Plastics Engineering articles from July 2004

Plastics Engineering archives from July 2004

President Winkler's vision for 2004-2005; "take pride. give back.".(From the Society of Plastic Engineers)
July 1, 2004... As Karen Winkler officially assumes the SPE Presidency for 2004-2005, she begins her tenure by saying, "'Take pride; and give back," and by asking SPE leadership and staff to consider, "What would Harvey think?" Ms. Winkler explains, "I'm...

Lines of communication.(Materials)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... In our "wired world," large volumes of data, audio, and images are transmitted every second, placing _huge strains on the solid or cellular dielectric insulation materials used in communication cables. To meet the growing need for enhanced...

Resins that take the initiative.(Materials)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... For the coatings and graphic arts industries, Ashland Specialty Chemicals has introduced additional classes of FlexCure self-initiating resins that the company says permit increased productivity, greater formulating latitude, decreased cost,...

At last! extruded PUF.(Materials)(Argotec, Inc.)(Polyurethane Foam)(Thermoplastic Polyurethane)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The capability to extrude polyurethane foam (PUF) sheet has previously been unavailable to plastics fabricators, converters, and design engineers, says Argotec, Inc. But the company has now introduced Argotec PUF extruded sheet, offering the...

Lube job for WPCs.(Materials)
July 1, 2004... The most obvious means of improving the competitiveness of extruded wood/plastic composite (WPC) products versus conventional lumber is to increase the output of WPC extrusion lines. Another approach is to improve the physical and mechanical...

Public hygiene.(Materials)(Polygiene technology)
July 1, 2004... As a precaution against contracting highly communicable diseases--such as SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus), influenza, and even the common cold--some people carry hand-sanitizing solutions and disposable antiseptic wipe...

Passing the test--with flying colors.(Materials)(U.S. Pharmacopeia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A series of colorants to be used in the development of autoclavable products, packaging, and disposable medical devices is said to the first recipient of a USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) Class VI rating for the coloration of polyolefins and other...

No drying required.(Materials)
July 1, 2004... Because no moisture-absorbing constituents are used in producing the NexPrene 9000 Series of fully vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer materials, the products in the series are nonhygroscopic (they do not absorb moisture from the atmosphere)....

Combination of benefits.(Materials)(Serel masterbatch )
July 1, 2004... Serel TPE masterbatch--when combined with styrenic block copolymers (SBCs) and ethylene propylene diene monomer thermoplastic vulcanizates (EPDM TPVs)--produces new compounds with "special performance benefits," according to the manufacturer,...

Joint venture.(Materials)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Fiber-reinforced polymer materials offer the advantages of low weight and high strength. However, their use often requires that they be joined with other materials, usually metals. Though the integrity and repeatability of bonds between polymer...

Reinventing ...(Applications)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Designed for such conveyances as beach carts and wheelbarrows, Roleez Wheels are blow-molded from Texin thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from Bayer Polymers. Providing increased abrasion resistance, impact strength, puncture resistance, and...

Secure connections.(Applications)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... PPC of Syracuse, New York, uses a UV-stable, weatherable grade of Delrin acetal resin from DuPont to mold a compression component for its new CMP compression connectors for TV cable. The device's other parts are made from nickel-plated machined...

Treading water.(Applications)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Anew automatic pool cleaner features wheels made from the tactile elastomer Santoprene TPV (thermoplastic vulcanizate) from Advanced Elastomer Systems (AES) and that employ a patented tread design. Said to offer a "hassle-free" yet highly...

High-tech analysis uncorked.(Applications)(Impact Analytical)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Supreme Corq of Kent, Wash.--which claims a share of about 40% of the estimated one billion synthetic corks sold annually--uses a new test regimen developed by Impact Analytical that allows barrier property testing of multiple wine-cork samples...

Clean sweep.(Applications)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Using an RTP long fiber compound, HP-Industrial of Denmark has designed a one-piece broom handle to meet the stringent sanitation requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industries. Smooth and completely sealed, with no joints or seams, the...

