Gustavo Lidzki, Vice President, Global Engineering & CI Systems, Ampacet Corporation, was recently named to SPE’s Executive Board as VP at Large. Current SPE President, Jaime Gómez, appointed Lidzki to this position. Lidzki’s position as VP at Large started on July 1 and will continue for a period of one year.
Medical plastics and manufacturers making plastic medical products have been front and center in the news during this pandemic-created crisis. The making of ventilators and ventilator parts, gloves, masks, gowns and more is truly life-saving work. Plastics in Medical Manufacturing: The Virtual Edition, taking place online August 11-12 and presented by the SPE Medical Plastics Division, will showcase the people, technologies and companies contributing to the battle and will talk about trends, strategies and opportunities for medical plastics manufacturers today.
The SPE Blow Molding Division's top priority is the health and safety of conference attendees, speakers and sponsors. After much consideration, the division has made the difficult decision to cancel ABC 2020, October 5-7 in Chicago, IL. The Blow Molding Division is looking forward to the future with the hope to gather again at ABC 2021, October 11-13 in Atlanta, GA.
Plastics in Cannabis Packaging: The Virtual Edition, which took place July 28 online, was filled with insights on sustainable materials, environmentally friendly designs and bio-based solutions. Other areas explored analyzed what innovations we can expect in the coming years with this product. If you missed the live event, you can register now for access to the recorded sessions!
Recorded presentations are now available to all attendees of Plastics in Clean Water: The Virtual Edition. But if you missed the event, you can register now to gain access to the event's recorded presentations! Or if you have multiple employees from your company wanting to view the recorded presentations, you can purchase a 10-Pack for team access!
The auditor's report for SPE's financial statements, which are comprised of financial position statements as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, are now available for viewing.
Plastics in Clean Water: The Virtual Edition, taking place online July 16, will provide a deep dive into how polymers are used in water filtration and new technology surrounding this as well as engineering that can go into products ahead of time to minimize microplastics in the waterways. Keynote presenter Lola Olabode, Research Program Manager for The Water Research Foundation, will provide insights into microplastics in the water cycle and its effect on human health and ecosystems.
SPE is pleased to announce Dr. Brian Grady as recipient of the Society’s President’s Cup award for 2020. The award was presented to Dr. Grady during SPE’s Honors and Awards Ceremony, which was presented virtually this year on June 30. Dr. Brian Landes, SPE’s outgoing President, presented the award to Dr. Grady during the ceremony.
SPE’s annual Honors and Awards Ceremony, which was presented virtually on June 30th, announced the President’s Cup recipient, acknowledged the recipients of both the 2020 Honored Service Members (HSM) Award and the Fellow of Society Award, and introduced SPE's new Executive Board. The event is available for viewing on SPE's YouTube Channel.
The organizing committee for the SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) today announced the transition from an in-person event to a virtual platform for its 20th anniversary event. The virtual ACCE will be held Sept. 9 – 11, 2020 (the dates it was originally planned for) and will include keynotes, panel discussions, technical sessions, sponsorship and exhibit options, and online networking opportunities.
Through partnering with more than fifty-three other leading societies to form the Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine), SPE's involvement in the Consortium will address sexual and gender-based issues to ensure that all individuals may work in STEMM industries in a safe and welcoming environment.
SPE and the ICIPC - Instituto de Capacitacion e Investigacion del Plastico y del Caucho –announced they are joining together to launch the first Plastics Forum as a virtual event. Plastics Forum 2020: Nuevas Tecnologías y Sostenibilidad, taking place online September 17-18, will be SPE’s first all-Spanish language conference and will be the society’s first collaboration with ICIPC, Acoplásticos and other Colombian institutions.
SPE is pleased to announce Barry Morris, Ph.D., as Chair for the Council Committee of the Whole (CCOW). The CCOW consists of all current SPE Councilors and the properly authorized proxies. The CCOW exists solely as an open forum to explore ideas, projects and concerns of the membership; and to discuss and debate issues of interest to the Council. The CCOW Chair position’s term begins on July 1 and will run for one year.
