ImplementAM, a front-runner for educational one-day workshops on 3D printing and additive manufacturing, has officially been acquired by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). This is SPE’s second acquisition in additive manufacturing, following its purchase of 3Dnatives earlier this year. Together, the shared goal of the three businesses is to bridge the gap between traditional manufacturing-based businesses and additive manufacturing and 3D printing. This is expected to be done by offering innovative ways to enhance manufacturing processes.
Are you a company looking to experiment with biopolymer materials? For a limited time, Parkinson Technologies will be offering complimentary feasibility trials in their laboratory for customers who are seeking to work with sustainable, bio-based polymer materials.
Keeping moldability top of mind during the design process not only ensures that parts perform as intended, but can help save time and cut down on production costs.
Hello, Division membership, fellow SPE colleagues, and plastic part designers!
It is the end of summer, and I hope you all were able to take some time and enjoy the nicer weather and make some memories. I enjoyed time mountain biking, hiking, and spending time with my kids while they were out of school. I have also enjoyed a few meetings with our Product Design and Development Division (PD3) Board in preparation for creating an exciting year for our members. I am honored to have been selected by our Board to serve as the next Chair and help us continue to reach and engage the design community in moving plastic part design forward. While plastics have received significant negative publicity from both the general public and from several governmental agencies, likely the audience reading this message realizes the immense benefits and potential plastics still hold in helping us achieve our sustainability goals. Additionally, although all SPE members are passionate about plastic materials, PD3 is the one that is most likely to help shift those opinions as we integrate plastics responsibly into our designs and assemblies.
As a Board, we have a great team of engineers and designers with a wide array of design experience. With the goal of educating the design community, we have several new ways we are looking to educate both PD3 and non-SPE members. The first big step was to update our website, https://pd3.4spe.org/, to a modern version that acts as a central source for designers to find design tips and guides for different materials and different industries. It will also be a central source for contemporary design news stories that will inspire and educate. We will continue to update the webpage to keep it fresh and relevant. The second step we are taking this year is to create a free webinar series called “Design For…”. This will be a bi-monthly webinar series on different design topics that will allow our audience to both learn and network with others in the design community. These webinars will be open to anyone in the design community (both SPE and non-SPE members) and will include both a technical presentation and a social activity over a one-hour period! Our first speaker, Vik Bhargava, is a PD3 Board member and plastics engineer who brings a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of plastic part design. He will be talking about how designers can better identify the root cause of plastic part performance issues and properly find solutions. Look for more information on that via our webpage or through LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/spe-pd3/)! The third and final major initiative we are undertaking as a Board is to more regularly engage our product design community through the consistent release of a newsletter. The newsletter will contain contemporary design articles and educational events! If you are interested in submitting any content, please feel free to reach out to us via our website and we will help you get your content ready for release. We will also look to keep an up-to-date design calendar of educational and networking events.
I’m excited about these three large initiatives that the Board has selected to push forward. As I stated before, we have a great team that is eager and willing to put these large projects together. While I am impressed with everyone we have on our Board, I do want to conclude this first message with a shout-out to our past chair, Albert McGovern. Al was an active member of PD3 while he was working as Director of Mechanical Engineering at Shure Incorporated. However, since he retired in July, 2021, he has become even more active on the Board and has spearheaded the creation of our website and helped arrange many of our technical events over the last several years. Without all his efforts to get the Board moving in a focused direction, none of the three activities highlighted above would have been possible. I sincerely thank him for all his efforts in creating a platform where we can be successful!
Of course, this will be a journey, so if you are interested in joining us to actively move our initiatives forward or have ideas on how we can better serve our PD3 membership, please reach out to us. We have a team that is eager and capable of making it a reality!
I look forward to connecting with you over the next year!
The world of plastics is constantly evolving, with new applications such as high-performance polymers, additive manufacturing, and bioplastics continually emerging to transform the field. Common to all applications – old and new – is the importance of mechanical testing that ensures manufacturers are producing quality products. In this webinar we’ll be discussing the specific challenges of testing plastics, the importance of repeatable and reliable mechanical testing results, and what you can do to improve your results.
