FOURTH QUARTER 2007, VOLUME 26, NUMBER 4

™

a joURnal of the thermoforming division of the society of plastics engineers

“WINNER 2003, 2004 & 2005 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE”

Winning Entries in the 17th Annual
2007 Thermoforming Parts Competition

People’s Choice Award
& Twin Sheet Award

Spencer Industries Inc.

Dale, IN

Shelter Trailer

PRESSURE FORM

Specialty Manufacturing Inc.

San Diego, CA

Podiatry Chair

ROLL FED MEDICAL

Specialty Manufacturing

Inc.

San Diego, CA

Multi Probe Tray

MULTI-PART

Wilbert Plastics Services

White Bear Lake, MN

CT/PET Covers

ROLL FED INDUSTRIAL

Prent Corporation

Janesville, WI

Contec Verti Klean

OPTIONAL JUDGES’ AWARD

Talegator Distributors – Troy, MI

Tale Gator

VACUUM FORMING

Penda Manufacturing Inc.

Portage, WI

Tonneau Cover

. lead technical article

thermoforming hdpe – part TWO

“if you can’t measure it, you can’t control it”

by bill Mcconnell…………………………………………………………………………………..see page 15

www.thermoformingdivision.com

. The Chairman’s Corner

The Measure

of Our Success

. By Walt Walker, Chair

Conference Highlights

Our 17th Annual Thermoforming Conference was a tremendous
success – on many levels.

• Cutting Edge Content: If you rate success in terms of
Content and Substance, then we heard glowing reports
about the depth and breadth of our Technical Program.
From design and engineering breakthroughs, to the latest
in films and bio-materials, to the newest in robotic technology
– presenters from throughout the thermoforming industry
shared their knowledge and skill. A warm thank you to
all the presenters who gave us truly cutting edge sessions.

• Innovative Presentations: If one rates success on Innovation,
then a new remote learning technique proved to
be the wave of the future. During “Live from the Exhibit
Floor,” session participants got up close and personal as
they interacted with skilled set-up mechanics and machine
operators of a state-of-the-art heavy gauge former running
on the exhibit floor-while they comfortably sat in a convention
hall room. The session was a big hit and we plan to do
more live interactive technical sessions like this in the future.
Special thanks to Brian Winton of Modern Machinery who
was on the floor and Brian Ray of Ray Products who acted
as moderator in the technical session.

• Positive Leads: If success can be rated in terms of leads,
many of our 100 plus exhibitors are already reporting it
was an excellent show and they received many positive
leads.

• Training the Next Generation: If success means nurturing
our professionals of tomorrow, then we can take pride
in bringing students and professors to our conference. This
year we paid the travel and housing expenses for 27 people
including three 2007 SPE scholarship recipients, eight
professors and 16 students from various universities.

• Sponsor Commitment: If success can be measured as
commitment, then we are indeed grateful to our 24 sponsors
for their unwavering financial support. Without them,
this conference wouldn’t be possible. As you run across
these corporations during your professional lives, please
thank them for their commitment to our industry.

• Strong Leadership: But, success doesn’t happen without
leadership. A huge “thank you” goes to our 2007 Conference
Chair Ken Griep, President of Portage Casting &
Mold, Inc. and a division Board Member, and Conference
Coordinator (Super Star) Gwen Mathis for their hard work,
dedication and leadership.

Grants, Scholarships and Donations Top
Board Agenda

During our conference business meeting, the Board of Directors
focused on growing our industry through support of students
and educational programs. Over the years, thanks to the success
of our annual conferences, we’ve been able to fulfill our mission
statement and proudly report:

• In the past eight years, we’ve awarded in excess of
$160,000 in student scholarships.

• In the past five years, we’ve supported PlastiVan with more
than $60,000.

• Since 2000, we’ve approved over 27 matching grants to
universities totaling $146,000.

• This year we contributed $30,000 to the Center for
Plastics Processing Technology at the University of Wisconsin –
Platteville for the purchase of a ZED roll fed, high speed,
inline, thin gauge thermoformer. The ability to purchase
such a piece of equipment – with a market value estimated
at nearly $400,000 – came largely through the efforts of
two men: Platteville’s program director, Dr. Majid Trabrizi
who tirelessly solicited donations from many generous corporations,
and Mark Zelnick, President of ZED Industries,
Inc., and his suppliers who donated or discounted parts
and labor.

Now It’s Your Turn to Educate

If you know about a thermoforming educational program in
your area that needs support, remember SPE has a $10,000
matching grant program you could help them apply for. And
don’t forget we also have a scholarship program worth up to
$7,500 per recipient.

Hats Off to Our Award Winners

Last – but most certainly not least –hearty congratulations to
our “2007 Thermoformer of the Year” Curt Zamec, President &
CEO, Wilbert Industries, Inc., and our “Lifetime Achievement”
recipient, Jack Pregont, Founder and CEO Emeritus of Prent Corporation.
With gentlemen like these in positions of leadership, it’s
no wonder the thermoforming industry has enjoyed unparalleled
success over the years.

It’s a Great Day in Thermoforming!

.

Thermoforming QUARTERLY

Thermoforming®

A NOTE TO

PROSPECTIVE

AUTHORS

Q U A R T E R L Y

Contents

TFQ is an “equal opportunity”
publisher! You will note that we
have several categories of technical
articles, ranging from the super-high
tech (sometimes with equations!), to
industry practice articles, to book
reviews, how to articles, tutorial
articles, and so on. Got an article that
doesn’t seem to fit in these categories?
Send it to Barry Shepherd, Technical
Editor, anyway. He’ll fit it in! He
promises. [By the way, if you are
submitting an article, Barry would
appreciate it on CD-ROM in DOC
format. All graphs and photos should
be black and white and of sufficient
size and contrast to be scannable.
Thanks.]

. Technical Section

Lead Technical Article

Thermoforming HDPE – Part Two: “If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Control It”…………….15

History of Thermoforming, Part 8

Early 1950s Vacuum Forming Tooling…………………………………………………………………………….19

. DIVISION ACTIVITIES

Chairman’s Corner: “The Measure of Our Success” ………Inside Front Cover

Membership: “Reviewing Our Numbers” ……………………………………………….2

New Members ……………………………………………………………………………………..3

Winter Board Meeting Schedule…………………………………………………………….4

Thermoformer of the Year 2008 Criteria…………………………………………………6

Thermoformer of the Year 2008 Application…………………………………………..7

2007 Parts Competition Award Winners…………………………………………………8

2007 17th Annual Conference Review………………………………………………….11

2007 Cincinnati Conference ………………………………………………………………..12

Lifetime Achievement Award – Jack Pregont…………………………………………13

Council Report…………………………………………………………………………………….23

Curt Zamec – Thermoformer of the Year……………………………………………….28

European Thermoforming Conference, Berlin, Germany……………………….30

Membership Application……………………………………………………………………..33

Index of Sponsors ……………………………………………………………………………….36

Board of Directors List …………………………………………………Inside Back Cover

Thermoforming®

QUARTERLY

A JOURNAL PUBLISHED EACH CALENDAR
QUARTER BY THE THERMOFORMING DIVISION
OF THE SOCIETY OF PLASTICS ENGINEERS

Editor

Gwen Mathis

(706) 235-9298 • Fax (706) 295-4276

gmathis224@aol.com

Technical Editor

Barry Shepherd

Shepherd Thermoforming &
Packaging, Inc.

