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At NPE2012: Tap Into The Knowledge Network

By: James Callari 7. February 2012

Plan on attending NPE2012 April 1-5 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.? Then please make plans to stop and see Plastics Technology. We'll be at booth 3303 in the West Hall. We're calling our booth The Knowledge Network. It's a booth theme that is consistent with the intent of all of the print and electronic products we offer: provide useful knowledge to our audience of plastics processors by acting as a conduit between them and the experts in the field.

 

We have lots of activities planned. In fact, we've created a special website dedicated to those activities. Click here to learn more. Check out the list of experts in materials, injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and tooling who will be speaking at our booth. Stop in on any of these presentations. They're free.

 

Enter the Plastics Technology Knowledge Network contest while at the booth to get:

1) A Knowledge Network T-shirt

2) Two drink tickets redeemable for refreshments in the Network Bar

3) A chance to win 1 of 5 tablets being given away at the show.    

 

And check this site often for updates.

 

Hope to see you there.                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Getting 'Youth of America' Interested in Manufacturing

By: James Callari 24. January 2012

Finding people interested in careers in manufacturing is a major problem for processors and suppliers alike. Kudos to Milacron LLC, for their efforts in developing a comprehensive Cincinnati-region talent acquisition program that promotes technical education and careers in manufacturing.
 
The program includes vocational school student co-ops, scholarships, tuition reimbursement, apprenticeships, job shadowing and other initiatives.
 
“We’re in an economy where people are looking for jobs and manufacturers are looking for skilled workers,” said Dennis Smith, Milacron CEO. “It’s our responsibility as an employer of over 780 people locally to apply our resources toward keeping the workforce strong and providing individuals with the skills they need to succeed in the job sectors that are thriving.”
 
Much of Milacron’s talent acquisition efforts will be focused on assisting high schools, vocational schools and technical colleges in promoting the advantages and opportunities associated with manufacturing careers. The program includes a Twitter feed a Facebook page and a microsite touting the benefits of manufacturing careers at Milacron through testimonial videos.
 
“We want to demonstrate the benefits, opportunities and long-term satisfaction we know manufacturing-related careers offer and encourage students to pursue the skills and training they’ll need to succeed in this field,” said Dave Lawrence,pPresident of Milacron’s Plastics Machinery Injection, Extrusion and Mold Technologies businesses. “Many manufacturers have been talking about the need for this kind of program, and we took the initiative to get things started in the Cincinnati region. Our hope is others will follow suit.”
           
At the high school level, Milacron is reinstating a program to provide co-op and apprenticeship opportunities for students in their senior year, opening the company’s doors as a place of hands-on learning that supplements classroom learning.
           
For college students, Milacron is offering a new scholarship opportunity to support advancing education in manufacturing fields. The company will offer up to ten $1,000 scholarships per year to help new Milacron employees pay for continuing with postsecondary technical education.
           
Milacron also offers tuition reimbursement to its employees. This means that students who earn the scholarship can have additional help with related expenses and other fees while having continued education paid for as well.
 
Let's hope that more companies in this field follow Milacron's lead.

Processors' Pulse: Steady and Strong

By: James Callari 12. December 2011

Every couple of months we survey our readers to get their feelings on business conditions and the like. We call this survey the Processors' Pulse, and our December results suggest a revival of sorts in North American processing.

Some highlights from the 285 processors who responded to this 30-second survey:

  • Roughly 52% said they were "somewhat more optimistic" about the general econonmy. In our October study, 32% expressed such optimism; in August the number was 30%.
  • In our December study 60% reported "somewhat better" business conditions, while another 12% indicated "much better" business conditions. In October, these numbers were 58% and 11%, respectively.
  • Our December survey showed that nearly 35% of processors studied said they were "very likey" to purchase capital equipment over the next 12 months, while another 34% said they were "somewhat likely" to do so.
  • Nearly 40% of responding processors said they planned to attend NPE.
  • A whopping 70% of those said what they saw at NPE will influence what they buy.

Shoot me an email if you would like a copy of the study.

 

Are You Compliant with New Chemical Safety Standards?

By: James Callari 1. November 2011

It might be unknown to many suppliers of raw materials, resins, compounders, and even processors, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is moving forward with the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), a regulation that’s impacting chemical plants and refineries around the country. CFATS was created in 2006 to establish security standards for facilities considered to be at high risk. CFATS defines security requirements based on a list of about 323 chemicals, called COIs or chemicals of interest. If your process involves the use of any of these chemicals, you may have to deploy new security measures at your facility. CFATS does not just affect the chemical or petrochemical industries. It also includes sectors such as chemical manufacturing and plastics.
 
 
ADT’s Business Solutions website is loaded with timely information, videos and white papers on the subject. It’s worth a look.

More On the Cost of Offshoring

By: James Callari 5. October 2011

My colleague Peter Zelinski, senior editor of sister publication Modern Machine Shop, recently spent time with Harry Moser to discuss the topic of offshoring/reshoring.

Harry is the founder of the Reshoring Initiative, and in his conversation with Pete he talks about the total cost of ownership of manufactured goods. Various hidden costs often are not factored in when manufacturing work is sent to a foreign country, Moser points out. And when work is brought back to the U.S., these hidden costs turn into visible savings. The conversation seen here between Harry and Pete was filmed at G & G Manufacturing in Cincinnati, Ohio.




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