It Seems Like Only Yesterday...

In June, I will mark my sixth anniversary with the Plastics Distributor® & Fabricator magazine. The time has passed quickly and a lot has changed both within the pages of this publication and within this exciting industry. We have gone from boom to bust and are heading for boom again, we hope! All signs remain strong and even though raw material costs continue to challenge some budgets, the economy is growing. So, as the struggle continues to ease, the good news is we are no longer losing ground.

This issue includes our Eighth Annual Nylon & Acetal Shapes special section. It features the wide variety of extruded and cast Nylon and Acetal formulations and shapes offered by fourteen leading suppliers plus two features that can help you identify areas of opportunity for these multifaceted engineering materials. In Thermoforming Nylon And Acetal: It’s Easier Than You Think!, Ensinger/PennFibre shows how new opportunities are being opened up with thermoformable grades of these popular materials. In Why Cast Nylon?, Michael Worthington of Cast Nylons Ltd., looks at the differences between four popular engineering materials and where each excels.

Also in this issue, Michael Alongi of MAAC Machinery discusses Heavy Gauge Twin Sheet Forming. Twin sheet forming allows thermoformers to create structural, hollow parts more economically and faster than blow molding and faster than rotational molding. Combined with the increasing number of materials specifically designed for thermoforming, new markets are being opened every day.

In the third installment of Plastic Routing FAQs, Van Niser answers questions that are commonly asked during the setup and machining of various thermoplastics. If you would like to submit a question or topic for consideration for a future Routing Series article, please forward it to vanniser@onsrud.com or contact the magazine directly.

Finally, in our Safety Solutions column, Jack Podojil discusses In-Plant Air Monitoring & Analysis. Every business owner should be aware that there are stringent OSHA standards limiting air contaminants.

What’s next? Our July/August issue should not be missed! Not only will it feature our 2004 Buyer’s Guide, it will include previews of the upcoming IWF Fair this August and the SPE Thermoforming Conference this September. See Mark Your Calendar for dates and website addresses.

Enjoy the issue,