5 Abacus Road

Brampton, Ontario L6T 5B7

CANADA

(905) 459-4545 Ext. 229

Fax (905) 459-6746

bshep@shepherd.ca

Sponsorships

Laura Pichon

(847) 829-8124

Fax (815) 678-4248

lpichon@extechplastics.com

Thermoforming Quarterly® is published four times
annually as an informational and educational
bulletin to the members of the Society of Plastics
Engineers, Thermoforming Division, and the thermoforming
industry. The name, “Thermoforming
Quarterly®” and its logotype, are registered trademarks
of the Thermoforming Division of the Society
of Plastics Engineers, Inc. No part of this publication
may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without prior written permission of the publisher,
copyright holder. Opinions of the authors are their
own, and the publishers cannot be held responsible
for opinions or representations of any unsolicited
material. Printed in the U.S.A.

Thermoforming Quarterly® is registered in the US
Patent and Trademark Office (Registration no.
2,229,747).

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Phone:215.419.7982Fax:215.419.5512E-mail:
andrew.horvath@altuglasint.comAcrylic Capstock and FilmCapstock solutions for thermoformed sheet.
Altuglas® and Solarkote® are registered trademarksbelonging to Arkema.
© 2005 Arkema Inc.All rights reserved.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

. Membership Corner

Reviewing

Our Numbers

. By Conor Carlin, Chair

The end of the year provides a good opportunity
to review the numbers. The membership ranks
are holding steady as the Conference gave us a
good boost going into the fourth quarter. With
about 900 people in attendance in Cincinnati,
I was able to meet a lot of the new attendees.
Once again, new members are coming in from
different industries and countries. This is a sure
sign that the thermoforming industry is making
great strides against competitive processes.

Word of mouth continues to be an important factor
in the growth and development of membership.
Think of the people you talk to during the course
of the week that have some impact on your job or
on your current project. Would they benefit from
joining our division? Would the division benefit
from having them join? The advantages go both
ways. An easy way to get involved to help grow
the division is to use the AIM Program: Action
Increases Membership. Visit this link to learn
more and enter your prospects online: http://
www.4spe.org/communities/ld/aim/index.php.

SPE national recently completed an in-depth
Membership Marketing Study that brought into
relief two key points: members “… join and
remain with SPE for its technical information
resources … and indicate a strong interest in
general industry information.” As the Society
strives to maintain and improve membership
benefits, each division is responsible for
providing suggestions, comments and criticisms.
Even if you are content with the current level of
information and support from SPE and D25 in
particular, please let us know. Your comments
allow us to make any necessary changes and
improvements.

The global market continues to provide increased
opportunities for thermoformers. The massive
K-Show takes place this year and with over
280,000 attendees, it can make your head spin.
We will certainly have a report on the show early
next year in the new, revamped Quarterly.

Next year is also the year that the European
Thermoforming Division holds their bi-annual
conference. Berlin has been chosen as the venue
and we expect to see increased attendance from
Eastern Europe and Russia.

For more details you can visit the SPE Europe
website: www.e-t-d.org.

T

.

Comments?

Questions?

Email me:

conorc@stopol.com

WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS!

Anuj Agarwal

Par Pak Ltd.

chuck@parpak.com

Chris J. Anthony

chris@epicboats.com

Jeff Apodaca

SF Custom Skylights

Diego Avelar

Grupo Janfrex SA De CV

diego@gupjanfrex.com

Joost Baelden

Joost.baeiden@skynet.be

Alejandro Barraza

Takata

Alejandro.barraza@takata.
com

Steven J. Billmeier

Stopol, Inc.

steveb@stopol.com

Claudio Bottos

Morphogic Srl

info@morphlogic.it

Chad Bross

Jackson, Michigan

Brian Buck

Gardner Denver Hanover

Brian.buck@gardner

denver.com

Neil Carsi Carsi-Cruz

Vitalo USA

Neil.carsi-cruz@usvitalo.
snet

Kimberly A. Chrisitian

Kim_c2000@hotmail.com

Fred W. Cieri

Bo-Mer Plastics

fcieri@bo-mer.com

Rick Claypool

Gold Shield of Indiana, Inc.

Decatur, Indiana

Ronald W. Cobb

Tucker, Georgia

Chris Corona

Boltaron Performance
Products

ccorona@boltaron.com

John D’Alessandro

Brentwood Industries, Inc.

Reading, Pennsylvania

Marianne Danielsen

Innovative Plastech

mdanielsen@inplas.com

Colin Dhillon

ABC Group

colind@abcgroup.com

Ryan DuMonte

Premier Material Concepts

ryand@rowmark.com

Doug Endres

Placon

dendres@placon.com

Dave Felicella

Thermoforming
Connection LLC

sales@tccyl.com

Kenzie Fernholz

Ford Motor Company

kfernhol@ford.com

Micah Freeman

Freetech Plastics, Inc.

micah@freetechplastics.
com

David Fry

Brentwood Industries, Inc.

David.fry@brentw.com

Enrique Galiano

Thermo King Areclob PR

Enrique_galiano@irco.com

Mark Gerko

Fabri-Form Company

mjgerko@fabri-form.com

Hallie Good

Stopol, Inc.

Kimberly Gotte

Innovative Plastech, Inc.

lgptte@inplas.com

Julie Griswold

WR Sharples Company

Julie@sharplesdie.com

Dan J. Haas

Total Industries
Internationa

danhaas@totalindustries.
com

Eric Hausserman

Premier Material Concepts

ehausserman@rowmark.
com

David Hawks

Invibio, Inc.

dhawks@inbibio.com

Doug Hawkins

Plastics Package, Inc.

doughawkins@plasticpack.
com

Dee Henson

Associated Packaging
Technologies

Henson@aptechnologies.
com

Becca Hill

McClarin Plastics

bredding@
mcclarinplastics.com

Greg Horton

Select Plastics

greghortonselect@aol.com

William J. Huribut

Kohler

William.huribut@kohler.
com

James Hutter

J_hutter@msn.com

Mike Karr

Kleerdex Company

karrm@kleerdex.com

Nathan J. Kellogg

C & M Fine Pack, Inc.

nkellogg@cmfinepack.com

Sang-Kook Kim

LG Electronics

dodgers@lge.com

Raymond Kolodziej

Wilbert, Inc.

lhoranzei@wilbertinc.com

Thomas J. Kuehn

Plastic Ingenuity, Inc.

tom@plasticingenuity.com

James Lanman

Tasus Corporation

jlanman@tasus.com

Leon Liu

Yomura

lliu@yomura.com.tw

Greg Lofgren

Madison, Wisconsin

Greg.Lofgren@sbcglobal.
net

Pablo Lozano

Grupo Janfres SA de CV

Pablo@grupjanfrex.com

Ron Magee

Brentwood Industries, Inc.