The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers is announcing the postponement of its 50th annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala, the oldest and largest recognition event in the automotive and plastics industries. Originally planned for Nov. 19, 2020, the event commemorating “50 Years of Plastics Innovation,” is rescheduled to Nov. 10, 2021 and will be held at the Burton Manor in Livonia, Michigan, where it has been held for many years.
SPE's latest webinar, "iMFLUX's Novel Low, Constant Pressure Molding Technology Overcomes Traditional Barriers to Achieving A Truly Sustainable, Circular Operation," presented by Gene Altonen, Chief Technology Officer, iMFLUX, discusses one of the biggest challenges facing the plastics industry today -- the need for technology solutions that enable a Circular Economy. This is especially true for injection molded parts, where operational tradeoffs are often encountered when running many sustainable materials.
SPE is pleased to announce recently elected Executive Board members as well as a newly appointed President. Additional board positions announced include VP Business & Finance, VP Sustainability and President-Elect.
SPE's recent webinar, "Impact Failure of Plastics," presented by Jeff Jansen, Senior Managing Engineer and Partner, The Madison Group, discusses impact loads, which are among the most challenging stresses that plastic component designers and manufactures must deal with. In many cases impact stress is not adequately accounted for and can lead to unnecessary premature or unexpected failure. Jansen's webinar looks at this issue and potential solutions.
Recorded presentations are now available to all attendees of Empowered Processing: The Virtual Edition. But if you missed the event, you can access recorded presentations by registering now to gain access! Or if you have multiple employees from your company wanting to view the recorded presentations, you can purchase a 10-Pack for team access!
The SPE Foundation 2019 Impact Report is now available for you to view! With your help, the SPE Foundation: brought PlastiVan® to more than 24,535 students; awarded $113,250 in scholarship dollars; raised more than $38,000 from membership renewal donations; awarded $43,653 in total grant dollars; and raised $10,509 on #GivingTuesday from 37 donors. Thank you to all SPE members for your time and support. Even in the midst of our current events, we are working together for a better future for our industry and our planet.
New SPE conference explores the symbiotic relationship between the plastics and water industries.
Recorded presentations are now available to all attendees of Plastics in Aerospace: The Virtual Edition. But if you missed the event, you can access recorded presentations by registering now to gain access! Or if you have multiple employees from your company wanting to view the recorded presentations, you can purchase a 10-Pack for team access!
Empowered Processing: The Virtual Edition, presented by the SPE Injection Molding Division offers attendees the opportunity to learn and apply best practices for the injection molding process from industry leaders and innovators. The online event, taking place June 9, includes a powerful speaker line-up, presenting on topics relevant for today’s plastic processing environment.
To honor longtime plastics journalist Bill Bregar, SPE and Crain Communications recently announced the launch of the Bill Bregar Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will support aspiring journalists and business communicators in the plastics and manufacturing industries. Bregar, who passed away on April 5, 2020, at the age of 58 of an apparent heart attack, spent 31 years reporting on the plastics industry. He joined Crain Communications’ Plastics News as a staff reporter shortly before the publication's launch in 1989.
SPE recently announced the launch of SPE Polymers, a peer-reviewed, fully open access journal dedicated to all aspects of polymer science, polymer engineering, and polymer technology. Open access provides the opportunity to quickly make article acceptance decisions leading to prompt online publication. SPE Polymers articles are immediately open upon publication which also allows for faster broadcasting of research data to a much broader audience.
ANTEC® 2020: The Virtual Edition kicked off on Monday, March 30 with three full days of amazing keynotes and technical presentations that continued over a six-week period beginning on Monday, March 30th and concluded on Tuesday, May 5. Didn't attend? No worries. Just because you didn't attend ANTEC® 2020: The Virtual Edition doesn't mean you can't keep abreast of the latest technologies, developments and trends in plastics. Register to gain access to technical session proceedings and recorded presentations, keynotes, podcasts and demonstrations.
