Among the many problems faced by today’s pilots, Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (known among aviation professionals as BASH) ranks high on the list. The issue received a heavy dose of attention after the “Miracle on the Hudson” emergency jetliner landing in January 2009.  

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates the problem costs U.S. aviation 600 million dollars annually and has resulted in more than 200 worldwide deaths since 1988. In the United Kingdom, the Central Science Laboratory estimates that, worldwide, the cost of birdstrikes to airlines is around US $1.2 billion annually. Reported cases of bird-strike quadrupled in the U.S. between 1990 and 2008, according to the FAA.

A June 16th Wall Street Journal article covered the bird strike problem, and the continued challenges – well, actually failures - of control methods ranging from scarecrows and air horns to loud digital recordings of  birds’ danger calls played over speakers. 

Centering on newer, more advanced solutions, the article profiles robotic birds of prey that are dispatched by radio control to keep real flocks of  birds clear of airport runways. Like so many model aircraft enjoyed by hobbyists, plastics-intensive construction (usually nylon, fiberglass, polystyrene or PVC) factors heavily given that plastics’ lightweight characteristics and strength make an ideal fit for these applications. 

Bird Raptor Internacional SL, a company based in Spain,  is currently contracted to protect several South American airports with its Kevlar (a polymer five times stronger than steel) and foam robot. The remotely piloted Falco flies thanks to a retractable propeller in its nose and soars menacingly to scare off feathered pests. GreenX, a newer company based in the Netherlands, currently offers robotic bald eagles, falcons and hawks with flapping wings — an advantage, the company claims, because flapping wings inspire more terror in potential prey.  

There’s fantastic innovation taking place in addressing society’s problems –  and once again, plastics provide a crucial element of making the product a reality. That’s good news, since not every flier can count on a Chesley Sullenberger at the helm.

The human imagination is always dreaming up new ways of improving society.  Often, the most popular methods of improvement are the ones that can be applied directly to the individual himself. Take the 1970s television series, “The Six Million Dollar Man” (1974), for example, where an ordinary person is genetically repaired and engineered to be superhuman.  The well-known phrase remembered by the show’s fans is, “We can rebuild him; we have the technology.” More recently, the two popular Iron Man movies feature the rich, self-centered Tony Stark, who uses his techy body suit to fight the forces of evil. 

We may not have any true “Robocops” or “Iron Men” in society today, but we do have technology that helps people survive and thrive beyond their own bodies’ limitations. And this is where plastics come in.
 
Plastics have contributed to health benefits for more than 40 years. From life-giving blood bags and the plastic tubing and valves that support them to intravenous containers, dialysis equipment, blood glucose monitors, syringes, examination gloves, inhalation masks, artificial limbs and implants – plastics such as vinyl or polyurethane give or extend life!

Medical instruments such as the catheter can be used to free up blockage in an artery or blood vessel.  With heart disease as the leading cause of death in America, as reported by the CDC, catheters remain an important hospital tool and life-saver for many. 
 
CNET news recently reported on the “total artificial heart” that 43-year old Charles Okeke is fortunate to have after his body rejected a heart transplant. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the SynCardia backpack device that Okeke wears (weighing only 13 pounds) as the first portable technology to support the entire artificial heart.  Plastics’ anti-corrosive properties make this technology possible. According to the manufacturer’s directions for use, the artificial heart  “consists [of] two artificial ventricles, each made of a semi-rigid polyurethane housing with four flexible polyurethane diaphragms separating the blood chamber from the air chamber.”  Other plastics used in the heart’s manufacture are nylon, polyester, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Another groundbreaking development in medicine: The Journal of the American Chemical Society reports that  plastic particles have been custom made to fight troublesome antigens.  As reported, these particles fight antigens, including “everything from disease-causing viruses and bacteria to the troublesome proteins that cause allergic reactions to plant pollen, house dust, certain foods, poison ivy, bee stings and other substances.”  These tiny pieces of plastic are 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, and mimic the function of antibodies in latching onto antigens.  Thus far, the test has only been successful in animals.  Infected animals injected with the plastic particles survived at a much higher rate than animals not injected. 
 
So while plastics may not be currently used to make super humans, plastics are being put to use to fight the super villains of society we cannot see, viruses and bacteria.

By all accounts, 2009 was an abysmal year for our national economy – and the plastics industry followed suit.  According to data collected by the SPI Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES), sales of primary plastics machinery, auxiliary equipment, and components suffered tremendously – though NPE2009 provided a welcome boost in the third quarter.  Overall new orders decreased by over a third of what they were in 2008 and were less than half of the total numbers in 2007!  Plastics parts production also hit a wall, and capacity utilization dropped to its lowest levels in years.  As with the rest of the economy, things were grim but started to improve late in the year as the fourth quarter showed signs of improvement.