Reading, Pennsylvania

Stanley McDonald

Innoware

Thomaston, Georgia

Blake McCarthy

Plastic Works, Inc.

blake@plasticworksinc.
com

Don Mebius

McClarin Plastics

dmebius@mcclarinplastics.
com

Jon Melchiori

Octal

jjmelchi@comcast.net

Craig S. Miller

Plastic Solutions

Csmiller184@aol.com

Dan Miller

Plastics Unlimited, Inc.

dmiller@plasticsolutions.
net

Giovanni Morandi

Melco SRL

sales@meico.it

David W. Morris

SupplyOne Plastics, Inc.

dmorris@supplyone.com

Sal Moretti

Trans Form Plastics

Danvers, MA

Corey Newson

Dow Chemical Company

cnewson@dow.com

Adam Norrington

Plastics Works, Inc.

adam@plasticworksinc.
com

John C. Noruk

Faurecia Interiors

John.noruk@faurecia.com

Craig Ogilvie

Gregstrom Corporation

cogilvie@gregstrom.com

Cleophas Omondi

Medtronic, Inc.

Cleophas.omondi@
medtronic.com

Raymond Pidock

Reynoldsburg, Ohio

rpidock@efpcorp.com

Carlo V. Porretta

Woodbridge, ON Canada

Carlo_porretta@magna.
on.ca

Edward Rosingana

WECO International

tedr@wecoproducts.com

Michael Rossi

Oakwood Group

mrossi@theoakwoodgroup.
com

Keith Ruedisuell

Peninsula Plastics
Company

Kruedisueli@
PeninsulaPlastics.com

Stephen Schreiner

Perfect Shutters

sschreiner@
perfectshutters.com

Dave Shonebarger

Premier Material Concepts

dshonebarger@rowmark.
com

Scott Slovacek

Carlisle Foodservice
Products

Scott.slovacek@sbcglobal.
net

Steven J. Sparks

Carolina Materials

ssparks@
carolinamaterials.net

Clark Stoel

Fey Industries

travel@feyindustries.com

Matt Tucker

Hooser Plastics

Terre Haute, IN

Mattijs Van De Liefvoort

Berry Plastics

mattijsvandeliefvoort@
berry plastics.com

Michael Wenzel

Wilbert, Inc.

mwenzel@wilbertinc.com

Corey Williams

Milliken

Corey.Williams@milliken.
com

Jeremy Williams

Display Pack, Inc.

jwilliams@displaypack.
com

Jerry Witt

The Witt Group

Jwitt5@cfl.rr.com

Charles Woolridge

Freetech Plastics

charles@freetechplastics.
com

Jason Zajicek

Penda Corporation

jasonzajicek@penda.com

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

THERMOFORMING

DIVISION

WINTER BOARD
MEETING SCHEDULE

February 6th – 9th, 2008

Tranquility Bay Beach
House Resort

2600 Overseas Highway

Marathon, Florida

FOR HOUSING RESERVATIONS,
CONTACT GWEN MATHIS
706.235.9298

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

Executive Committee Arrives

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

7:30 – 8:00 am – Breakfast – Executive
Committee

8:00 am – 4:00 pm – Executive Committee
Meeting, Orchid House

12:00 – 1:00 pm – Lunch, Executive
Committee

2:00 – 3:00 pm – Finance Committee meet
Executive Committee

3:00 – 4:00 pm – Technical Chairs meet
with Executive Committee

Friday, February 8th, 2008

7:30 – 9:00 am – Continental Breakfast, All
Committees

7:30 – 9:00 am – Materials Committee,
Tent on Lawn

7:30 – 9:00 am – Processing Committee,
Tent on Lawn

7:30 – 9:00 am – Machinery Committee,
Tent on Lawn

7:30 – 9:00 am – 2008 Minneapolis meet
with Technical Committees

8:45 am – 12:15 pm – Other Committees,
Tent on Lawn or Orchid House

8:45 – 9:15 am – ARRC, Rich Freeman;
Students, Ken Griep

9:45 – 10:15 am – Website, Rich Freeman;
Recognition, Hal Gilham

10:15 – 10:45 am – Marketing, Roger Fox;
Membership, Conor Carlin; Antec,
Don Hylton

10:45 – 11:15 am – Newsletter, Conor
Carlin/Barry Shepherd; Publication,
Laura Pichon

12:15 – 1:00 pm – Lunch, Board of
Directors, Pool Deck

1:00 – 4:00 pm – Board of Directors
Meeting, Orchid House

6:00 – 7:00 pm – Reception, Beach**

** Weather Permitting

7:00 – 9:00 pm – Florida Keys Seafood
Festival, Beach**

** Weather Permitting

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

On Your Own / Fishing or Golf

6:00 – 7:00 pm – Reception, Pool Deck

Sunday, February 10th, 2008

Depart

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

Need help

with your
technical school
or college
expenses?

If you or someone you
know is working
towards a career in the
plastic industry, let the SPE
Thermoforming Division
help support those education
goals.

Our mission is to
facilitate the advancement of
thermoforming technologies
through education, application,
promotion, and research.
Within this past year alone,
our organization has awarded
multiple scholarships! Get
involved and take advantage
of available support from your
plastic industry!

Start by completing the
application forms at www.
thermoformingdivision.com
or at www.4spe.com. The
deadline for applications is
January 15th, 2008. ¦

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Save time and money onyour thermoform molds6013-T651 Power Plate™ is distributed by:

. Thermoformer of the Year Criteria for 2008

E

Every year the SPE Thermoforming
Division selects an individual
who has made an outstanding
contribution to our industry and
names them “Thermoformer of the
Year.”

The award in the past has gone
to industry pioneers like Bo Stratton
and Sam Shapiro, who were
among the first to found thermoforming
companies and develop
our industry. We have included
machine designers and builders
Gaylord Brown and Robert Butzko
and toolmaker John Griep, individuals
who helped develop the
equipment and mold ideas we all
use today. We have also honored
engineers like Lew Blanchard and
Stephen Sweig, who developed
and patented new methods of
thermoforming. Additionally, we
have featured educators like Bill
McConnell, Jim Throne and Herman
R. Osmers, who have both
spread the word and were key
figures in founding the Thermoforming
Division.

