Plastics help designs bring home IDSA gold
 One project provides low-cost, energy-efficient laptops to children around the world.
International plastics mergers, acquisitions on rise
 Blaige
Has China lost its ‘low-cost workshop’ status?
 Franz
Design competition goes international for NPE 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 15, 2008) -- In a break with tradition, the Washington-based Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI) will make its next design competition an international event and will
add new design categories. The competition will be held in conjunction with NPE 2009, scheduled for June 22 to 26 in Chicago, Illinois. In the past, the National Plastics Design Competition was
mostly restricted to U.S. entries and limited to load-bearing parts, enclosures and structural parts. The upcoming competition will be open to virtually any type of design, including packaging
products, bioplastics, nanocomposites, and products that address energy efficiency and sustainability.
Rosti to open Indian injection molding plant
CHENNAI, INDIA (July 15, 2008) -- Injection molder Rosti Technical Plastics plans to open a new plant in India, further strengthening the Danish group´s commitment to Asia, where it already
operates a facility in China.
Opinion: New manufacturing faces emerge in China
 Toloken
Opinion: Design center gala full of surprises
 Grace
U.K.-based BNL to open Thai plastic bearings plant
RAYONG, THAILAND (June 24, 2008) - BNL UK Ltd., a U.K.-based plastic bearing designer and manufacturer, is opening a new factory in Thailand this month. Production will start later this year.
Initially, the plant will assemble parts for some Asia-based customers, with further opportunities to transfer other assembly work and molding activities to the factory. The Rayong plant will also
start injection molding on seven new Krauss Maffei presses.
Design savvy helps LG Electronics grow
 Designer Kim Jin
Mirae Industry focusing on mobile paint/decorating tech
 Kuismanen
PN Forum speaker offers keys to unlock creativity
 Innovation expert Ken Robinson
Learning to embrace sustainability
 Coleman-Kammula
FastFacts
From January through October 2007 China’s export sales of furniture rose 27 percent, reaching US$18 billion. The export volume of plastic furniture, however, slumped 66 percent during the
period. (Source: China Customs, China Furniture Industry Association)
Despite the snowstorms and power outages, China’s holiday spending during the nationally observed Lunar New Year
February 6 to 12, reached 255 billion yuan (US$35.5 billion), 17 percent up from last year. To put things in perspective, Americans’ total consumer spending on Valentine´s Day was estimated at $17.02
billion. Christmas, combined with the other winter holidays, generated $469.9 billion in spending in the U.S. (Source: China’s Ministry of Commerce, the National Retail Federation (U.S.),
BIGresearch, LLC.)
Former Triple S plants have a new owner
VICKSBURG, MICHIGAN (February 19, 2008) -- The former Triple S Plastics Inc. has a new owner, Nissha Printing Co. Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, which plans to use the Michigan firm’s molding and tooling
capabilities to expand its sales base in decorative plastics molding in North America.
Fast Facts
Even without a free trade agreement, China has become Mexico’s second largest trade partner after the United States. Imports from China to Mexico hit US$27.2 billion (195.6 billion yuan)
over the first 11 months of 2007 and keep growing at a double-digit rate. Main import categories include appliances, electrical and electronic products, video games, laser printers, monitors,
webcams, digital cameras and modems. (Source: El Diario)
China claims it is the world’s largest market for windows and doors. Annual installations are estimated to be 500 million square
meters, about four times that of Europe. Du Zonghan, an official with the Ministry of Construction, said the installation of plastic windows and doors, in particular, reaches 175 million
square meters annually. (Source: China Decoration & Building Materials Web)
Fast Facts
About 15 percent of the PVC window and door profiles on the Chinese market are substandard, according to a recent spot check by China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine. Some manufacturers use an excessive amount of filler to cut cost, compromising the strength of the material and causing poor fit. (Source: General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine)
Since China cut the export tax rebate for plastic products from 11 percent to 5 percent in July 2007, the plastics industry has seen
a bite of US$1.2 billion off tax rebate revenues. That accounts for about 35 percent of the industry’s annual profits. (Source: 21st Century Business Herald)
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