Topics:
Overview of recent changes in key standards
Factors that influence test results – solutions and troubleshooting tips
How to increase laboratory efficiency and throughput to improve test times
The Plastics Industry Association is seeking volunteers with experience and knowledge in plastics processing machinery to join one or more of their technical committees.
Individuals can choose their participation level, ranging from attending all working meetings to simply commenting and voting on approval ballots. Participation is free and does not require membership.
Add ANTEC® to Your Calendar ANTEC® 2024 Call for Speakers Attention professionals and industry leaders in the field of plastics technologies, polymer research, and new materials!
SPE is searching for dynamic speakers to present at ANTEC® 2024, taking place from March 4-7, 2024, at the Marriott St. Louis Grand in St. Louis, MO.ANTEC® serves as the perfect platform to present your groundbreaking research and cutting-edge developments. We are seeking presentations that examine the latest findings in plastics technologies, polymer research, new materials, innovative processes, and more. This is your chance to share your insights with an international audience comprised of leaders in plastics, innovators, scientists, academia, and influential decision-makers.
While papers and presentations will still focus on ANTEC’s® traditional technical categories, they will also be organized into five program themes. We’re looking for papers/presentations that will focus on:Polymeric Materials and Characterization Applications of Plastics Polymer Processing AI in Digitalization Circular Economy At ANTEC® 2024, we understand that every speaker has a unique style and preference for presentation formats. Therefore, you will have the flexibility to submit either a technical paper or a presentation!
Submission Timeline Deadlines come up fast – so don’t wait until the last minute to submit your work!Abstract Submission Deadline: October 6, 2023Accepted Presenters Notified: October 27, 2023Papers or Presentations Submission Deadline: November 24, 2023Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to showcase your expertise. Submit your abstract today and join us in shaping the future of plastics technologies, innovation, and sustainability!
Only ONE speaker per paper/presentation is permitted. Commercial presentations will not be accepted.
Note: To make a submission you will need to login using your SPE Member login credentials. IF you are a non-member you will need to login using your ‘customer’ login information or establish a new customer account.
Student Posters‘ Students! ANTEC® is the best place to showcase your hard work! Present your best academic work focused on plastics and polymer science.
All potential Student Presenters must submit their title and description (aka ‘Abstract’) of their proposed Poster topic by December 8, 2023.
If accepted, Student Presenters will then submit their Poster by February 16, 2024
Submission Timeline Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your work!Student Poster Abstract Submission Deadline: December 8, 2023Accepted Student Presenters Notified: December 15, 2023Student Poster Submission Deadline: February 16, 2024Note: To submit your student poster, you will need to login using your SPE Member login credentials. IF you are a non-member you will need to login using your ‘customer’ login information or establish a new customer account.
Sponsorship Opportunities Gain maximum exposure! As an ANTEC® sponsor, you will reach a global audience of plastics decision-makers at one of the leading events in the plastics industry. A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Do not delay!
TOGETHER WE CAN FORM YOUR FUTURE. Our members’ needs are our passion. We work hard so that we can ensure that everyone has the tools necessary to meet her or his personal & professional goals.
84 countries and 22,500+ members strong and reaching over 60,000 plastics professionals worldwide, we work to unite the plastics industry.
Coming up on September 21st, we have our “Design For..” webinar series! Hear from our very own Vikram Bhargava on “How Part Design Issues Get Misclassified as Material, Tooling and Processing Issues!”
The entire PD3 Board of Directors is excited to welcome you to their newly updated PD3 Website! Please bookmark it and reach out to us with any questions, comments or suggestions for improvement and content. And, we are welcoming new Sponsors for a very reasonable annual fee, so Contact Us if you are interested or want more information.
The Product Design and Development Division (PD3) congratulates SPE on 80 years of helping to educate the members of the ever-evolving plastics industry. Over the years, SPE created Regional chapters around the world, and Technical Divisions to address the new plastic materials and processes as they evolved. PD3 is one such Division.
