establishment and success of the European Medical Polymers Special Interest Group. Its first conference, held in September at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, was a success;...

ETD & EUROTEC[TM] conferences.(EUROPE: SPE NEWSROUNDUP)(Conference news)
January 1, 2009... Another 2008 success story was the European Thermoforming Division Conference in Berlin, Germany, in March. Attendees represented more than 23 countries, and many new innovations were presented. The next ETD conference will be held in spring...

French restoration.(EUROPE: SPE NEWSROUNDUP)
January 1, 2009... The year's most gratifying outcome was the restoration of the French Section, which had been placed in "suspended" status because of a lack of leadership. SPE members in France had been left without a Section. Dominique Duriez, a long-time...

Extrusion & Composites.(EUROPE: SPE NEWSROUNDUP)(Conference news)
January 1, 2009... Two Special Interest Groups, Extrusion Europe and Composites Europe, had different stories during 2008. The Extrusion SIG has been in existence for over a year, and its main activity was at K 2007, where the Extrusion Seminar, directed by Dr....

Hello/goodbye.(EUROPE: SPE NEWSROUNDUP)(resignation of Yetty Pauwels and appointment of Karen Hately at Society of Petroleum Engineers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... And finally, as 2008 closes, one era ends and another begins. Yetty Pauwels stepped down as SPE European Coordinator on 31 December 2008, and Karen Hately (KHately@4SPE.org) took up the new position of SPE European Representative on 1 January...

Industry events.(EUROPE)(Calendar)
January 1, 2009... JANUARY 27-30, Interplastica 2009 Site: Moscow, Russia Website: www.interplastica.de FEBRUARY 4-5, Polymer Electronics 2009 Site: Barcelona, Spain Website: www.rapra.net 5-6, Composites RTM 2009 Site:...

Industry events.(NORTH AMERICA)(Calendar)
January 1, 2009... SPE CONFERENCES Feb. 22-25. SPE's International Polyolefins Conference. Site: Hilton Houston North Hotel (formerly Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel), Houston, Texas USA. Contact: Don Witenhafer, +1 979-690-3199; Email:...

Plastic engineering 2008/2009 company directory.(COMPANY LISTING)(Directory)
January 1, 2009... 3DT LLC N114 W18850 Clinton Drive Germantown, WI 53022 United States 262-253-6700 262-253-6977 888-3CORONA www.3dtllc.com Erik Kiel, Sales & Marketing Management sekiel@3DTLLC.com 5 D Industria ...

Plastic engineering 2008/2009 company directory.(AUXILIARY-TESTING)(Directory)
January 1, 2009... AUXILIARY 3DT LLC 5 D Industria A.I.A Plastics AAA Pattern Inc Aardvark Polymers ABC Plastics Accuplast Solutions Accurate Plastics & Mold Co Accusonics, Inc. Aclo Compounders Inc Acorn Meadow...