The plastics industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the United States, operates 17,648 facilities in every state and provides nearly $374 billion in annual shipments. We use high-tech machines and innovative tools to transform raw materials into a whole lot of finished goods for a myriad of end markets. And while NPE2009 has truly been an “all-industry event” with eight co-located events and a variety of exhibitors and attendees with many different interests, the backbone of the event and the stars of show are still the amazing machines and the way they churn out product right on the show floor.

“Over and over during NPE week, exhibitors and attendees rated NPE2009 a success as a showplace for innovation, new technology and a marketplace for doing business,” said SPI President Bill Carteaux on the last day of the show.  He cited reports from exhibitors detailing large transactions for processing equipment systems closed right on the exhibit floor.

From blowmolding, injection molding and extrusion machines to all manner of robots, auxiliary equipment and components — it’s obvious that we have a fascination for these shiny, new mechanical marvels and what they can do. It is evident as you walk the show aisles and notice small crowds of people standing for several minutes at a time mesmerized as they stare at the  repeated rhythms and smooth efficiency of the moving parts.  The video above depicts the attraction of plastics machinery better than I can describe it.

Design involves problem-solving and creativity. The American Heritage Dictionary defines design as: “To conceive or fashion in the mind; invent,” and “To formulate a plan.” It also means that someone not only had to conceive of all the amazing products, tools  and “things” that we take for granted every day, but also had to collaborate with engineers and manufacturers to ensure that the final deliverable could function effectively, safely and be reproduced at a reasonable cost. Judging by the innovations that I’ve seen at NPE2009, the plastics industry does design very well.

Much of the content of NPE2009 is of direct interest to design engineers and anyone else involved in product design and development.  An increased emphasis on plastics design at NPE2009 came about because SPI has expanded the trade show far beyond its traditional core. The first International Plastics Design Competition (IPDC) was concluded last night with awards handed out in 15 categories, including “The People’s Choice Award, which attracted 10,203 online votes at the IPDC website. Here is a list of all the winners, but better yet, visit the Winner’s Gallery on the IPDC web site to see and read more about the winning product entries. If you are at NPE, go see all the entrants up close — they are still on display in the West Hall of McCormick Place.

ANTEC 2009, the Society of Plastics Engineers’ massive conference, is co-located at NPE this year and has more than 750 original peer-reviewed presentations, including multi-paper sessions on product design and development, mold design and moldmaking.

Also of  note to those interested in product design and development is the inaugural Time Compression Expo, co-located with NPE2009 and produced by Gardner Publications. “Time compression” means cutting time to market by accelerating product development through the use of new design, software, prototyping and direct manufacturing techniques. Another co-located event produced by Gardner is the MoldMaking Expo, which is devoted to technologies and strategies in mold design, moldmaking and rapid manufacturing.

Not to be overlooked are the hundreds of NPE2009 exhibiting companies that supply design engineering, tool design and moldmakingproducts and services; raw materials that deliver new customer values ranging from molded-in functionalities to decorative effects and shelf appeal; fabricating systems that extend product development capabilities by increasing design freedom and expanding the scope for parts consolidation and light-weighting; and custom processors who supply full service, from design to molding to final assembly.

Stroll through every hall at NPE2009 and you will find innovative products and technologies that show just how critical plastics are to finding solutions to environmental issues and making the world more sustainable.  Resource conservation, renewable resources, recycling, degradability, solid waste source reduction, energy efficiency, elimination of pollutants, shrinking carbon footprints—virtually every visitor at NPE2009 now has a vital interest in one or more of these goals. Many exhibitors offer at least one technology to help achieve them, as do a wide range of conference presenters. If there is a central theme for NPE2009, it’s sustainability.

For example, the surge in growth of bioplastics — materials that are biodegradable and derived from corn, castor beans, soybeans, potatoes, tapioca, and other renewable resources – are evident throughout the show floor. Thirty-eight exhibitors offer bioplastics-related technology, from resins to specially designed additives and machinery to processed goods, and there are well over 50 conference presentations on the subject.

Plastics’ role in energy efficiency and generating new sources of energy are also well-represented at NPE2009. Fuel savings are the advantage cited for new materials and processing methods that yield lightweight or more compact products that reduce gasoline consumption.  In addition, alternate energy sources increasingly require plastics as essential materials of design, and a number of NPE2009 exhibitors are spotlighting the role of their products in solar energy, lithium-ion batteries for electric-drive cars, and wind energy systems.

Exhibitors are also doing their part by recycling scrap generated at NPE as part of the NPE2009 Recycling Program.  The huge bins filled with materials waiting to be recycled at the NPE2009 Recycling Center – right in the middle of the show floor in South Hall — are a testament to the effort. From 46 acres of carpet to 100,000 attendee badge holders and more, SPI has collaborated with RTi, Freeman, Maine Plastics, EcoEducators and other partners to expand the NPE2009 recycling program beyond the scrap from the show floor.

SPI means business – and the plastics industry trade association’s vast array of programs are on full display this week at NPE2009! Of course, SPI is the producer of the entire trade show and conference, but our own distinct services and expertise can be experienced throughout the show floor and meeting rooms of McCormick Place.

From our Government Relations team’s Policy Makers’ Coffee and the International Plastics Design Competition hosted by SPI’s Alliance of Plastics Processors to our knowledgeable staff working at specialty pavilions devoted to Emerging Technologies, Fluoropolymers, New Technologies, Thermoforming and more, SPI’s presence is everywhere at NPE.  In addition, SPI’s Business of Plastics conference offers specialized educational tracks that focus on the business side of plastics: global economic trends, sustainability, marketing, regulatory compliance and more.

SPI President Bill Carteaux keeps up an incredibly busy pace at NPE2009, but he checked-in long enough to deliver a powerful presentation to 400 plastics industry professionals at the SPI President’s Lunch on Monday afternoon. His speech — which began with a view of the current economic “State of the U.S. Plastics Industry” and concluded with a call for a new dialogue between the our industry and consumers – can be viewed in full here.

If your company is an SPI member company already, be sure to visit the SPI Member Lounge located in room S401B.  This is a place where SPI members can use a conference room for a meeting, grab a refreshment or just relax and escape from the NPE hustle and bustle for a little while.

Networking. Knowledge. Resources. Participation. Influence.  SPI provides it all at NPE2009. If you are at NPE and have questions about SPI membership or anything concerning our association (or just want to play skee ball!), visit the SPI Pavilion in the center of the Grand Concourse.  Look for the big blue-banded ring suspended in the air just outside the entrance to the North Hall.

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NPE 2009 has begun! As I write this, I hear the bagpipes out on the Grand Concourse of McCormick Place as attendees are streaming into the building, making their way up the escalators.  The ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially opens the show floor is about to begin. There is a real sense of pride inside McCormick Place as the 26th NPE begins — pride for how the show, and the entire industry, has come together under some difficult economic conditions.

As the show’s producer, SPI has made NPE2009 an international event like no other in NPE history. The  show has always been the largest plastics trade show in North America, but NPE2009 is broader and richer in scope than ever before. In addition to the exciting, crowded show floor, NPE2009 features 8 co-located events, 1,000 technical presentations, business sessions, networking events and new technology displays all under one roof. We even have a new roof – as this is the first NPE since McCormick Place opened its spectacular new West Hall.

After all the planning and all the work that has gone into making this event a success, the excitement starts today and builds throughout the week!