SPE’s ANTEC® 2020: The Virtual Edition was host to plastics professionals globally and from all industries for a six-week period beginning on Monday, March 30th and closing on Tuesday, May 5. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the first five weeks and Monday and Tuesday on the sixth week, attendees logged into day-long keynote presentations and technical sessions focused on plastics used in a range of industries from medical to automotive to aerospace and more. During the six-week period, over 3,300 participants from over seven countries viewed 14 keynote speakers and 167 technical presentations facilitated by over 58 session moderators. Over 20 presentations, podcasts and demonstrations were live-streamed on YouTube and are currently accessible to everyone.
SPE recently announced a new virtual event focused on plastics in the aerospace industry. The first offering in SPE’s “Plastics In…” virtual series, Plastics in Aerospace: The Virtual Edition, taking place May 18-19, 2020, is a one and half day live online event that is focused on insights from aerospace industry leaders. Plastics performance, material innovations, supply chain challenges and solutions, and how plastics usage is growing in aerospace will be addressed. Event co-chairs Dr. Jason Lyons, SPE Vice President/Divisions, and Dr. Scott Eastman, SPE Vice President/Sections, are guiding the speaker selection process.
Dr. Prithu Mukhopadhyay is the new editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vinyl & Additive Technology (JVAT). He will assume his role on May 1, 2020. He succeeds Randy Brown who served as the editor of the journal since 2015.
The SPE European Thermoforming Division has postponed their main event of the European thermoforming industry due to the increase in COVID-19 cases internationally. The conference will be now hosted at the Starling Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, from September 30 - October 2, 2020.
Taking place May 18, SPE's new one-day virtual event will include insights from aerospace industry leaders. Event will focus on industry trends, opportunities and challenges, new and emerging technologies, and more! Want to share your knowledge in this growth industry? SPE is conducting a call for presenters for Plastics in Aerospace: The Virtual Edition.
SPE’s ANTEC® 2020: The Virtual Edition went live using the Zoom conferencing platform on Monday, March 30. The virtual event kicked off with a keynote session featuring Thomas (Tom) Salmon, CEO and Director, Chairman of the Board, Berry Global Group, and Jim Fitterling, CEO, Dow. The session was moderated by Don Loepp, Editor, Plastics News, who also led a Q&A, fielding questions asked by attendees. Dr. Brian Landes, President, SPE, started the session with a brief overview of SPE and ANTEC®. The opening session streamed live on YouTube and was available to the public. More than 1,750 viewed the opening keynote session on both the Zoom platform and on YouTube.
This webinar, presented by Dr. Abhishek Shetty, Lead Scientist, Anton Paar USA Rheology Division, on March 24th, looks at how DMA can be used to gain a better understanding of the viscoelastic and thermal properties of your material. The theoretical basics of DMA measurements are also covered along with the test methods and their resulting information. Access to this webinar is open to all.
SPE is pleased to announce that Thomas (Tom) Salmon, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Chairman of the Board, Berry Global Group and Jim Fitterling, Chief Executive Officer, Dow, will kick off ANTEC® 2020: The Virtual Edition. This opening keynote session, which will begin on Monday, March 30 at 10:00 a.m. ET, will be streamed live on YouTube and will be available at no charge to the plastics industry at large. Each CEO will provide their insights and perspectives on the plastics industry.
After hearing individually from hundreds of ANTEC® attendees, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors it became clear that meeting in-person was an impossibility. Unanimous, however, was the desire (need!) to hear from the speakers scheduled to present. ANTEC® 2020: THE VIRTUAL EDITION addresses this need.
Registration is now open! Precision extrusion in a “4.0 environment” requires a thorough knowledge of extrusion fundamentals, advanced theory and knowing where to go to get answers.
