An Engineer’s Life…Anthony Gasbarro Explains why he Chose a Career in Plastics Engineering

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had to explain your career to people a hundred times. You’ve probably heard things like: “You do WHAT with plastic?” or “That is made from Plastic?” or “Why do these plastic parts look so ‘Plasticy’?” I also get the “Did you ever see that movie with Dustin Hoffman….what’s it called…Mrs. Robinson?…you know the one…where the guy says ‘I have one word…Plastics!” We work in a wonderful field, don’t we? I never thought the world of plastics would take me where it has.

I grew up in Leominster, Massachusetts – a small town of about 40,000 people that has been coined the “Pioneer Plastics City.” There is a rich history of plastics in Leominster – plastic is to Leominster what steel is to Pittsburgh, rubber is to Akron, cars are to Detroit, beef is to Chicago, and country music is to Nashville…you get the point. I did have a choice as to what career to enter into…but not much of one. Plus, plastics made things possible…and who doesn’t want to make things possible? I knew I would work with plastics, but how?

I also had a knack for taking things apart, putting them back together, taking something else apart…making my bike go faster and my radio louder, in short, all of the things that make people say “You should be an engineer!” Well that about sealed the deal. PLASTICS ENGINEER! That’s what I’ll be! And low and behold the premier college for Plastics Engineering is a 45-minute drive from Leominster: The University of Massachusetts – Lowell. I applied, got accepted, and was off to the races. It was at UMass that I really started to develop what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and how I wanted to do it. Upon graduating, I accepted an offer from Visteon (an enterprise of Ford Motor Co.) in 2000 and started working at the Saline Plant making instrument panels for most Ford vehicles. It was exciting, new, challenging, and massive!

I enjoyed working at the Saline Plant, really, I did, but I also knew that I couldn’t work in a plant long term. It was not for me. I needed to get out a little bit more and not have a typical work day. About that time I was recruited for a Technical Service position that seemed to be a perfect fit for me and my personality. I really enjoyed it. For a person with technical AND people skills, the desire to solve problems, and the need for a sense of “adventure,” Technical Service was the ideal job. I got to travel around the country solving problems, helping people, and preventing problems. Man, it was great. That position kind of morphed into Technical Sales, then Business Development. I have now been working in Business Development for about 6 years, and it’s not as easy as it may sound…

I think as an Engineer. We are trained to be problem solvers and be analytical thinkers. We strive to find the CORRECT solution to the problem. However, sometimes in the “Real World” we have to keep our mouths quieter than we would like. We are put in situations where solving the problem could hurt sales, so we find ourselves in a dilemma and that, quite honestly, is the worst part about An Engineer’s Life. I always try to be diplomatic and help out my customer as much as I can, but I can never forget who I work for and who signs my paycheck.

Now, my life as an engineer today is quite unique. I work for Marubeni Specialty Chemicals. We are global traders of all things, from meat to plastics, oil to cars, clothes to hexamethyldisilazane… In addition, we are more than just global traders and brokers: we also act as major financiers, investors, and large scale organizers. We play a vital role in the logistics of transactions, such as the global movement of products. We assume and manage risks involved in transactions and act as business consultants, using our vast trade experience in new business development. We also provide many specialized services, including sales support, transportation, insurance, storage, financing and leasing, engineering and construction service, and traffic and logistics planning. If you didn’t notice, that was copied from our website but, in reality, we can and do get involved in all things that we find value in, so it’s really a great environment for people who are creative, energetic, love to travel, and have a drive to find solutions to all sorts of problems.

My current career takes me away from engineering a little bit, and that’s ok. I get a chance to work with all sorts of people all over the world, and having the engineering background has enabled me to have conversations with people speaking in totally different languages using drawings and hand gestures alone. I have sat in many meetings in situations where there is an urgent problem needing attention and engineers from around the world collaborate and solve the problem. Words are not needed when the fundamentals are understood. A picture really can say a thousand words in a situation like that. I think that is one of the things that I marvel at the most in my career. It’s something that I take with me every day. I really enjoy the communications, the problem solving, the possibilities that plastics offer. It changes every day: sometimes for the better, sometimes not…but it is fun, exciting, and as an industry we Plastics Engineers have a real chance to make a difference in this world. One of my priorities in the coming years will be to help change the negative perception that many people have about plastics and the plastics industry. We have gotten a bad rap – some of it deserved and some of it not – so that’s where I want to focus. We have a lot of great things going on in plastics so let’s get the word out and let’s also fix some of the not-so-great things that are going on.

About Anthony Gasbarro

Anthony Gasbarro began his career in the automotive plastics industry in the year 2000 as a Process Engineer working for Visteon Corp. where he was responsible for implementing step-change technologies in instrument-panel injection-molding methods. In 2003 he joined Advanced Composites as a Technical Engineer and then later became a Business Development Engineer. Currently, Gasbarro is a Business Development & Engineering Manager for Marubeni Specialty Chemicals where he is responsible for expanding a global technology portfolio of material suppliers, Tier 1s, and OEMs. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with a B.S. in Plastics Engineering, Gasbarro was the Student Chapter President of the SPE at UMass-Lowell and has been active in SPE since 1996. He also is the Immediate Past Chair of the Automotive Division of SPE and the current ANTEC Technical Program Chair for Automotive, as well as the Automotive Div. Membership Co-Chair.