We’re looking for more individuals
like these and we’re turning to
the thermoforming community to
find them. Requirements would
include several of the following:

. Founder or owner of a thermoforming
company

. Patents developed

. Is currently active in or recently
retired from the thermoforming
industry

. Is a processor – or capable of
processing

. Someone who developed new
markets for or started a new
trend or style of thermoforming

. Significant contributions to the
work of the Thermoforming Division
Board of Directors

. Has made a significant educational
contribution to the thermoforming
industry.

If you would like to bring someone
who meets some or all of
these requirements to the attention
of the Thermoforming Division,
please fill out a nomination
form and a one- to two-page
biography and forward it to:

Thermoforming Division Awards
Committee

c/o Productive Plastics, Inc.

Hal Gilham

103 West Park Drive

Mt. Laurel, NJ 08045

Tel: 856-778-4300

Fax: 856-234-3310

Email: halg@productiveplastics.com

You can also find the form and see all the past
winners at www.thermoformingdivision.com in
the Thermoformer of the Year section.

You can submit nominations and bios at any time
but please keep in mind our deadline for
submissions is no later than December 1st of
each year, so nominations received after that
time will go forward to the next year.

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

THERMOFORMER OF

THE YEAR 2008

Presented at the September 2008 Thermoforming Conference in Minneapolis, MN

The Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2008 THERMOFORMER OF THE YEAR. Please
help us by identifying worthy candidates. This prestigious honor will be awarded to a member of our industry
that has made a significant contribution in a technical, educational or managerial aspect of thermoforming.
Nominees will be evaluated and voted on by the Thermoforming Board of Directors at the Winter 2008
meeting. The deadline for submitting nominations is December 1st, 2007. Please complete the form below
and include all biographical information.

Person Nominated: ________________________________________________________Title: ______________________________

Firm or Institution:____________________________________________________________________________________________

Street Address: _________________________________________________City, State, Zip: ________________________________

Telephone: __________________________________Fax: _________________________ E-mail: ___________________________

Biographical Information:

• Nominee’s experience in the thermoforming industry.

• Nominee’s education (include degrees, year granted, name and location of university)

• Prior corporate or academic affiliations (include company and/or institutions, title, and approximate
dates of affiliations)

• Professional society affiliations

• Professional honors and awards.

• Publications and patents (please attach list).

• Evaluation of the effect of this individual’s achievement on technology and progress of the plastics
industry. (To support nomination, attach substantial documentation of these achievements.)

• Other significant accomplishments in the field of plastics.

• Professional achievements in plastics (summarize specific achievements upon which this nomination
is based on a separate sheet).

Individual Submitting Nomination: _______________________________________________Title: _________________________

Firm or Institution:____________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________City, State, Zip: ________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________Fax: _________________________ E-mail: ___________________________

Signature: _______________________________________________________________Date: ____________________

(ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE SIGNED)

Please submit all nominations to: Hal Gilham,

Productive Plastics, 103 West Park Drive

Mt. Laurel, New Jersey 08045

. 2007 Thermoforming Parts Competition Winners

. By Haydn Forward, Chair

According to Haydn Forward, Parts Competition Chairman,
this was a big year for the parts competition. A
total of 45 parts were entered – the most ever. He said
one-fourth of the parts came from original equipment
makers, NOT SPE Thermoforming Division members.
Forward said, “People are beginning to see the value of
this competition.”

Some changes were made this year. For the first time, the
contest solicited student entries and four were on display
on the show floor. The division gave scholarships to the
top three winners.

Division officials also reduced the number of categories,
but made them broader, covering two categories each in
roll-fed and heavy-gauge parts. They issued first, second
and third place in each category, instead of a single winner,
as in years past.

Products are judged for creativity, originality, design
complexity, surface finish, secondary operations, technical
difficulty, and innovation.

STUDENT

1st Place – AIR CONDITIONER
ROOF.
$2,500.00 Scholarship.
Brian Pillay, University
of Alabama.
205.996.5797. Contact
e-mail: pillay@uab.edu.

2nd Place – CARGO BOX. $1,500.00 Scholarship. Robbin
Forsyth, San Jose State University. Contact e-mail: robbinforsyth@
gmail.com.

3rd Place – CARGO BOX. $750.00 Scholarship. Hoan
Pham, San Jose State University. Contact e-mail: hoanpham@
gmail.com.

ROLL FED – MEDICAL

Bronze – ST. JUDE MEDICAL TRAY. Prent Corp., Janesville,
WI. Contact Chris Courtney, 608.754.0276 x154.

Silver – ENDOGASTRIC STOMPAHY X TRAY. Prent Corp.,
Janesville, WI. Contact Chris Courtney, 608.754.0276
x154.

Gold – MULTI PROBE TRAY. Specialty Manufacturing
Inc., San Diego, CA. Contact Jack Schrieffer, 858.450.1591.
(See Front Cover.)

A

© All Parts Competition Images Ellen Dallager:Photography 2007

ROLL FED – INDUSTRIAL

Bronze – DIP-N-GO PACKAGE. PWP Ind., Vernon, CA.
Contact Terry Vovan, 323.513.9000.

Silver – TAMPER-RESISTANT PACKAGE. PWP Ind., Vernon,
CA. Contact Terry Vovan, 323.513.9000.

Gold – CONTEC VERTI KLEAN. Prent Corp., Janesville,
WI. Contact Chris Courtney, 608.754.0276 x154. (See
Front Cover.)

HEAVY GAUGE – VACUUM FORM

Bronze – RADOME. Golden Plastics, Oakland, CA. Contact
Ron Pardee, 510.569.6465.

Silver – SEA-DOO. Ameriform, Muskeson, MI. Contact
Chris Lussenden, 213.332.1728.

Gold – TONNEAU COVER. Penda Corp., Portage, WI.
Contact Nicole Barreau, 608.742.5301. (See Front Cover.)

HEAVY GAUGE – PRESSURE FORM

Bronze – COVER ASSEMBLY UNIT. Ray Products, Ontario,
CA. Contact Brian Ray,, 909.390.9906 x216.

Silver – SCAN SCOPE COVER. Specialty Manufacturing
Inc., San Diego, CA. Contact Jack Schrieffer,
858.450.1591.

Gold – PODIATRY CHAIR. Specialty Manufacturing Inc.,
San Diego, CA. Contact Jack Schrieffer, 858.450.1591. (See
Front Cover.)

MULTI-PART

CT/PET COVERS. Wilbert Plastic Services, White Bear,
MN. Contact Steve Munger, 651.407.4935. (See Front
Cover.)

