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 … [Read more...] about Association News
Articles
Be a Customer Service Contender
by Katie Zabriskie, president, Business Training Works, Inc. Too often, organizations recognize they have a service issue, yet their efforts to address shortcomings fail to solve the problem. In the worst cases, customer service initiatives backfire and motivate people to do less. So, what's going on? Usually, a few things are to blame. Typically, there's an organizational … [Read more...] about Be a Customer Service Contender
Plasma Surface Pretreatments of Polymers for Improved Adhesion Bonding
by Scott Sabreen, president, The Sabreen Group, Inc. Abstract Polymeric adhesion bonding problems are pervasive throughout the plastics industry. Two- and three-dimensional products often include joining plastic-to-plastic, plastic-to-metal and plastic-to-composite. Many plastics have a poor tendency to bond to other materials because of their inherent chemical structure … [Read more...] about Plasma Surface Pretreatments of Polymers for Improved Adhesion Bonding
Ask the Expert: Plastics Part Decoration Evolves to Meet Marketplace Challenges
by Chris DeMell, North American medical marketing manager, ITW Industrial Decorating Solutions It's a common belief that overseas production is more cost-effective than manufacturning in the US. However, when it comes to the plastics industry, more and more product decoration is being brought back to the US. Furthermore, trends such as increased automation and … [Read more...] about Ask the Expert: Plastics Part Decoration Evolves to Meet Marketplace Challenges
Staking by Ultrasound – Strong Joints in Short Cycle Times
by Thomas Fischer, head of application development, Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG; Eric Brückner, Institute of Conveyor Technology and Plastics (IFK); Dr. Michael Gehde, head chair for plastics, IFK A novel version of ultrasonic staking for joining plastics and dissimilar materials utilizes a tubular rivet that it shapes into a form-fitting bead. This new … [Read more...] about Staking by Ultrasound – Strong Joints in Short Cycle Times