Design to shine.(Applications)(Urgent Plastic Services)
July 1, 2004... To build headlamp assemblies for a vehicle with a "long lineage of high performance and cutting edge style," Tier 1 automotive supplier Visteon turned to Urgent Plastic Services (UPS), a specialist in the rapid prototyping of injection molded...

Oceanic interlude.(Applications)(Glass Polymer)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Evoking an oceanic setting, the alluring design of Parlux's new Ocean Pacific cologne package relies on the clarity and chemical resistance of Eastman Chemical Company's Glass Polymer copolyester. Explains Eastman, a textured inner glass...

ANTEC 2004 wrapup.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... "SPE represents technology, and technology is the leading edge of any industry, which gives our members the competitive edge necessary to succeed in the plastics industry," President Winkler told the membership. "I'm issuing a challenge to our...

New forming technology offers more shapes, better capabilities.(Machinery & Processing)(Melt-Phase technology)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... By combining the advantages of traditional thermoforming and blow molding, PBM Plastics' Melt-Phase forming technology is said to be able to create previously unattainable shapes and product capabilities; containers can be thinner, with deeper...

Gravimetric dosing for difficult fillers.(Machinery & Processing)(iNOEX LLC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The use of fillers to enhance material properties is common in the plastics industry, but fillers can cause difficulties during processing. If bridges or lumps form in the mix, for example, flow properties are adversely affected. iNOEX LLC has...

Spray system for two-component coatings.(Machinery & Processing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Series 171 QuikSpray System for two-component coatings, from TAH Industries, consists of a disposable static mixer, an air nozzle, and a "quick-connect" attachment. The spray fitting for low-pressure spray applications is paired with TAH's...

Purging compound for soft-touch polymers.(Machinery & Processing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... An improved formulation of Dyna-Purge K for purging "soft-touch' polymers is said to flow faster and more smoothly at lower processing temperatures than the previous product, according to Shuman Plastics' DynaPurge Division, and can now be used...

Gains in precision with high-speed machining.(Machinery & Processing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The VCP 1000 Duro, a vertical three-axis or four-axis machining center, has been added by the Mikron Bostomatic Corp. to its high-speed machining (HSM) product family. Designed for die/mold manufacturing and job shops, it is said to be suited...

Die-cutting press for low-density materials.(Machinery & Processing)(TTARP Industries, Inc)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Acompact (26 x 20 inch) die-cutting press for fabricating applications using low-density, nonmetallic materials, such as foam, plastic, rubber, paper products, and textiles, has been introduced by TTARP Industries. Available for manual or...

Winding for flexible tubing and delicate profiles.(Machinery & Processing)(Progressive Machine Co)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Model S160 spooling machine from Progressive Machine Co. is said to be well suited for winding flexible tubing and delicate plastic profile materials that require precision tension control to avoid stretching or damage to the product. The...

Loop controller for multiple-strand extruders.(Machinery & Processing)(Sona-Trol ST-6)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Anoncontact, ultrasonic loop controller, the Sona-Trol ST-6 from Waddington Electronics, is said to ensure smooth operation and prevent dragging of extruded materials between processes. The controller can perform loop measurements at up to 100...

Mold-lift tongs.(Machinery & Processing)(Bermer Precision Products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Bermer Precision Products has introduced a line of totally redesigned mold-lift tongs for opening molds during mold fabrication, assembly, maintenance, or repair. Tension exerted by the lift arms of the device is proportional to the weight of...

Input modules stand alone.(Computer Hardware & Software)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Two new input modules from Acromag, designed to interface six differential DC voltage or DC current signals directly to an Ethernet Modbus/TCP 10/100 network, are said to be "ideal" for remote I/O functions at distributed sites with low point...

25,000-plus spectra.(Computer Hardware & Software)(ST Japan)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SensIR Technologies has announced that in conjunction with Aldrich Chemical Company and ST Japan, it has created and released an ATR spectral library consisting of 25,470 high-quality spectra. Comprising spectra collected with SensIR...

