Letter from the Chair
It is almost time for the National Plastics Exposition and the Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference. Every three years there is a joint meeting of SPE ANTEC and the NPE. More than 65,000 professionals from over 128 countries will be in attendance. It is the best place to learn what is new, how things work and what is available for immediate application to your business. It also is the place to be to develop contacts and to network. Where else is there 1.2 million square feet of exhibition floor space with 2,150 exhibitors? Where else are there hundreds of leading-edge technical papers on all aspects of plastics (and, in our case, the secondary operations of plastics joining and decorating)?
If you have not signed up yet, it is not too late. It may be the most important move you can make for your company and for your career. Knowledge, and the ability to apply it, is our greatest value, to ourselves and our companies.
The Decoration and Assembly Division will have a technical session, TH5, on Thursday morning. Papers will cover a wide variety of topics. Digital Printing Direct to Object, Laser Marking, Robotic Pad Printing, Low Energy Ebeam Curing, Carbon Black Selection to Optimize Laser Welding, and the Effects of Surface Treatment on Adhesion are just a few of the papers. As valuable as papers are, of greater value is the opportunity to meet the industry leaders who are doing this leading-edge work. Neither you nor I can predict what the next business opportunity or production problem will be, but if we know the best people to ask, the solution will come much faster.
Looking past the 2018 ANTEC to next year, the Decoration and Assembly Division is planning a Topical Conference. The TopCon will be a two-day conference focused on papers and workshops exclusively on plastics decoration and assembly.
This would be a good time to consider writing and presenting a paper if you have a new technology or improvement in a current technology. Participation in either or both conferences will provide you with a high level of visibility with an audience of those who are interested and working in the field. There will be a call for papers soon, so if you are interested, now is the time to begin to identify topics and start writing. Papers on new and emerging technologies and materials are always welcome. Topics such as problem solving, innovation and cost reduction are also welcome. You would have the opportunity to present the paper both at the TopCon and the 2019 ANTEC, which, since it will be located in Detroit, will give you great access to the North American automotive industry.
Finally, if you are not already a member of SPE, you should consider joining. Membership gives you access to the largest collection of technical papers on all aspects of plastics. Recently, SPE has expanded the opportunity to network and to seek help with specific problems. The organization has created a networking platform, THE CHAIN, specific to the plastics industry. Go to the SPE web page at www.4spe.org and learn more about SPE and the many advantages of membership in the society and its divisions.
Looking forward to seeing you at ANTEC/NPE.
Paul Uglum
Delphi Electronics and Safety
Chair, SPE Decorating
& Assembly Division
Decorating & Assembly Division to Host ANTEC Session
The SPE Decorating & Assembly Division will be sponsoring a full session of papers at the upcoming ANTEC Orlando – The Plastics Technology Conference that will take place during NPE 2018. The slate of programming will occur from 8-11 a.m. Thursday, May 10, in Room S322. The lineup includes topics on the latest technologies in plastics decorating and assembly. To see the full line of ANTEC programming and to register, visit www.4spe.org/antec. The following are the scheduled papers:
- 8-8:30 a.m. “Digital Printing Technologies for Plastics” – Focus on Color Inkjet and Laser Marking (ID 228) – Scott Sabreen, The Sabreen Group, Inc.
- 8:30-9 a.m. “Robotic Use in Pad Printing” (ID 685) – Micah Swett, Diversified Printing Techniques
- 9-9:30 a.m. “Digital Inkjet for Direct to Object Printing” (D 227) – Ben Adner, InkCups
- 9:30-10 a.m. “Applications for Low Energy Ebeam Curing Technology in Consumer Product Flexible Packaging Applications” (ID 721) – Anthony Carignano, ebeam Technologies
- 10-10:30 a.m. “Carbon Black Selection for Successful Through Transmission Laser Welding and Joining” (ID 491) – Avraham Benatar, Ohio State University, and Scott Sabreen, The Sabreen Group, Inc.
- 10:30-11 a.m. “Effects of Surface Treatment on Hard-to-Bond Plastics” (ID 722) Matthew Miner, Henkel Corp.
