What's Happening Around SPE

SPE Announces New Board of Directors Members

SPE recently announced newly elected Board of Directors members as well as a newly appointed president. Starting January 1, 2024, Conor Carlin, ILLIG Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, will assume the position of SPE President. Scott Eastman, DeWal, Rogers Corporation, will be President-Elect. New Board of Directors members, also starting terms on January 1, include Mubashir Ansari, Dow Inc.; Jungmee Kang, LG Chem; Margaret Sobkowicz Kline, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Ellen Lee, Ford Motor Company; Gustavo Nechar, Ascend Performance Materials; James Waddell, Plastic Concepts & Innovation.

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Call for SPE Instructors

Are you a knowledgeable professional with a passion for sharing your expertise in an impactful manner? We invite you to join our team of instructors as we develop educational programs and workshops for our audience of plastics professionals seeking to enhance their work skills and abilities. Instructors will lead workshops that break the mold, offering unique perspectives and insights that resonate with our audience.

Gail Bristol, SPE “Pillar,” Passes Away

It is with great sadness to report the recent passing of SPE “pillar” Gail Bristol. Gail was part of the SPE staff team for more than thirty years, including serving as the Society’s Managing Director. During her tenure, the SPE Foundation was established. She received the “President’s Cup” Award in 2008 and was named a Distinguished Member of SPE in 2014 for her career of service. You can read more about Gail’s career in this 2014 Plastics Engineering article.

ANTEC® 2024 to ROCK St. Louis

ANTEC® 2024 is taking place March 4-7, 2024, at the Marriott St. Louis Grand in St. Louis, MO. Early registration is now open BUT, if you really want to rock it, make sure to sign up for our ‘all access’ VIP Experience when you register. The ANTEC® VIP Experience is a complimentary upgrade to your registration that gives you fantastic perks and benefits to enhance your overall ANTEC® experience.

Glenn Beall to be Honored at ANTEC®

We are excited to announce that on Wednesday, March 6th, the ANTEC® program will include a Symposium Honoring the Career Achievements of Mr. Glenn Beall. Glenn, who joined SPE in 1960, has served in many roles during his career in plastics: engineer, inventor, consultant, educator, editor, author, and industry activist. Glenn has stamped an indelible legacy on the growth of plastics and of SPE.

ANTEC® 2024 Sponsorships Available

ANTEC® is a cross section of the plastics value chain with topics focused on the latest advances in industrial, national laboratory, and academic work. We are offering a wide range of flexible sponsorship opportunities to help you get in front of a global audience of plastics decision-makers attending ANTEC® 2024.

Jay Dinsmore Debunks Misconceptions in Additive Manufacturing

Part of the reason additive manufacturing has been able to grow so steadily and become stronger since its origins is because of the people involved. This is especially true when it comes to SPE’s Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technical Interest Group, which provides a forum for members to present, promote, and educate the plastics community on additive manufacturing and 3D printing. 3Dnatives recently interviewed the group’s new Chair, Jay Dinsmore, an industry veteran, to learn about the Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing group and its future goals.

Looking for Flame Retardant Solutions?

SPE’s National Week of Flame Retardants, hosted by the SPE Non Halogen Flame Retardant Materials TIG, taking place online January 22-25, 2024, will feature industry leaders showcasing recent advancements in flame retardant (FR) technologies. Attendees will engage in discussions surrounding the technological and regulatory landscape of flame retardants.

Next ImplementAM Event Taking Place in Austin, TX

Are you looking to implement additive manufacturing/3D printing into your company’s processes? Are you in or near Ausitn, TX? Then don’t miss SPE’s upcoming ImplementAM additive manufacturing event, taking place at Pinthouse Brewing in Austin on Wednesday, January 17! Go here for upcoming ImplementAM programs.

What’s in Store for the Future of Rotational Molding?

Get inside information about what the future holds for rotational molding at SPE’s must-attend event, “The Future of Rotomolding: Making Our Industry Innovative & Sustainable,” hosted by the SPE Rotational Molding Division, taking place online January 30-February 1, 2024. Connect with rotational molding leaders and learn about the trends that are shaping the industry moving forward.

Using Rheological Techniques Webinar

“Using Rheological Techniques to Fingerprint Polymer Architecture and Optimize Melt Processing” webinar, taking place March 12, 2024, and presented with SPE’s Polymer Analysis, Applied Rheology, and Engineering Properties & Structure divisions, will focus on the applications of using different rheological techniques in evaluating the viscosity and viscoelasticity properties of thermoplastic polymers. It is mostly focused on discussing the benefit of using a rotational rheometer to characterize the melt flow behavior of molten polymers.

SPE Foundation

Applications for SPE Foundation Scholarships Are Now Open

After awarding a record-breaking $234,225 this past year, the Foundation has even more scholarships available in 2024. If you are a future plastics professional, or know someone who is, apply anytime until April 1 to be considered! Go to www.4spe.org/scholarships.

What a #GivingTuesday!

This year, the SPE Foundation EXCEEDED its goal and raised more than $40,600 to support the Sustainable Packaging Girl Scout patch! This was made possible with gifts from the SPE Automotive Division, SPE Product Design & Development Division, The Materials Group, SPE Thermoset Division, and many other generous donors! We look forward to inspiring girls everywhere to consider careers in packaging and plastics. Still want to give? Your support is welcome at give.4spe.org.

SPE Chapter News

SPE Northwest Pennsylvania Section Fall Newsletter

The SPE Northwest Pennsylvania Fall Newsletter, The Press, includes student chapter updates, golf tournament recap, and more.

Mold Technologies Newsletter

The Mold Technologies division winter newsletter is now available. This edition includes “Berg’s Eye View,” message from the division chair, 2024 golf tournament info, and more.

SPE News Story Ideas?

Know a member who is doing outstanding things in plastics or in SPE? Have you heard about or are part of a chapter that is making an impact or a difference in the industry? Let us know if you have any story ideas for SPE News! Feel free to contact Chris Barry at cbarry@4spe.org.

Upcoming Events

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  SPE Webinar: Introduction to Plastics

  Tuesday, January 16 | Online
  Register
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  ImplementAM Workshop—Austin

  Wednesday, January 17 | Austin, TX
  Register
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  National Week of Flame Retardants

  Jan 22 - 25 | Online
  Register
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  The Future of Rotomolding: Making our Industry Innovative and Sustainable!

  Jan 30 - Feb 1 | Online
  Register

View full events calendar