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.

SPE® Announces Date, Location, Theme for 43rd-Annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala

The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®) today announced the date, location, and theme for its 43rd-annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala, the oldest and largest recognition event in the automotive and plastics industries. This year’s event will be held Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at Burton Manor (www.burtonmanor.net) in Livonia, Mich.

Jeffrey Helms, global automotive director, Ticona Engineering Polymers, who returns as the 2013 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards chair said, “The automotive industry faces extremely challenging emissions and fuel-economy standards over the next decade in most major markets, so materials that reduce part mass and cost while improving durability, aesthetics, and functionality are going to be key to helping OEMs meet requirements while producing vehicles that consumers want to buy and drive. Events like the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition and Gala have long focused a spotlight on cutting-edge technology and the many benefits that polymeric materials can bring to cars, light trucks, and other types of ground-transportation as this year’s event theme, Plastics: Kick the Metal Habit, help to underscore.”

SPE’s Automotive Innovation Awards Program is the oldest and largest competition of its kind in the world. Dozens of teams made up of OEMs, tier suppliers, and polymer producers submit nominations describing their part, system, or complete vehicle and why it merits the claim as the Year’s Most Innovative Use of Plastics. This annual event typically draws over 700 OEM engineers, automotive and plastics industry executives, and media. As is customary, funds raised from this event are used to support SPE educational efforts and technical seminars, which help educate and secure the role of plastics in the advancement of the automobile.

For more information, see http://speautomotive.com/inno.

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

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.

Nominations being Accepted for 2013 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition’s Hall of Fame Category

Nominations are being accepted for the 43rd-annual SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition’s Hall of Fame (HOF) award category. The team representing the winning nomination will be honored at the 2013 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Gala, November 6, 2013 at Burton Manor in Livonia (Detroit Area), Michigan.

To be considered for a Hall of Fame award, the application must have:

1) Been in continuous production for a minimum of 15 years;

2) Been a game changer (must have led to significant changes in that category of part) over the years;

3) Been recognized and used worldwide;

4) Been considered a technical innovation in terms of materials, process, or application at the time of its introduction.

The winner of the Hall of Fame award is selected by a group of judges comprised of current members of the SPE Automotive Division board of directors, industry experts from OEMs and tier suppliers, as well as SPE Honored Service members, technical Fellows, and Lifetime Achievement award winners.

The last date for submission is April 15, 2013. Use the standard Automotive Innovation Awards  nomination form available at www.speautomotive.com/inno.htm (under forms).

Please submit the application electronically to Nippani Rao (nippanirao@aol.com) and David Reed (fierodreed@sbcglolbal.net). The winner will be announced in June of 2013.

For more information on the SPE Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, see www.speautomotive.com/inno.htm. For questions on the award, contact Hall of Fame committee co-chairs Nippani Rao or David Reed, or contact Dawn Stephens at dawn@speautomotive.com or call 1.248.244.8993 ext. 3.

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.”

Integrated Headlamp/Hood Bump-Stop Bracket is Safety Category Winner @ 42nd SPE® Auto Innovation Awards Gala

The Safety category winner at the 2012 SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Competition is the Integrated Headlamp / Hood Bump-Stop Bracket on the 2013 model year Ford® Fusion® sedans by Ford Motor Co. The winner was announced on Nov. 7 at the 42nd-annual SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Gala held at Burton Manor in the Detroit suburbs. Tier supplier/processor, Magna Exterior & Interior, materials supplier, Styron LLC, and toolmaker, Advantage Mold, Inc. were also named on the award.

For more information, see http://speautomotive.com/inno and http://speautomotive.com/awa .

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

High-resolution digital part photography for all of the 2012 nominations may be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/speautomotive/collections/72157631799956738/.

Direct Extrusion of Bulb Seal on Cowls Wins Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies Category @ SPE® Auto Innovation Awards Gala

In the Process / Assembly / Enabling Technologies category, the Direct Extrusion of Bulb Seal on Cowls nomination on the 2013 model year Ford® C-MAX® HEV by Ford Motor Co.  was named the winner of the 2012 SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Competition by a panel of Blue Ribbon judges. The winner was announced on Nov. 7 at the 42nd-annual SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Gala held at Burton Manor in the Detroit suburbs.  Tier supplier/processor, Windsor Mold Group, materials supplier, ExxonMobil Chemical, and toolmaker, Reis Extrusion GmbH were also named on the award.

For more information, see http://speautomotive.com/inno and http://speautomotive.com/awa .

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

High-resolution digital part photography for all of the 2012 nominations may be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/speautomotive/collections/72157631799956738/.

Water Outlet Assembly is Powertrain Category Winner in 2012 SPE® Auto Innovation Awards Competition

The Powertrain category winner at the 2012 SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Competition is the Water Outlet Assembly on the 2012 model year Nissan® Altima® sedan by Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. The winner was announced during the 42nd-annual SPE® Automotive Innovation Awards Gala held at Burton Manor in the Detroit suburb on Nov. 7.  Tier supplier/processor, MPC, Inc., materials supplier, Solvay Specialty Polymers, and toolmaker, Industrial Molds Group were also named on the award.

For more information, see http://speautomotive.com/inno and http://speautomotive.com/awa .

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

High-resolution digital part photography for all of the 2012 nominations may be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/speautomotive/collections/72157631799956738/.