Simultaneity in the extreme.(Computer Hardware & Software)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... CyberResearch has introduced the "fully synchronized" PCIDAQ 04 series of data-acquisition boards. "Taking full advantage of 32-bit architecture," says CyberResearch, these new boards otter four channels of simultaneously sampled data at speeds...

Breaking the code.(Computer Hardware & Software)(Data Matrix code-reading software)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Cognex Corp. describes IDMax as a "breakthrough" in Data Matrix code-reading software. Based upon its patented PatMax technology, says Cognex, IDMax is designed for Direct Part Mark identification (DPMI), an emerging industrial ID market that...

On-line DuPont polymer specs.(Computer Hardware & Software)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Registered users of plastics.dupont.com can now download a Microsoft Excel file that enables access to recommended processing parameters for most DuPont engineering polymers, the company announces. Found on the "Services & Solutions" tab under...

Modular, on-machine I/O modules.(Computer Hardware & Software)(ArmorPoint)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Automation presents its new Allen-Bradley Armor-Point line of I/O as an "industry-hardened" system consisting of adapters, I/O modules, power supplies, and backplane bus extenders. All products in the ArmorPoint platform are IP67-rated, says...

Report forecasts growth in U.S. market for polymers in wire & cable.(Industry News)
July 1, 2004... A new report from Business Communications Company, Inc. (BCC), of Norwalk, Conn., projects that the U.S. market for polymeric materials used in wire and cable will grow to about 2089 million lbs in 2008, from about 1782 million in...

Moll Industries, Inc., a custom plastics injection molder and manufacturer based in Dallas, has purchased the assets of Creative Plastic Molders, Inc. (CPM), of Lexington, N.C.(Acquisition)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Moll Industries, Inc., a custom plastics injection molder and manufacturer based in Dallas, has purchased the assets of Creative Plastic Molders, Inc. (CPM), of Lexington, N.C. Moll says it will dedicate CPM's Seagrove, N.C., facility solely to...

The Engineered Polymer Products group of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (Wayne, N.J.) and GE Polymershapes, a division of the General Electric Company, have announced a distribution agreement.(Distributor)
July 1, 2004... The Engineered Polymer Products group of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (Wayne, N.J.) and GE Polymershapes, a division of the General Electric Company, have announced a distribution agreement. GE Polymershapes is now the exclusive...

DuPont (Wilmington, Del.) reports that it has completed a 2500-MT/yr capacity expansion for compounding DuPont Zytel nylon, Crastin PBT, and Rynite PET thermoplastic polyester resins at its site in Berazategui, Argentina.(Expansions)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... DuPont (Wilmington, Del.) reports that it has completed a 2500-MT/yr capacity expansion for compounding DuPont Zytel nylon, Crastin PBT, and Rynite PET thermoplastic polyester resins at its site in Berazategui, Argentina. An additional 4500 MT...

Dupont Engineering Polymers.(Expansions)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... DuPont Engineering Polymers has announced that through an exclusive agreement with a licensed contract compounder in Shanghai, it is expanding production capacity for its specialty products in China. Beginning in fourth-quarter 2004, the...

The Dow Chemical Company.(Expansions)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Dow Chemical Company, headquartered in Midland, Mich., has announced that it will increase the nameplate capacity of its Stade, Germany, propylene oxide plant to 590 KT (l.3 billion lbs)/yr, which represents a more than 7% increase over the...

ISO/QS Certification.(Southwest Research Institute)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The following have received ISO, QS, or other Certification: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, ISO 9001:2000, for its Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division. Rhein Chemie Corp., Trenton, N.J., ISO/IEC 17025, for its...

Headquartered in Hartsville, S.C., packaging company Sonoco has announced an agreement with OnTech, LLC, of San Diego to manufacture and assemble self-heating plastic containers.(Joint Ventures)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Headquartered in Hartsville, S.C., packaging company Sonoco has announced an agreement with OnTech, LLC, of San Diego to manufacture and assemble self-heating plastic containers. The technology is said to allow the contents of the package--a...