TWIN SHEET

SHELTER TRAILER. Spencer Industries Inc., Dale, IN.
Contact Randy Rhoades, 812.937.7227. (See Front Cover.)

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

SHELTER TRAILER. Spencer Industries Inc., Dale, IN.
Contact Randy Rhoades, 812.937.7227. (See Front Cover.)

OPTIONAL JUDGES’ AWARD

TALE GATOR. Talegator Distributors, Troy, MI. Contact
Keith V. Leigh-Monstevens. Contact 248.808.8112 (cell).
(See Front Cover.)

. 2007 Thermoforming Parts Competition Winners

In Memoriam

PAUL J. AlongI

Paul J. Alongi, 82, born in Chicago,
Illinois, died peacefully on October
23rd, 2007, at his home. Beloved
husband of 60 years to Mary, nee
Gurrieri. Proud father of Paul (Lori)
and James (Kathy). Dear brother
of the late Mary Cannella (the late
Phil), Millie Granitelli (the late Joe),
Frank Alongi (Nanci), and step-
brother Joe Bondi (Kay), and Mary
Gagliano (the late Dominic). Loving
grandfather of eight: Christopher,
Michael, Peter, Paul, Lisa Iliff (Trent),
Richard, David, and James; and
three great-grandchildren: Valerie,
PJ, and Dominic. Loving uncle of
many. WWII Coast Guard veteran.
Owned and operated Chicago Taxi
#3020 for 50 years. Founder of A&A
Midway Delivery Service. Salerno’s
Funeral Home, 450 W. Lake Street,
Roselle, Illinois, had charge of the
service. Funeral mass was held on
October 27th, 2007, at 10:00 a.m.
at St. Isidore Church, 427 W. Army
Trail Road, Bloomingdale, Illinois.
Graveside services were at Mount
Carmel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers,
memorials can be sent to the Cardinal
Bernardin Cancer Center and
the Center for Home and Hospice
of Loyola University Health System,
2160 S. First Avenue, Maywood,
Illinois 60153.

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Past Thermoformers of the Year Attending 2007 Conference

Front Row (left to right):
Stephen Sweig, Profile Plastics;
Bill Benjamin, Benjamin
Manufacturing; Bill McConnell,
McConnell Company; Steve
Hasselbach, CMI Plastics.
Back Row (left to right): Jack
Pregont, Prent Corporation; Stan
Rosen, Mold Tech; Curt Zamec,
Wilbert Inc.; Jim Blin, Triangle
Corporation; Joseph Pregont,
Prent Corporation; and Paul
Alongi, MAAC Machinery. Not
pictured and in attendance was
Dr. James Throne, Sherwood
Technologies.

. 17th Annual SPE Thermoforming Conference Review

. By Ken Griep, Chair

What a great conference! Excellent presentations,
a large exhibition area, and a newly
remodeled Duke Energy Center – the perfect
atmosphere for discussing thermoforming.

I truly appreciate the many positive comments I
received from this year’s conference attendees.
It is very rewarding to know that all the hard
work that was done by so many people to help
”Adapting to Form the Future” will continue in
the years ahead.

This great conference could not happen every
year without the help of our 24 Sponsors and 90-
plus Exhibitors. Thank all of you for your support
of the Conference, SPE, and the Thermoforming
Industry.

My workload was greatly reduced with the
help of my Technical Co-Chairs, Brian Winton
and Conor Carlin. Thank you both for doing a
wonderful job. I would also like to thank Haydn
Forward, the Parts Competition Chair, for all his
hard work putting together the excellent display
area. Thank you to all the Presenters and Session
Moderators who donated their time and made
all the sessions informative.

The biggest thank you goes to the Southern
Lady from Lindale Georgia –Gwen Mathis. When
I needed help or advice, and I needed a lot of
it, Gwen kept me going in the right direction.
Gwen is one special Conference Coordinator.
Thank you Gwen for all your guidance and thank
you for all the hard work you do for SPE.

SURVEY WINNERS – Randy Farnsworth from Dow
Automotive and John Critchley from American
Catalytic won free registrations to the 2008 SPE
Thermoforming Conference. Their names were
drawn from the group of survey forms turned in
after the conference. I hope to see Randy, John,
and all the rest of you at the 2008 Conference
in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Thank you all,

Ken Griep

2007 Conference Chair

W

THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE … Ken Griep (left),
Portage Casting & Mold, accepts award for a job well done as
Chair of the 2007 Conference from Division Chairman Walt
Walker.

.

SPE International President Vicki Flaris shown cutting the
ribbon to open the 2007 Conference and Exhibits in Cincinnati,
Ohio.

. 2007 Cincinnati Conference

. Jack Pregont Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Jack Pregont, Prent Corporation, Janesville,
WI, was named the winner of the Lifetime
Achievement Award on September 17th
at the 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers’
Thermoforming Conference.

Jack Pregont is retired and now serves as chief
executive officer emeritus. He turned the
day-to-day operations over to his son, Joseph
Pregont. Both father and son have already won
the SPE Thermoforming Division’s top honor of
Thermoformer of the Year – Jack in 1989 and
Joseph in 2001.

Jack never lost the thermoforming bug and, in
1967, founded the Prent Corporation, which has
become a major, global custom thermoformer
and a leader in packaging for the medical and
electronics markets.

During the awards dinner in Cincinnati, he was
introduced by a Prent veteran, Walt Walker,
executive vice president and chief operating
officer.

“Jack Pregont is one of the modern era’s
thermoforming pioneers, who pushed the
envelope on every process and technique, and
even invented a few himself,” said Walker.

J

Division Chairman Walt Walker presents Lifetime Achievement
Award to Jack Pregont at the 17th Annual Thermoforming Division
Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

.

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Cincinnati ’07

From The Editor

Thermoforming Quarterly
welcomes letters from its
readers. All letters are subject
to editing for clarity and space
and must be signed. Send to:
Mail Bag, Thermoforming
Quarterly, P. O. Box 471,
Lindale, Georgia 30147-1027,
fax 706/295-4276 or e-mail to:
gmathis224@aol.com.

. Lead Technical Article

Thermoforming HDPE – Part Two

(“If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Control It”)

. By Bill McConnell

T

(Technical Editor’s Note: Part One of this article
was printed in the previous issue of the Quarterly.
It dealt with the properties, characteristics and
the extrusion of HDPE. The following completes
a thorough lesson on one of the most difficult
materials to thermoform.)

II. Tooling

Temperature control of molds is extremely
important in thermoforming quality polyethylene
parts at competitive prices. If you have to
cut prices, do so anywhere but in the mold! The
hotter the mold, the more the final part will
shrink. A change in mold temperature can mean
the formed part may not fit the trim tool. Other
possible causes of different part shrinkage within
a lot of material or from lot to lot are variation
in melt index, orientation, draw down ratio,
gage and regrind percentage or a combination
of these factors.