The SPE Thermoset Div. is announcing its first keynote speaker for their annual TopCon event to be held on May 12 – 13, 2020 at the Monona Terrace and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin. “Thermosets - a Historical and Future Perspective," will be presented by Professor Tim A. Osswald, Director of the Polymer Engineering Center (PEC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The SPE Thermoset Div. is announcing a special reduced rate of only $100 for students to attend their annual TopCon event to be held on May 12 – 13, 2020 at the Monona Terrace and Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
SPE has recently been announced as an Official Association Partner for the North East Petrochemical Exhibition & Conference 2020, taking place June 29-30 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
SPE recently announced a significant change with their Women’s Networking Lunch, an annual event that occurs during ANTEC®, the largest, most respected and well-known technical conference in the plastics industry. The networking lunch, renamed Working Together: A Conversation on Diversity and Inclusion in the Plastics Industry, takes place on April 1 and is being held to foster thought-provoking discussion that will continue to propel this important topic into the future.
For more than 5 years, SPE, with the financial support of the PLASTICS Industry Association, has provided free memberships to undergraduate and graduate students who are in plastics-related fields of study. Although the participation of PLASTICS has ended, SPE has not only maintained its free Student Membership option, the Society has extended this membership offering to young professionals during their first two years of working in the industry.
The organizing committee for the SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Expo (ACCE) invites graduate, undergraduate, community college, and high school students to submit abstracts on innovative composites technologies, for automotive and ground transportation, for its annual student poster scholarship competition. The competition will be held during the ACCE at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan (in the Detroit suburbs) September 9 - 11, 2020.
The organizing committee for the SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Expo (ACCE) invites graduate, undergraduate, and community college students to submit applications for three SPE ACCE scholarships and an additional award from the endowed scholarship funded in honor of the late Dr. Jackie Rehkopf, a long-time SPE ACCE volunteer and automotive composites expert. Applications are due April 1, 2020 and winners will be announced prior to the 2020 SPE ACCE event, September 9 - 11, 2020 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan (in the Metro-Detroit area).
The SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Expo (ACCE) team is announcing its Call for Papers, Exhibitors & Sponsors for their 20th annual event September 9 - 11, 2020 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich. in the Detroit suburbs.
Are you someone that fears going into your supervisor’s office to request permission to attend ANTEC®? Have you ever been greeted with a hasty “no way, your time is better spent in the lab” when asking for funding to travel to any conference? If so, this webinar is for you. In this webinar, Jason Lyons, Business Manager of Arkema’s Kepstan®PEKK Product Line, will guide you through several strategies that he has used over his career to not only obtain funding to attend ANTEC®, but to support other SPE initiatives along the way.
SPE recently announced the 2020 recipients for two of its prestigious awards: the Honored Service Members (HSM) Award and the Fellow of Society Award. The recipients will be honored at ANTEC® 2020, taking place March 29-April 2 at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas.
SPE is adding two workshops to its ANTEC® 2020 educational roster with each taking place on Sunday, March 29 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio. Workshop #1 will focus on entrepreneurship and Workshop #2 will address using non-halogen flame retardants thermoplastics.
This year’s conference will introduce a new programming format, featuring four keynotes each day and more than 300 concurrent sessions, including presentations on additive manufacturing, applied rheology, automotive, bioplastics and renewable technologies, blow molding, chemical recycling and the circular economy, coatings, membranes and thin films, and more!
ANTEC® 2020 attendees will no longer have to miss out on ANTEC® or any ANTEC® events because they don’t have childcare. New this year, SPE is offering childcare on premises at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio each day during the largest, most respected and well-known technical conference in the plastics industry.
General Summary: Duties include travel throughout assigned region educating students in grades 5-12, teachers, and general public about the chemistry, history, processing, sustainability, environmental issues and social impact of plastics. Outreach Educators must enjoy teaching all levels of students in an informal and enthusiastic manner.
This webinar, presented by Dennis Gros, MBS Advisors, on January 14th, looks at salary trends and the factors that affect your money. Gros provides an overview of the past five years of employment in the plastics industry. Specifically, he analyzes the growth curve of compensation for roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales, supply chain, and general management.
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