As alarming as these numbers are, it appears that the worst is passed us according to Bill Wood of Mountaintop Economics & Research, who provided analysis for the CES program.  As part of the continuing SPI Business of Plastics webinar series, Mr. Wood will give a one-hour presentation on Tuesday, June 22 at 11:00 am EST exclusively for SPI members to discuss his 2010 forecast and let you know what signs your business should be looking for as proof of the turnaround.

By attending the webinar, you will find that through the first four months of 2010 the data is encouraging.   All industry segments can expect to grow 15-30% this year when compared with 2009.  Capacity utilization has leapt to 76% and total plastics parts production is also on the rise.  Major end-markets – including both residential and commercial construction – are also gaining momentum.  Though 2010 is certain to look lean compared to just a few years ago, the market has reached the bottom and on its way to recovery.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insight and take the first steps towards a profitable 2010! Register today!

SPI offers the following post by a member of our staff in observance of Memorial Day — a day set aside to honor those men and women who died in the service of their country, protecting and preserving the freedoms we enjoy.

In 1973 I was a junior at Juniata College in Pennsylvania. The Vietnam draft lottery rolled up and, like all my friends, I went to the local radio station – WHUN – to read the telex, carefully watching the scrolling birthday assignments. I did not win.  My number was pretty low. This meant that in a year or so,  I could be “in country”  — and that did not mean in the United States. 

I waited for the letter that would let me know where I should report for my preliminary physical. Some older acquaintances had gone to war and died, some were back in pieces, or perhaps worse, with post shock — what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder.  Emotionally it was a time of high anxiety — something like waiting and hoping to hear that your high school girlfriend was just late and not pregnant. But worse.

And then, suddenly, it was over.  The draft was gone. Poof.  I was released.

As I finished college, (mostly) finished graduate school, found a career and a life, I put all of this behind me.  Well, not so much.

Today I work with these men who are just a little older than me.  I’ve met dozens who served “in country”  and did extraordinary and horrifying things. Despite the shattering experiences, many still walk among us. Guys named Frank, Mike, Joe and Tom — they are a bit worse for wear, but wry and real. 

They did things we cannot comprehend. War is different now: satellites, unmanned drones, robots and distance weapons quite often take the harsh immediacy provided by our eyeballs out of the equation. Not for them.  They were up close and personal. You don’t want to know.

I have tried to say this to each one of them: I am grateful. I am honored to know you and deeply thank you for your service for us all. Sometimes I tell them that I feel guilty.

On Thursday, June 3rd, SPI will host a one-hour webinar beginning at 11:00 am EST to discuss the benefits of the Department of Energy’s Save Energy Now initiative.  This webinar is exclusively for SPI member companies.  Register now!

In today’s current economic climate, companies are looking for ways to save money. But I bet not everyone has heard about the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Save Energy Now program. The goal of DOE’s program is to help American businesses, factories and manufacturing facilities save energy. A key part of the program is that DOE conducts an energy assessment to help manufacturing facilities identify immediate ways to save energy and money. Oh, and did I mention that DOE does this at no cost to the company?

The assessments focus primarily on energy-intensive systems such as pumps, fans, processing heating, steam and compressed air. The program offers several energy assessment options:

• For large plants: The nation’s largest, most energy-intensive plants can apply to receive a three-day system assessment. These on-site assessments are led by DOE’s Energy Experts who use DOE’s software tools and technical information to target a specific system area. Assessments also provide hands-on learning that can help a company’s staff gain knowledge to multiply the benefits of the assessment.
• For small and medium-sized plants: DOE’s university-based Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) conduct one-day assessments at smaller plants. Teams of highly trained IAC faculty and engineering students apply the same DOE software tools and technical resources to identify key savings opportunities throughout your plant.
• For all plants: Contacting the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Information Center is the a great option for any plant, large or small, if you are ready to boost energy savings and improve productivity. Whether or not you receive an assessment, here you will find expert technical assistance and guidance on how to make the most of the Save Energy Now portfolio of resources.

The Save Energy Now energy assessments have helped U.S. manufacturing facilities save an average of $2 million, or 8% of their total energy costs which is pretty impressive. Companies have saved real money with this program, and you can too!  I encourage companies to look into this opportunity by registering  for our upcoming webinar!