Thin Gage (Roll-Fed) Mold Temperature

Ideal mold temperature for thin gage is HDPE
150° – 165° F. [66° – 74° C.]. This temperature
gives the best physical properties in the finished
part. To help in thermoforming a difficult part
there may be a time mold temperature will need
to run at 190° F. [88° C. +] or more, in order to
produce the part with proper wall thicknesses.
Because thin gages of 0.040” [1.02 mm] or less
have a lower amount of mass, we find with fast
vacuum and good compressed air, around 50
psi (344 kPa) for pressure forming, parts can be
formed in production on 65° – 100° F. [18° – 38°
C.] molds very successfully.

When using cooling plates, accurate temperature
control of the cooling plate is essential for
consistent, quality parts. Cooling plates should
be manifolded so that no coolant line is more
than 36 to 40 inches [91.44 to 102 cm] long
before directing the cooling fluid back to the
temperature control unit.

Cooling plates up to a size of 20” x 20” should
have a minimum of four thermocouples installed
on the diagonal about 6” [15 cm] from each
corner, with thermocouples wedged to within
0.080” [2.03 mm] of the surface. Larger molds
should have six or eight. Be sure that the mating
surfaces of the cooling plate and the mold
are absolutely flat and are making good, positive
contact. Air is a poor conductor, having a
K Factor of 0.016 BTU/hr/ft2/°F. – a great insulator.
Thus tight mold contact with the cooling plate

(continued on next page)

is necessary for proper temperature control.
Prior to installing a mold for the next production
run, check both mold and cooling plate for
flatness after everything has cooled to room
temperature.

TIP: Do not use epoxy or axle grease, etc. to
fill gaps between plates without checking the
K Factor (heat transfer rate) first. Remember,
aluminum has close to a 90 K Factor while most
greases and epoxies are less than one and will
only act as insulators making matters worse.
Some of the epoxies and greases used in the
electronics and computer industry have silver
blended in which gives very high heat transfer,
but are expensive.

Heavy Gauge (Sheet-Fed) Mold Temperature

When the finished thickness of a part is in the
range of 0.040” [1.02mm] or above the mold
temperature must be at least 150° F. [66° C.] or
greater to avoid cooling the mold side of the
part too fast causing undue internal stresses.
Normally the majority of these molds are internally
cooled to avoid such problems. Again
thermocouples should be installed on the back
side of the mold and wedged to within 0.080”
[2.03 mm] of the forming surface.

III. Shrinkage

Polyethylene is a crystalline material. Many
extrusion and thermoforming variables greatly
influence the part shrinkage. The effect of the
variables is particularly important to the mold
designer. The most accurate way to predict
shrinkage values is to thermoform prototype
parts with sheet from the extruder selected for
the application. This sheet can then be formed
under the same conditions anticipated for production.
Measured part shrinkage values from
these prototypes should be very similar to production
shrinkage values because most of the
variables have been eliminated.

Orientation

Shrinkage values for most high density polyethylene
(HDPE) sheet resins are in the range of
2.0% (0.020 in/in) and 2.5%. Extruded sheet has
its greatest orientation (stress level) and therefore
its highest shrink factor in the direction of
extrusion. It appears more accurate to estimate
shrinkage at 2.4% MD, the direction it traveled
during extrusion and 2.1% TD in the transverse
direction or across the extruded sheet. Thermoformed
parts from extra high molecular weight
HDPE resins shrink about 2.7% MD and 2.2%
TD. This part shrinkage is much more than parts
made in amorphous resins.

Mold Temperature

Mold temperature is absolutely critical! On
average a change in mold temperature of 6-10°
F. (3.3-5.5° C.) will change the part size about
0.1% (0.001 in/in). Parts in female cavities will
shrink away from the mold resulting in smaller
sizes than those formed on a male mold as much
as 0.007 in/in. For example, a 100 inch (2.54 m)
long part will be about 3/4 inches smaller.

IV. Vacuum Systems for Thin and Heavy
Gage

Vacuum Systems: Vacuum pumps should have
a minimum “rating capacity” of 29.6 inches of
mercury at sea level. Surge tanks should have
a volume of from 6 to 10 times the volume of
air to be evacuated. Use a flexible vacuum hose
with a minimum I.D. of 1” with small molds or
cooling plates, and 1-½” I.D. for larger ones.
Avoid 90° angles where possible as they create
a turbulence that slows the speed of airflow by
at least 30% for each one.

Use vacuum holes as large as possible without
being objectionable to the customer and back
drill to within 0.080” [2.03 mm] of the surface.
Slots or races are very efficient when they can
be designed into the mold.

(continued from previous page)

TIP: It is very difficult to have too many vacuum
holes. When in doubt drill more.

V. Heating the Sheet

As gage increases the heater element intensity
will have to be decreased or moved farther away
to avoid degrading the sheet surfaces. Knowing
the surface temperature of at least one heating
element in each zone is very important.

Polyethylene is a crystalline material with a
specific heat of 0.458 cal/gm which means it takes
a long time to heat and cool and has extremely
high part shrinkage. Sandwich flat panel radiant
heaters are the most efficient method of heating
plastic sheet.

HDPE has a wide temperature forming window
of 295° F. [146° C.] to 350° F. [176° C.]. A
good temperature all the way through the sheet
would be between 340° F. and 345° F. [171° C.
and 174° C.]. When the sheet stops its wrinkling
and smoothes out into a nice uniform sag, it is
ready to form.

Adjust ovens for a uniform heating of the
sheet. With radiant heat, if all the heaters run
at the same surface temperature you will always
overheat the center of the sheet because the
clamping frames, or chain rails, along with the
sidewalls of the oven (or the open area) and any
openings where the sheet enters or exits, act as
“heat sinks” drawing heat from the periphery of
the sheet. The more zones your heaters have the
easier this job is. Some methods to adjust these
zones of heat are as follows:

Observe the Sheet

One easy way to achieve a uniform heat
throughout an un-pigmented sheet of 0.080”
to 0.100” HDPE is to observe the sheet while
heating. When heated to 256° F. – 259° F [124° C.
– 126° C.] the sheet turns water clear. By carefully
observing the heated pattern of the sheet the
various heating zones can be adjusted to give
uniform heating of the sheet.

Infrared Thermal Scanning

By far the best and most accurate way to
measure sheet temperature is with an infrared
scanner. The scanners are portable so that you
can also check out how the part cools on the
mold or check the sheet temperature on another
machine. The instrument presents on your laptop
“virtually instantly” a two dimensional array of
100,000 spot readings of the whole sheet. Move
the cursor on your laptop to any particular point
and get that exact temperature. Thermal imaging
and analysis is an excellent way to reduce
scrap, improve product quality and operating
economies of a thermoforming operation. This
is a perfect way to check out your molds’ cooling
efficiency. Scan the mold as it starts to cool
the part and continue the process until the part
is de-molded.

