event preview | Compounding World Forum 2015
Speakers on the fi rst day of the Compounding World Forum 2016 include (from top to bottom):
Andy Beevers; Bernard Rzepka; Glenn Rasberry; Suresh
Swaminathan;
Carlos Carreno; Dr Lorenzo
Ferro; and Dr Kirk Hanawalt
The opening paper will be followed by a panel discussion on ‘strategies for growing a profi table compounding business in an increasingly competitive global market- place’. This will feature four infl uential leaders from a variety of compounding operations. They are: Bernard Rzepka, president and CEO at A. Schulman Glenn Rasberry, vice president, sales and marketing at Ametek Westchester Plastics Suresh Swaminathan, senior vice president at Teknor Apex Carlos Carreno, president of Infi nity LTL Engineered Compounds This experienced panel will discuss a range of strategic issues, including: globalisation; developing new markets; maximising margins; improving sustainabil- ity; and the changing role of compounders in the plastics supply chain.
They will provide a range of perspectives. A. Schulman and Teknor Apex are both global companies with compounding operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Ametek Westchester Plastics is the leading independent toll compounder in the USA. Infi nity LTL Engineered Compounds is part of the global Americhem Group and was formed following the acquisitions of engineering plastics compounder Infi nity in 2013 and coloured compounds producer LTL in 2014.
American manufacturing outlook The second session on the fi rst day of the Compounding World Forum 2015 conference will focus on the future for manufacturing in the Americas.
It will begin with a European perspective
on investing in compounding plants in the Americas. This will be given by Dr Lorenzo Ferro, vice president, sales and marketing of Sirmax North America. The Italian- headquartered company is a leading producer of PP compounds for appliance, automotive, power-tool and other demand- ing applications. It also produces a range of engineering plastics compounds. Sirmax opened a production plant in
Brazil in 2013 and will start production at its new USA facility in Indiana later this year. Dr Ferro will discuss the strategy behind these
50 COMPOUNDING WORLD | September 2015
investments and provide valuable insights into the opportunities in the South and North America.
Dr Kirk Hanawalt, president of Entek
Manufacturing, will then provide his perspec- tives on the future of manufacturing in North America. The company, which is based in Lebanon, Oregon, is well known in the compounding industry for its twin-screw extruders, and it is also a leading producer of separators for lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
The company has invested heavily in its US production capabilities and it operates on six continents, so Dr Hanawalt is well placed to discuss the future of North American manufacturing in a global context.
The fi nal presentation in this session will focus on the hot topic of the digital revolution and its implications for US manufacturing. It will be given by Jacob Goodwin, director of membership engagement and communica- tions at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). Backed by UI Labs, DMDII is a new research centre and incubator located in Chicago, acting as a proving ground for new digital manufacturing technologies. It is backed by leading companies such as GE, Rolls Royce, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Deere, Microsoft, P&G, Caterpillar and ITW.
Developing new markets and products
The afternoon of the fi rst day of the Com- pounding World Forum 2015 will feature fi ve presentations focused on new materials and application developments.
First up will be Dr Alexis Baltazar, who is product and process development project manager at the Tier 1 automotive supplier Magna International. He will discuss work that his company has been carrying out on natural fi bre reinforced thermoplastics for lightweight automotive components. Magna is investigating the use of renewable natural fi bres to reinforce structural components such as front-end carriers, door modules and running boards.
The next presentation will focus on the development of advanced compounds for 3D printing applications. It will given by Tom Drye, the managing director of Techmer
www.compoundingworld.com
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