Jeff Schuster, LMC Automotive to Give Keynote at 15th SPE® TPO Auto. Engineered Polyolefins Conference

The 15th-annual SPE® TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference, the world’s leading automotive engineered-polyolefins forum, will feature five keynote speakers, interspersed throughout the two-and-a-half-day conference, who will highlight important trends facing the automotive-plastics market, including mass and cost reduction, increased functionality, and consumer appeal. Organized by the Detroit Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®), this year’s event will be held at Troy Marriott in the Detroit suburbs from October 6-9, 2013. Speakers from LMC Automotive, Chrysler Group LLC, International Automotive Components, Advanced Composites, Inc., and Borealis AG will help audience members better understand how thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs), thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) are Driving Value, Light Weight, & Innovative Automotive Solutions  this year’s conference theme.

On Monday morning, the conference will kick off with a keynote from Jeff Schuster, senior vice-president, LMC Automotive on the topic, Global Automotive Outlook — What is in Store Beyond Uncertainty? Schuster explains, “The near-term automotive environment is mixed across the globe, as some markets are in full recovery mode and others have faltered. Uncertainty and risk have become permanent fixtures in automotive markets, and competitive pressures have greatly reduced the margin of error. Despite this, optimism and prosperity have returned in some pockets.” Schuster adds that his talk will examine global demand and supply trends for both short and long term, as outlooks vary by region or market. He also says he will provide deep analysis of the North American market, including segment shifts, hybrid/electric vehicle (EV) activity, and trends in vehicle sourcing.

Schuster is one of the firm’s primary global automotive experts providing oversight of the global light vehicle sales and production forecasts and process at LMC, while also being responsible for all activities in the Americas region and serving on LMC Automotive’s board of directors. He has been tracking developments in the global automotive industry for nearly 20 years and has been with LMC Automotive since its inception in 2011. He is widely quoted by automotive press in print, broadcast, and internet reports and frequently makes conference and seminar presentations on topics like current assessments and outlook for the auto industry. Before joining LMC Automotive, Schuster led the automotive forecast division of J.D. Power and Associates and has experience in financial analysis and cash management in the automotive supply base. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and an M.S. degree in Corporate Finance from Walsh College. He is an active member of Society of Automotive Analysts and the Automotive Press Association.

About the SPE TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference

Since 1998, the SPE TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference has highlighted the importance of rigid and flexible polyolefins throughout the automobile – in applications ranging from semi-structural composite underbody shields and front-end modules to soft-touch interior skins and bumper fascia. Engineered polyolefins have been the fastest-growing segment of the global plastics industry for more than a decade owing to their excellent cost / performance ratio. The show typically draws over 500 attendees from 20 countries on four continents who are interested in learning about the latest in rigid and elastomeric TPO as well as TPE and TPV technologies. Fully a third of conference attendees say they work for a transportation OEM, and roughly 20% work for a tier integrator / molder, with the balance from materials or reinforcement suppliers, equipment OEMs, industry consultants, and members of academia. This year’s conference returns to the Troy Marriott in the Detroit suburbs. A variety of sponsorship packages are available for companies interested in showcasing their products and / or services.

See http://auto-tpo.com/ or http://speautomotive.com/tpo.htm.

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® SPE is a registered trademark of the Society of Plastics Engineers. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Free Day-Long Injection-Molding Workshop in Kentucky, May 21, 2013

SPE Members can attend a free day-long injection-molding quality workshop at Ticona Engineering Polymers‘ Florence, Kentucky headquarters on May 21. The course was developed by RJG Inc., the international leader in injection-molding training, technology, and resources headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan. The seminar is designed to give molders key systematic processing strategies and advanced processing technologies that will allow them to consistently manufacture the highest quality parts. The course will feature guest speaker, Jenny Taylor, Manufacturers Association of Plastics Processors (MAPP). Learn More

Detroit-Area SPE Members Attend FREE Molding Innovation Day in Troy, MI, April 16th

MOLDING INNOVATION DAY:

Detroit Marriott Troy, April 16, 2013

SPE members are invited to register to attend a free seminar in Troy, Michigan, USA this April, brought to you by Moldex3D, Matsui, Trexel, Inc., Siemens, and RJG.   Seats are limited, so if interested, please respond right away.

