$5.00 ^9/10

Did I hear her correctly? On the Sunday morning news last weekend, the reporter was talking about gas hitting $5.00 per gallon. I turned to my eleven year-old son and said, “I don’t know how you’re going to be able to afford to put gas in the car when you start to drive?” To his credit, he has been asking what he can do to earn some money.

How high does the price per gallon have to go before you change your driving habits? More importantly, can you? Many rising costs can be traced back to the cost of fuel. Some businesses are being challenged while others thrive. One thing is for sure, those who successfully navigate through our challenging economy will be stronger for it. New technologies, machinery and materials continue to provide opportunity for growth in our industry.

We kick off this issue with our 12th Annual Nylon & Acetal Spotlight. Two of the most popular engineering materials, nylon and acetal continue to find new opportunities through new formulations. Our special section begins with Machining of Engineering Plastics. Nylon and acetal are relatively easy to fabricate when you follow these guidelines. The Spotlight also features three pages of new products PLUS listings of the standard and custom shapes offered by leading manufacturers.

I have been interested in lasers since becoming part of this industry nearly ten years ago. I still love the precision and possibilities that routers and saws offer but there is something cool about cutting with a concentrated beam of light (or water for that matter). To see what’s new with one area of laser cutting technology, turn to On the Cutting Edge with PETG and Lasers. Lasers are growing in popularity among fabricators working with a wide range of materials.

Next, learn how RBC Enterprises changed their business in CNC Router Helps Increase Productivity by Factor of 5. Now they can fabricate more complex parts and stop turning away business, that in the past, would have taken them too long to fabricate.

Finally, in Safety Solutions, Jack Podojil addresses how to be safe while using Portable Ladders. Simple right? Then why did nearly 550,000 people have to be treated for injuries related to portable ladders in 2007?

What’s next? The July/August issue will feature our Buyer’s Guide 2008, IWF 2008 and SPE Thermoforming Conference Previews.

The new e-Reader Service response form on our website has been updated and now offers you more options for requesting information from our advertisers and select editorial items. If you are looking for information on fabricating or materials, machinery, tooling or accessories, you’ll find it at www.plasticsmag.com.

Enjoy the issue,

Coming July/August 2008
Buyer’s Guide 2008
IWF Preview
SPE Preview

Ad/Edit Close: 06/20/08
Material Close: 06/27/08