VI. Forming Techniques

All thermoforming techniques can be used to
form HDPE. Simple vacuum, pressure, snap back
forming, billow forming or any combination of
these methods can be used. Because of the high

(continued on next page)

specific heat HDPE and HMWPE are ideal for
twin sheet thermoforming. Use a mold speed of
about 8 inches/second or less. Plug assist speeds
are usually picked within the range of 3 to 8
inches/second. Cooling fixtures to help maintain
shape of part right after removal from mold is
very frequently used.

VII. Trimming Techniques

Thin and heavy gage can be trimmed by steel
rule die, forged knife blades matched tool
steel, laser, high pressure water jet, five axes
robotic trimmers, routers, hot knives, shears, etc.
Care should be taken to use the recommended
router bits, spindle speed and travel speed when
trimming on CNC routers. Generally, less force is
necessary to trim HDPE than most other amorphous
materials when using steel rule or forged
knives.

References

1. Understanding Plastics Testing by
Donald C. Hylton

2. Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC,
various technical bulletins,
www.cpchem.com

3. You Can Master HDPE Shrinkage by
Jim Keesling, Chevron Phillips Chemical
Company

4. Thermoforming Technology Manual by
Wm. K. “Bill” McConnell, Jr.

(continued from previous page)

.

Thank You …

2007 Conference Sponsors!!

Without you, the conference would not be possible!!

PRIMEX PLASTICS CORPORATION

AMERICAN TOOL & ENGINEERING INC.

THERMWOOD CORPORATION

TOPAS ADVANCED POLYMERS INC.

ARISTECH ACRYLICS LLC

BROWN MACHINE LLC

GEISS THERMOFORMING USA LLC

PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES LLC

PORTAGE CASTING & MOLD INC.

ONSRUD CUTTER LP

Senoplast USA

modern machinery

new hampshire plastics

ametek land inc.

invista s.a.r.l.

SENCORP INC.

MAAC THERMOFORMING
MACHINERY

ALCOA KAMA CORPORATION

ALLEN EXTRUDERS LLC

TOOLING TECHNOLOGY GROUP

SPARTECH PLASTICS

RAYTEK CORPORATION

STOPOL INC.

EX-TECH PLASTICS INC.

. History of Thermoforming – Part 8

Early 1950s Vacuum
Forming Tooling

. By Stanley R. Rosen, Plastimach Corporation, Las Vegas, Nevada

E

(Ed. Note: This is Stanley Rosen’s 8th article in
his series on the History of Thermoforming and
the last to appear in the Quarterly. For the last
3 years, a great deal of research has gone into
this collection of articles on our industry which
is an ongoing project for Stan. He plans to complete
his work in the near future and hopes to
have it published in a book that will serve as an
important record of how our industry grew from
its early beginnings in the 1930s. The Board of
Directors of the Thermoforming Division is proud
to have participated in this project and thank
Stan for his initiative.)

In its infancy, the vacuum forming industry suffered
from short run production orders, inefficient
machines, molds, and dies. This situation
required additional time and capital for the
industry to become more mature. During this
period the major business expenses were for
plastic resin and its self-inflicted labor intensive
process. The thermoforming industry advertised
its low or no tool charges and rapid delivery in
order to build demand for their services (see
typical ad Fig. 4-10). The awful slogan, “Vacuum
forming – the poor man’s injection molding,”
unfortunately fit the situation of the times. Many
of the early vacuum-forming pioneers were severely
under-capitalized but compensated for it
by working long hours with energy and drive.

New modern retail marketing techniques developed
in the 1950s required that packaging of
merchandise be clearly displayed on peg board
racks to provide direct access for the consumer.
This imperative assisted thin guage thermoformers
to grow rapidly. They soon received larger
and more profitable orders for blisters and box
inserts that provided the catalyst to modernize
their plants (Fig. 4-11). Heavy gauge processors
developed point of purchase (POP) signs and
displays (especially money-making three dimensional
(3-D) beer advertising) helping that segment
of the industry to expand (Fig. 4-12). As
the business of thermoforming matured, capital
became available to create an efficient production
environment.

Personnel within the vacuum-forming plants
were mainly minimum wage machine operators,
except for a few skilled setup and maintenance
mechanics. However, this dead-end situation
encouraged high turnover of operators and for
many years the pool of experienced employees

Figure 4-10. Advantages of vacuum forming (early 1953).

(continued on next page)

was shallow. Waste of expensive plastic sheet was
often caused by this lack of worker experience
or interest. Enlightened management developed
training programs to educate and retain promising
personnel. It was interesting to see that a
multi-million dollar plant often was more dependent
on a talented high school dropout than a
Ph.D. to troubleshoot a new mold.

The need to increase thermoforming output
gave the machinery builders reason to rethink
and design equipment that preheated sheet,
thus completely eliminating the requirement for
a heating cycle. Molds were then built that were
capable of efficiently conducting all of the heat
away from the cavities to keep pace with higher
speeds of the new equipment. Efficient heat
transfer techniques required that high heat conductivity
metals such as aluminum be specified
and that the molds be liquid cooled (Fig 4-13).
This stage of development set up the conditions
for the future inline equipment needed for the
production of high volume food and drink disposable
containers in the late 1950s.

Steel rule and forged die makers who supplied
the paper, rubber and shoe industries had to educate
their new thermoforming customers in the
proper use of the dies. Their previous customers
had many years of experience in the proper use
of knife-like dies.

Printers and box makers with their massive
trim presses knew that steel rule dies must be
“made ready” or shimmed level so that every
knife cut cleanly. The “make ready” procedure
takes infinite patience and time, something always
in short supply in a thermoforming plant.
Some thermoforming plants never incorporated
the “make ready” techniques and were unable
to achieve clean high-grade trimming on a daily
basis.

Most steel rule blades used to build dies are
.937 in. (2.38cm.) to 2.00 in.(5.08 cm.) high, but
thermoformed parts average 1.00 in. (2.54cm.)
to 6.00 in. (15.2cm.) high requiring a method to
raise the knife blade above the level of the part.
An inexpensive quick fix to provide part clearance
was to build up the die height with multiple
wooden die boards. This is not an elegant solution
due to the inaccuracy in the board flatness
and thickness which can cause uneven cutting
of a shot. Machined metal buildups or forged
high dies are a good substitute to replace those

(continued from previous page)

Figure 4-13. Heat transfer through the mold assembly.