Use this LINK to learn more and to register for this event.

Questions? Contact Rob Stipek:

Tel: +1-248-946-4570 ext. 202

Fax:+1-248-928-227

robstipek@moldex3d.com

SPE Members Attend SAE Congress, April 16-18, 2013 at Classic SAE Member Rate

 

 

 

Through a special arrangement with SAE International, SPE members who are not also SAE members can attend next week’s SAE Congress at Cobo Hall in Detroit at the SAE Classic Member rate. To take advantage of this reduced price admission, follow the instructions below.

Registration Instructions

1. Go to the SAE 2012 World Congress registration page at: http://www.sae.org/congress/registration.htm
2. Click on the link to Register Now!
3. You will be asked to Login to the SAE Website. If you don’t already have a MySAE User ID and Password, you will need to create one by clicking the Sign Up/Get Started Now button on the right.
4. When Non-SAE Members log in, they will see a screen like that shown below.
5. In the Other Society section, please select the days that you plan to attend by checking the boxes and select “I am an SPE Member” from the drop down box (see screen shot below):
6. Select any additional events you are interested in, then click the Proceed button at the bottom of the page.
7. The Registration Summary screen will appear with the SAE Classic Member rates. Confirm your selections are correct then click the Proceed button at the bottom and complete your registration.

SPE® Announces Dates, Location, Theme for 13th Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition

The organizing committee for the SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) today announced the dates, theme, and location for this year’s show and issued its annual Call for Papers. Now in its thirteenth year, the SPE ACCE is the world’s leading forum for automotive composites and draws exhibitors, speakers, and attendees from 15 countries on five continents. This year’s show, whose theme is Composites: Lightweighting the Cars of Tomorrow, returns September 11-13, 2013 but to a new venue.

Creig Bowland, senior research associate at PPG Industries, 2013 SPE ACCE conference co-chair explains, “Our conference has been fortunate enough to enjoy excellent growth the past few years — so much so that we have literally outgrown our home of 12 years. We and management at our previous venue tried everything we could to make the most of the space we had, but it became clear during last year’s ACCE that we needed to make a change. We’ve moved our 2013 conference to The Diamond Center, which is part of the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich., U.S.A. We believe it will give us the best of both worlds — the friendly, intimate feel of our old facility and the flexibility to grow and spread out that we so badly needed.”

SPE® AUTO TPO Conference Organizers Announce 2013 Event Dates, Issue Call for Papers

The fifteenth-annual SPE® TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference, the world’s leading automotive engineered-polyolefins forum, returns to the Troy Marriott in the Detroit suburbs from October 6-9, 2013. This year’s theme is TPOs: Driving Value, Light Weight, & Innovative Automotive Solutions. The organizing committee also has issued its annual call for papers, with abstracts due April 19, 2013 and non-commercial papers or presentations by July 31, 2013 (eMail both to TPOpapers@auto-tpo.com).

Bill Windscheif, president, Advanced Innovative Solutions, Ltd. and conference co-chair notes, “A few years ago we made the strategic decision to expand our event’s coverage beyond just rigid and flexible thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs) to include flexible thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs). We clearly saw the role of these materials expanding among automakers, plus their functionality constantly being improved upon by resin suppliers and compounders. We’ve also featured sessions for many years on improving molding productivity and designing better parts because we know that engineering and manufacturing need to work closely to improve first-pass yield. We work hard to scout the industry each year to find the most interesting and innovative technologies to include in our conference. Attendees tell us over and over that the practical knowledge they gain is why they return every year. They know their time won’t be wasted and they’ll leave with lots of new ideas and great new contacts, thanks to the event’s outstanding networking opportunities.”

Conference co-chair, Jeffrey Valentage, global market planner-specialty compounding automotive, ExxonMobil Chemical Company adds, “With the increased focus on improved fuel economy, interest in lightweight, high-performance TPO materials is stronger than ever. Last year’s conference broke our all-time attendance record and we expect the same thing to happen in 2013.”