Milliken Chemical and SpecialChem S.A. have announced a joint venture using the SpecialChem.com web platform to provide assistance in the use of Milliken's polypropylene hypernucleating and clarifying agents.(Joint Ventures)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Milliken Chemical and SpecialChem S.A. have announced a joint venture using the SpecialChem.com web platform to provide assistance in the use of Milliken's polypropylene hypernucleating and clarifying agents. New online resources, including the...

Entegris, Inc. (Chaska, Minn.), and Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI), have announced a joint agreement to develop and commercialize polymer products.(Joint Ventures)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Entegris, Inc. (Chaska, Minn.), and Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. (CNI), have announced a joint agreement to develop and commercialize polymer products incorporating CNI's single-wall carbon nanotubes.

New Hudson, Mich.-based Elopak, Inc., and Techne SpA of Bologna, Italy, are forming a dedicated business.(Joint Ventures)(Elopak-Techne)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... New Hudson, Mich.-based Elopak, Inc., and Techne SpA of Bologna, Italy, are forming a dedicated business, Elopak-Techne, to provide extrusion blow-molding machines to the North American food and dairy industry.

Resin Technology, Inc. (RTi).(New Division)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... New Division Resin Technology, Inc. (RTi), of Fort Worth, Texas, has established a new division to advise plastic-product manufacturers on the cost-effective purchase of packaging supplies and equipment.

Eval Company of America (Houston) has officially opened its new Kuraray Research and Technical Center USA (KRTC).(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Eval Company of America (Houston) has officially opened its new Kuraray Research and Technical Center USA (KRTC). (Kuraray is the parent company, based in Osaka, Japan.) The $8.5 million facility is designed to provide application and...

Degussa AG.(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Degussa AG of Dusseldorf, Germany, has begun operations at a new polyether manufacturing facility at its Hopewell, Va., site. The new plant is said to have a production capacity of 14,000 MT/yr.

Dow Corning Corp.(New Facilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Dow Corning Corp. (Midland, Mich.) has established a new global research center for the development of technologies and applications for organosilane and silicon-containing chemicals. Located in Belgium, the Surface and Interlace Solutions...

Beaumont Technologies, Inc.(New Location)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Beaumont Technologies, Inc., has moved to new corporate headquarters at: 2103 East 33rd Street, Erie, PA 16510-2529; phone (814) 899-6390; tax (814) 899-7117.

Albermarle Corp.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Albemarle Corp., headquartered in Richmond, Va., has announced global increases in the general prices of the following brominated flame retardants, effective July 1, 2004, or as contracts allow: Saytex 102E (decabromodiphenyl oxide) and Saytex...

Cook Composites and Polymers (CCP).(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Based in Kansas City, Cook Composites and Polymers (CCP) announces that it will increase pricing by $0.05/lb for its gel coat and resin products, effective July 12, 2004. Increases will apply to all shipments made on or after the effective...

The Dow Chemical Company.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Effective June 1, 2004, The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich.) has increased prices for all Pure & Polymeric MDI products by $0.09/lb, and for Voranol, Voralux, and Specflex polyether and copolymer polyols by $0.07/lb. These adjustments...

Dow.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Effective July 1, 2004, Dow will increase prices for its propylene glycol industrial (PGI), propylene glycol USP/EP (PG/USP/EP), dipropyolene glycol, dipropylene glycol LO+, tripropylene glycol a(TPG), and tripropylene glycol acrylate grade...

Also effective July 1, 2004, Dow will increase prices for all grades of the following materials in North America.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Also effective July 1, 2004, Dow will increase prices for all grades of the following materials in North America: monoethanolamine--to increase by $0.08/1b; diethanolamine--$0.05/lb; and triethanolamine--$0.05/1b.

Dow Corning.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Dow Corning of Midland, Mich., reports that it has increased prices for select materials for the engineered elastomers industry by 5% to 7% in the Americas, effective for products shipped on or after June 15, 2004, as contracts allow. Affected...

