A Busy 1st Quarter

We’ve heard it a hundred times but it still rings true today, “just one word, plastics.” Many of the companies we have talked to saw growth in 2017 and a great start this year. Distributors and fabricators report that business is steady and suppliers have seen increased sales across the board. This is due in part, to the continuous innovation we see from material and machinery manufacturers who supply our industry.

But it does not stop there. Our industry’s growth depends on each of us to identify new areas for plastic materials to replace conventional materials as well as our tenacity to pursue those markets. One of your best resources for identifying those opportunities is your suppliers. Innovation is often driven by the need to create new solutions to address existing challenges and these suppliers are available to help engineer those solutions.

Case in point, this issue features a wide variety of saws for cutting plastic sheet. Our Saws & Tooling spotlight features some of the best options available to plastic distributors and fabricators today. From high precision horizontal to space saving vertical saws, these saws offer increased output and accuracy and are available at a variety of price points to meet your production needs. When it comes to saw blades that run faster and cut smoother, we’ve got those too.

Plastic panel processors have used optimization software for years however there have always been limitations and many shops still calculate cuts by hand. Advances in cut-to-size yield optimization technology have made substantial strides in their ability to efficiently reduce material scrap for plastic panel processors. Learn more in “Advanced Material Yielding Software Could Change the Plastics Industry.”

Finally, with more to offer than ever before, See-Through Plastics are everywhere. They are found in everything from medical devices to architectural glazing and P.O.P. displays, there is almost nothing these materials can’t do. This year our spotlight has a mix of materials, accessories, polishes and tooling for working with these popular plastics.

We hope your year is off to a great start. To find additional materials, machinery, products and services to help make your 2018 even better, manage your subscription or contact our advertisers, search our website.

Enjoy the issue,

May/June 2018

• Nylon& Acetal
• Finishing & Assembly