SPE® TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference Sports Expanded Technical Program

The fourteenth-annual SPE® TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference, the world’s leading automotive engineered-polyolefins forum, returns September 30-October 3, 2012 with a record number of technical sessions and topics scheduled to be presented. The three-day conference, which is organized by the Detroit Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®), will feature nine technical sessions and 65 presentations – significantly more than the typical six sessions and 40-45 presentations given at the show in previous years. Event organizers also report record sponsorship and exhibitions for the 2012 conference.

Technical Program Co-Chair, Dr. Norm Kakarala, senior technical fellow, Inteva Products, explains “Our planning committee works hard every year to develop rich new educational content for the Auto TPO’s technical program. Our goal is not only to highlight the latest technology advances in this field but, equally important, to offer excellent networking opportunities for participants throughout the TPO supply chain. We know from feedback that this combination provides real value to our attendees. It’s a big reason we draw significant OEM and tier supplier presence and why the conference keeps growing. This year, we’re particularly pleased to be able to offer a custom-tailored session on TPO fundamentals to help automotive engineers build the background necessary to understand and specify these versatile materials.”

Polymotive Publisher, Buechler to Give Keynote at SPE® TPO Auto. Engineered Polyolefins Conference

Alexander (Alex) Buechler, owner and publisher of HB Media will give a keynote on Less Polypropylene in Automotive Applications at this year’s SPE® TPO Automotive Engineered Polyolefins Conference.  Buechler, who holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialty in laser technology, has held a number of positions of responsibility at various publishers, including editor of Polymer Technology magazine. In 1999, he formed his own publishing company to cover important plastics market segments. The company’s first imprint was PETplanet Insider, whose focus is the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottling industry. In 2004, the title Polymotive was added to cover plastics in the automotive sector. The latest magazine, Plastruction, was launched in 2010 to report on plastics applications in the construction industry. Since 2007, Buechler also has been a Blue Ribbon Judge with the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition. He is married, has three children, and lives in Heidelberg, Germany.

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® SPE is a registered trademark of the Society of Plastics Engineers. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SPE Members Eligible for Discounted Admission to Detroit-Area Global Automotive Lightweight Materials Conference

American Business Conferences is offering SPE Members a 15% Discount to attend the new Detroit-area GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS CONFERENCE on August 21 & 22, 2012.

Just click on the link above for more details on presentation topics, sponsors/exhibitors, pricing, and to register online.

SPE® Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition Announces First Parts Competition at 2012 Show

The organizing committee for the SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) today announced that it will hold its first parts competition at this year’s show, September 11-13, 2012 at the MSU Management Education Center (here). One innovative composites application submitted by sponsors/exhibitors or automakers will be selected by the committee and invited judges from entries and announced on the last day of the show during closing ceremonies, with a follow-up announcement describing the application and why it was selected to be released after the event.

Creig Bowland, senior research associate at PPG Industries, and the 2011 and 2012 SPE ACCE conference chair said, “We’ve seen our large-parts display area grow considerably over the past few years. This year, it just seemed to make sense to capture some additional detail on all those parts that were at the show and provide some recognition for the innovation we were seeing – especially since our theme this year is Unleashing the Power of Design. What better way can we show automakers just what composites can do?” Bowland adds that there is no cost to nominate parts for the competition. Materials suppliers, molders, or OEMs in any geography may nominate as long as the OEM gives permission. Parts may be on passenger cars or light trucks, original equipment or aftermarket, as long as they are already in commercial (series) production or will be in production by November 1, 2012.

“Nominations will be judged on the impact and trendsetting nature of the application,” Bowland adds, “including materials of construction, processing method, assembly methods, and other enabling technologies that made the application possible. Nominations should also emphasize benefits of design, weight and cost reduction, parts consolidation, functional integration, and improved performance.”

To nominate a part, companies are requested to download a nomination instruction form from http://speautomotive.com/comp.htm. Preliminary descriptions and photos about the application’s innovations are due August 15 and should be eMailed to ACCEpapers@speautomotive.com . Physical parts must be brought to and displayed at the SPE ACCE for final review by judges during a formal walk-through at a date and time to be announced.

For more information, see http://speautomotive.com/comp.htm, or  http://compositeshelp.com, or call +1.203.775.0471.

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® SPE is a registered trademark of the Society of Plastics Engineers.