DuPont.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... DuPont's Glass Laminating Solutions business (Wilmington, Del.) has announced a surcharge of $0.29/[m.sup.2] (EUR 0.24/m2; 32/[m.sup.2] [yen]) for all grades of DuPont Butacite polyvinyl butyral interlayer, effective July 15, 2004. The...

DuPont Titanium Technologies.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Effective July 1, 2004, DuPont Titanium Technologies has increased the prices in Asia Pacific for all Ti-Pure titanium dioxide grades, by NT$3 per kilogram in Taiwan and US$100/MT in all other Asia Pacific countries except Japan.

Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC (Oklahoma City) and affiliates have announced price increases for all grades of Tronox titanium dioxide pigments in North America as follows: United States and Mexico--US$0.04/lb; Canada--CS0.06/lb. Increases are...

Kerr-McGee.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Effective July 1, 2004, or as contracts allow, Kerr-McGee is increasing prices for Tronox titanium dioxide sold in Latin America by $150/tonne and in the Asia-Pacific region by $100/tonne.

Kraton Polymers.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Houston-based Kraton Polymers has increased the price of SBS and oil-extended SBS polymers by $0.06/lb for paving & roofing and adhesives customers in North America, effective June 15, 2004.

Kronos Worldwide, Inc.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (Houston) has announced that effective July 1, 2004, or as contracts permit, prices for all Kronos titanium dioxide pigment grades are increasing by US$0.04/lb in the U.S. and by C$0.06/1b in Canada.

Resolution Performance Products LLC.(Price Changes)
July 1, 2004... Effective June 1, 2004, Resolution Performance Products LLC (Houston) has increased prices for all products in its Versatic Acids and Derivatives business line for all regions by EUR 150/MT or $150/MT, as applicable.

Resolution Performance Products.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Resolution Performance Products reports that effective June 7, 2004, it is removing all price-protection mechanisms for epoxy resins, such as firm quarterly pricing, price caps, and price increase delays. The company cites the current high cost...

Rohm and Haas.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Consumer and Industrial Specialties business of Philadelphia-based Rohm and Haas has announced price increases of 7% to 10% for selected products in the United States and Canada, effective June 15, 2004, or as contracts allow. Products...

Ticona.(Price Changes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Headquartered in Summit, N.J., Ticona has announced price increases in North America for the following products. Effective June 15, 2004, or as contracts allow, the prices for Celanex PBT, Impet PET, and Vandur alloy have increased by $0.06/lb;...

Lansco Colors.(Representatives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Lansco Colors, a Montvale, N.J.-based supplier of color pigments, has announced the appointment of P.T. Hutchins as its sales agent in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada. This is in addition to RT. Hutchins' representation of...

Painesville, Ohio-based supplier of special-effect pigments Eckart America L.P. has named two new sales agents: D&F Distributing, Inc., of Dallas for Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma; and Delta Colours of Norcross, Ga., for Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and North and South Carolina.(Representatives)(D&F Distributing, Inc., of Dallas)(Delta Colours of Norcross, Ga., )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Painesville, Ohio-based supplier of special-effect pigments Eckart America L.P. has named two new sales agents: D&F Distributing, Inc., of Dallas for Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma; and Delta Colours of Norcross, Ga., for...

A manufacturer of noncontact temperature-measurement products based in Niles, Ill., Ircon, Inc., has appointed Povan Control Associates of Montreal as its representative in Quebec and the eastern counties of Ontario.(Representatives)(Povan Control Associates of Montreal)(ACI Instrumentation of Toronto )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A manufacturer of noncontact temperature-measurement products based in Niles, Ill., Ircon, Inc., has appointed Povan Control Associates of Montreal as its representative in Quebec and the eastern counties of Ontario. It has also named ACI...

