Document x810L62YJRwzOK4Jz9BmDRg1

Volume 5 Number 1 January 7, 1985 Additional information about any item in this issue of the newsletter may be obtained by aontaating Aileen Gorschman, Editor, Public Relations Department, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., 355 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 1001? (2121 503-0600. U.S. PLASTICS INDUSTRY CONDITION EXCELLENT; FUTURE BRIGHT, ACCORDING TO MONSANTO EXECUTIVE... Thomas R. Van Acker, national industry manager/plastics for Monsanto Polymer Products Co., chairman of SFI Committee on Resin Statistics, speaking at press briefing held prior to con ference sponsored by CRS in New York City, "New End-Use Markets for the U.S, Plastics Indus try," reviewed major areas of growth: 1) Engineering Resins: Category with largest increase (26 percent). Expected to continue to outperform rest of plastics--both in growth and profit ability--through end of century; 2) Nylon: Although all major nylon nontextile applications up for 1984, automotive and truck applications led way with 18 percent increase over 1983, profiting from extraordinary growth in electric-electronics market in 1984; 3) Epoxies: Showed double-digit increase. These materials--and all thermosets--benefitted dramatically from increase in building and construction during 1984; 4) Unsaturated Polyester: Up by 10 percent in 1984; 5) Other Polyesters: (Saturated or thermoplastics polyester) show sales growth of 9 percent in 1984, bringing material close to becoming part of top 10 among all plastics resins--largely due to excellent reception of half-liter PET bottle last year. Reviewing sales and captive growth picture in major U.S. plastics markets, Mr. Van Acker noted several sectors increased their share of total market: transportation, packaging, building/ construction, electric/electronic, adhesives/inks/coatlngs, and industrial machinery... Only sectors showing declines: furniture/furnishings, "all other" category, and exports. it sfe * * * * PURCHASING WORLD DECEMBER 1984 ISSUE COVER STORY CITES GROWING PLASTICS REPLACEMENTS OF STEEL... Titled "Plastics Are Shaping An Uncommon Design Future, " article notes widening range of industrial applications for plastics due to greater sophistication in plastics engineering and more on-the-job experience with materials... Two big leaders: reinforced plastics/composites and engineering plastics... Chief reasons cited for switch: manufacturing efficiency, labor cost savings, durability, weight reduction, corrosion resistance, dimensional stability, asthetics, and high strength-to-weight ratios... Among examples given: automotive industry (Ford Econo line van drive shaft), communications (dish antennas), military (HUMMER, replacement for old war horse JEEP, and submarine hulls), office equipment (ADDS Mentor 2000 series minicomputer system), electronics (components of electric actuators used to open and close valves by remote control), and machinery (elevator bucket for handling fine abrasive materials)... SPI worked with author Thomas F. Dillon C.P.M., senior editor, in providing leads and contacts for member films... Copies available from PR Dept., SPI/New York. ISO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ON PLASTICS PUBLISHED IN TWO-VOLUME HANDBOOK... 1230-page collection (ISO Standards Handbook 21 on Plastics) provides 230 internationally agreed upon standard specifications, test methods, classi fications, and vocabularies for raw polymers and other materials used in manufacture of plastic film, sheet, powders, and granules... Volume 1: Terminology, Sampling, and Properties ($62)... Volume 2: Materials and Products ($68)... Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI)... (Details in enclosed flyer.) in mco m o o NEW CANADIAN CUSTOMS VALUATION RULES/DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS... Effective January 1, 1985... Based on GATT Agreement on Customs Valuation... Provide clear, simple guidelines for valuing goods for duty purposes, reflected in new, shorter Canada Customs Invoice form... In most cases duty will be based on transaction value, i.e., price actually paid or payable for goods--very important feature for many companies selling to Canada... Certain specified adjustments may be made to this price... Replaces Canada's "fair market" valuation system which often resulted in prices for customs purposes that exceeded price actually paid for goods... Details available from all U.S. Dept, of Commerce District Offices and Office of North America at Commerce Dept. (202) 377-3643/0849. * ilc * Hr * * PLASTICS INDUSTRY SOPHISTICATION ATTRACTS NEW TIPS OF EXHIBITOR TO NPE... Continually escalating use by plastics industry of computerized controls, computer aidetTdesign, computer inte grated manufacturing, robotics, and other high technology disciplines has expanded recent NPE exhibitor rosters... Since late 1970s, increasing number of companies that supply computer and automation-related equipment and services have joined NPE as exhibitors, citing growing use of this type of technology by plastics industry and ideal marketing opportunities provided by this prime industry showcase... Many of these companies have come into existence only within last few years--indicative of mushrooming growth of computer, electronics industries... (NPE'85: June 17-21. McCormick Place/McCormick Place Nest, Chicago). Concurrent National Plastics Conference Schedules In-Depth Program on High Interest Topics... 13 topics selected for examination in one afternoon ana 12 morning seminars... Some 50 speakers from plastics and plastics-consuming industries will participate, presenting technology updates, market forecasts, new product trends, ma*n*ufa*c*tu*rin*g innovations... (Conference: June 18-20). COMMERCIAL NEWS USA, U.S. COMMERCE DEPARTMENT PUBLICATION, DEVOTES ENTIRE SECTION TO PLASTICS... October 1984 Issue highlights plastics machinery and raw materials... Juliette Lang Cahn, staff director, SPI International Division, credited for cooperation in development of issue... Pur pose of magazine: to provide means for promoting U.S. export products through worldwide Com mercial Newsletter Service with dissemination to more than 200,000 foreign business officials, government representatives, and other prospective buyers... Copies available at all Commerce Department District Offices. ****** SPI INTRODUCES PACKAGERS TO EXPANDING WORLD OF EPS... SPI Expanded Polystyrene Division has prepared new 12-page, full-color brochure, "The Packaging Problem Solver's Guide to... The Expanding World of EPS"... Developed for EPS Shape Molders' Education Program to increase general understanding of EPS as a material, including its properties, process by which it is made, and its advantages over other packaging materials-- Presented at recent PACK EXPO trade show in Chicago's McCormick Place, where Shape Molders also had booth... Brochure describes how EPS can be designed for wide range of specific applications___Also discusses various attractive design graphic alternatives for packaging with EPS-- Copies, free, available from EPS Division, SPI Midwest, 3150 Des Plaines Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60C~ 8 (312) 297-6150. 1****** FIRST SPI EPOXY RESIN FORMULATORS DIVISION WEST COAST WINTER MEETING... Monday-Tuesday, Feb ruary 25-26, 1985, The Newporter, Newport Beach, CA... Will feature 11 presentations of inter est to formulators in coatings, adhesives, electrical, construction, and aerospace indus tries.:. Conference will provide epoxy resin formulators with information about latest develop ments in raw materials from suppliers, according to Dr. Colin Hull, president of Pacific Anchor Chemical Corp., conference chairman... Speeches scheduled for Monday, February 25, and commit tee me tings on Tuesday, February 26, with both days' activities open to nonmembers as well as members of SPI Division... Details: Fran LIchtenberg, SPI/New York. 'Proceedings' of Epoxy Resin Formulators Fall 1984 Meeting and Conference Available... 98-page publication includes nine papers on "Government Affairs, Small Business and the Epoxy Resin Formulator," presented at November 12-15, 1984 meeting In Arlington, VA... $25 per copy, SPI members; $35 per copy, nonmembers... Orders, prepaid, to: Caroline Reiner, SPI/New York. BOR 005586