As a result of a decline of 8% last month compared to June 2006, Plastics Technology’s exclusive Extrusion Business Index has dropped a total of 2% over the second quarter of this year compared to last, according to consultant Bill Wood of Mountaintop Economics & Research. Wood is still calling for the extrusion industry to bounce back in the second half, and is now projecting business for these processors to climb by 3% when 2007 is all said and done. Since the 2% second quarter decline followed a 1% first quarter decline, that prediction suggests extruders should be fairly busy for the rest of this year. Across the board all extrusion markets declined last month: film by 9%; sheet 3%; pipe 8%; siding 14%; extrusion coating  and windows/doors a whopping 19%; and wire/cable 16%.

Injection Molding Dips As Well

Following a 4% increase in May 2007, our exclusive Injection Molding Business Index declined 6% in June. Through the first two quarters of ’07, the index is slightly above where it was at this time last year. Wood is holding firm in his projection that by year-end the injection business will have expanded by 4% over ’06. Packaging applications are expected to climb by 6%, medical by 6% at least, and computers 15%.

Mark Your Calendar for Two Plastics Technology Conferences

As business begins to rebound, processors need to be on the cutting edge of new developments to give them the competitive edge. Plastics Technology has two conferences coming intended to do just that.

The Leading-Edge Molding Conference, scheduled for Sept. 19-20 in Cleveland, is a two-day technical program focused on developing injection molding technologies, including in-mold, long-fiber, multi-material and other emerging processes in injection molding. Click here for complete program details and registration information.

On Dec. 4-5, meantime, Plastics Technology will be hosting its second annual Bioplastics Processing Conference in Charlotte, NC. The two-day technical program will cover a range of processes, including single-and twin-screw extrusion, injection molding, blow molding and thermoforming. Full program details will be posted here in the weeks ahead.

New Book Focuses on Biopolymers

Speaking of bioplastics, our colleagues at Hanser Gardner Publications recently published a book titled Engineering Biopolymers: Homopolymers, Blends and Composites. The 450-page volume discusses everything you need to know about this new breed of so-called green resins, including processing know-how. Click here for more.

What Are You (and your competitors) Buying?

Sometimes there’s no better indicator of economic and technological trends than the statistics on where processors are spending their money and how much. Unfortunately, the data tends to arrive well after the fact. Each autumn, Plastics Technology tries to get a jump on these trends by asking our readers how much they plan to spend, and on what, in the coming year. Several thousand of you will be receiving our 2008 Capital Spending Forecast survey questionnaire in a couple of months. Please take the time to respond.

The forecasts for 2005 to 2007 were each based on 750 to 950 responses, about half from injection molders. These plants planned to spend around $5 billion a year in capital equipment. The dollars per plant grew 32% from 2005 to ’06 and another 6.4% from ’06 to ’07. In each of those years, about two-thirds of the equipment budget was for new hardware, one-fifth for used, and one-eighth for rebuilding. More details here.

Cover Story: Make Way for Carbon Nanotubes

Commercialization of carbon nanotubes and other electrically conductive nano-particles have been hampered by high cost and minuscule supply, but both limitations are well on their way to being resolved. These wisps of carbon appear to be headed toward a much broader scope of commercial use than the less expensive nanoclays, which opened up the nascent field of nanocomposites. Lilli Sherman has all the details.

What kind of stories would you like to see in Plastics Technology Magazine or on www.ptonline.com?  E-mail us your suggestions - if we follow up on your idea, you get a free PT t-shirt.