Based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Engel has announced that ABC Plastics Technology Group, LLC, of Alpharetta, Ga., will represent it in the U.S.(Representatives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Engel has announced that ABC Plastics Technology Group, LLC, of Alpharetta, Ga., will represent it in the U.S. in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Headquartered in Leominster, Mass., Hudson Color Concentrates reports that it has completed the integration of Midwest Color operations in Niles, Ill., and Garza, Mexico, with its main manufacturing businesses in the U.S. Northeast.(Other Briefs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Headquartered in Leominster, Mass., Hudson Color Concentrates reports that it has completed the integration of Midwest Color operations in Niles, Ill., and Garza, Mexico, with its main manufacturing businesses in the U.S. Northeast. Following...

Engel.(Other Briefs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Launching a major refurbishment program, Engel of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, says it has found a cost-effective alternative to purchasing new equipment. Through such reinvestment, says Engel, a company can recapture "new machine" performance and...

Teknor Apex.(Other Briefs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Teknor Apex (Pawtucket, R.I.) is studying the feasibility of constructing a U.S. plant to recover reusable flexible vinyl from wire and cable, coated fabric, and other composites by means of Solvay's Vinyloop technology. For a study to...

DuPont has announced that it is partnering with InnoCentive, an online scientific thrum, to improve its R&D capabilities and further its pursuit of innovation in plastics.(Other Briefs)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... DuPont has announced that it is partnering with InnoCentive, an online scientific thrum, to improve its R&D capabilities and further its pursuit of innovation in plastics. As an InnoCentive "Seeker," a company such as DuPont posts a...

SPI testifies on critical workforce issues.(SPI News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SPI recently testified before the U.S. Department of Labor's Advanced Manufacturing Executive Forum, providing its view of the critical workforce challenges facing U.S. manufacturers. Representing SPI was Maureen Steinwall, president,...

Operation clean sweep is back in business.(SPI News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... This spring, SPI relaunched its Operation Clean Sweep program as a joint initiative with the American Plastics Council. The reinvigorated program, which is aimed at preventing pellet loss into the environment, includes a website...

VSI recognizes superior uses of Vinyl Siding.(SPI News)(Vinyl Siding Institute)(Vinyl Siding Institute)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SPI's Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) recently presented its 2004 Awards of Distinction to 36 new and renovated homes and businesses that showcase the versatility, durability, and quality of vinyl siding. Selected from more than 170 entries,...

NPE 2003 scores high in exhibit-space ranking.(SPI News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NPE 2003 was the third-largest trade show in the U.S. last year, according to Tradeshow Week Magazine. The ranking, based on net square feet of paid exhibit space, is part of the publication's annual Tradeshow Week 200, which features a listing...

Machinery sales dip in 2003, but upswing is predicted.(SPI News)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Much of the U.S. plastics-equipment industry reported slight decreases in shipments in 2003--about 6% below the prior year, according to a recently released report from SPI's Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES). Shipment dollar comparisons...

EWI.(Personnel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... EWI, Columbus, Ohio, has announced a number of staff additions. Grant Wilson has joined the company as medical/microelectronics market leader. Dr. Yu-Ping Yang has joined the company in the position of senior engineer, and Joe Dirksheide,...

MarChem Northeast.(Personnel)(MarChem Northeast, Mountain Top, Pa.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Michael Withington has been named senior sales representative covering the northeastern U.S. for MarChem Northeast, Mountain Top, Pa.

Demag.(Personnel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Demag Plastics Group, Strongsville, Ohio, has announced Ed Freier has been named Northeast U.S. regional sales manager, and Richard Zelinski was named aftermarket sales manager.

PTi.(Personnel)(PTi, Aurora, Ill.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... PTi, Aurora, Ill., has announced a restructuring of staff with the following promotions and additions. Chris Eaton has been promoted to vice president of sales covering the Midwest to the West Coast of the U.S., plus Mexico and South America,...

Teknor Apex.(Personnel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Teknor Apex, Pawtucket, R.I., has named Mike Patel industry manager, wire and cable products, for the Vinyl Division. Also, the Vinyl Division has named Richard a. Vega sales manager for all of Latin America, including Mexico, Central and South...

Delta Computer Systems.(Personnel)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Michael A. Jackola has been appointed regional sales manager for Delta Computer Systems, Inc., Vancouver, Wash.