Figure 4-11. Blister packaging grows rapidly due to the increased
demand for rack merchandise for the retail industry. (1953)

Figure 4-12. Signs in three dimensions (3-D) become popular and
boosted the sheet fed thermoforming business. (1955)

wooden buildups (Fig. 4-14). Parts requiring
forming above and below the sheet line necessitated
the use of a “metal match plate.” The
metal match plate provides clearance to prevent
the formed part from being crushed when the
press platen closes to trim the shot (Fig. 4-15).

A high quality die cut edge feels smooth and
clean to the touch. When the knife dulls, it crushes
plastic fragments (contaminants) which then
cling to the trimmed edge of the part and these
are called “angel hair.” Many customers (medical,
food, etc.) will not accept trimmed formed
parts with excessive angel hair. The solution to
minimize angel hair requires good make ready
procedure, polishing the die knife edge bevels
and using minimum press pressure to avoid
dulling the knife cutting edge. Thermoforming
steel rule die design was able to evolve from the
established die practice and find answers that
suited its special applications.

Present day thermoforming processes may appear
outwardly different from the practices of
the early 1950s. Most of the techniques used to
conserve plastic by attempting to achieve a uniform
wall thickness were developed in the 1950s.
The application of a plug and female cavity, mechanical
assists for male cavities, various methods
for pre-stretching the sheet, and distortion printing
of decorated parts are part of this heritage.
Early tooling differ from modern molds and dies
mainly from the amount allocated to tooling cost
and the added technological benefits that were
made available by the development of the CNC
and EDM machining methods.

Part 8 – References

Figs. 4-13, 4-14, & 4-15

Illustrations from book Thermoforming:
Improving Process Performance. Author,
Stanley R. Rosen, published by Society of
Manufacturing Engineers, 2002.

Fig. 4-10

Portage Plastic Corp., Portage, WI. Advantages
of vacuum forming Ad. Modern Plastics
Magazine – early 1953.

Fig. 4-11

Packaging Institute 16th Annual Forum.
Vacuum Formed Thermoplastics – “New,
Needed, etc.” Paper given by C. W. Harper of
Sears, Roebuck & Co., Oct. 1954.

Fig. 4-12

Einson Freeman Co., Long Island City, N.Y.
3-D Beer Signs. Article. Modern Packaging
Magazine, Mar.

Figure 4-14. Steel-rule die built on a metal pedestal to increase its
depth to clear a thermoformed part.

.

Figure 4-15. Trimming a part formed above and below the sheet line.

2007

Cincinnati

6th European
Thermoforming
Conference 2008 in Berlin

The Society of Plastics Engineers –
European Thermoforming Division
invites you to the 6th European
Thermoforming Conference to be held in
Berlin from 03 to 05 April 2008 at Maritim
Hotel Berlin.

The conference agenda will include, as in
previous conferences, presentations from
experts in the thermoforming industry and
lively debates in workshops about technical
and commercial innovations. Moreover, the
event provides the unique opportunity to
meet colleagues and customers from the
industry around the world. More details are
available soon at www.e-t-d.org.

European Thermoforming
Parts Competition

Again on the occasion of this next ETD
conference, thermoformers are invited to
participate in the European Thermoforming
Parts Competition. Originality, creativity,
mould complexity and technical ability will
be the judging criteria in order to promote
advanced design and developments from
a structural innovation perspective.

Entries with thick gauge parts will
be possible in the categories Vehicle/
Automotive, Industrial and Point of
Purchase/Displays. Thin gauge parts
will be judged in the categories Food
Applications, Medical Applications and
General Packaging.

The conference is to be complimented
by an informative and comprehensive
exhibition (table top displays) of relevant
latest product developments and services
offered by a variety of leading suppliers to
the thermoforming industry. This will also
create a discussion platform for exhibitors
and conference participants.

Social events enabling you and your
accompanying partner to experience
the dynamic, cosmopolitan and creative
metropolis and gain memorable impressions
of Berlin.

Come to Berlin …

you’ll be most welcome!

SOCIETY OF PLASTICS ENGINEERS EUROPE

EUROPEAN THERMOFORMING DIVISION

Eric Sasselaan 51 ~ BE-2020 Antwerpen ~
Belgium

Tel. +32 3 541 77 55 ~ Fax +32 3 541 84 25

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

Phone: (800) 258-3036

Fax: (603) 622-4888

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Appraisals • Merger & Aquisition Consulting • BlowmoldingThermoforming • Extrusion • Injection • Rotational MoldingNew & Used Equipment Sales • Auctions • Liquidations
Appraisals • Merger & Aquisition Consulting • BlowmoldingThermoforming • Extrusion • Injection • Rotational Molding
New & Used Equipment Sales • Auctions • Liquidations
Appraisals • Merger & Aquisition Consulting • BlowmoldingThermoforming • Extrusion • Injection • Rotational Molding
New & Used Equipment Sales • Auctions • Liquidations
Appraisals • Merger & Aquisition Consulting • BlowmoldingThermoforming • Extrusion •Injection • Rotational MoldingNew & Used Equipment Sales • Auctions • Liquidations
Appraisals • Merger & Aquisition Consulting • BlowmoldingThermoforming • Extrusion • Injection • Rotational Molding
New & Used Equipment Sales • Auctions • Liquidations
Appraisals • Merger & Aquisition Consulting • BlowmoldingThermoforming • Extrusion • Injection • Rotational Molding
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R

. Council Report

Irvine, California Council

Meeting Highlights

. By Lola Carere, Councilor

This summary is intended to help you review the
highlights of the Council Meeting held in Irvine,
California, on September 29th, 2007.

The meeting was called to order by SPE President
Vicki Flaris. President Flaris honored Councilor Scott
Peters of the Mold Making and Mold Design Division
for his induction into the Plastics Pioneers Association.
Mr. Peters was also honored by his Division as
Mold Designer of the Year. President Flaris also announced
that SPE Vice President James Griffing has
been named a Fellow of the Boeing Corporation.

Executive Director Susan Oderwald reported that
SPE has been working on a number of new initiatives
and programs in response to the findings of the all-
member value survey that was completed earlier this
year. The New Technology Committee has agreed to
support SPE’s efforts to produce a New Technology
Symposium on a variety of topics in Philadelphia
early next November. We are also working with the
new Biopolymers SIG and the Plastics Environmental
Division to develop a Green Building Symposium in
the near future.

Past President Lance Neward gave an informative
report on Parliamentary Procedure in which he explained
the importance of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Budget

The major Council action was the approval of the
2008 calendar-year budget. A full write-up on the
budget was distributed to Councilors and to all Section
and Division Board members in preparation for
this meeting. The budget that was approved calls
for gross income of $5,495,000, direct expenses of
$3,331,750, staff & overhead expenses of $2,086,850
and a net income of $76,400. Council approved the
budget unchanged from the original presentation. A
full area-by-area presentation of this budget is available
to Section and Division Board members at:

.

Awards and Recognition Programs

Fellow and Honored Service Member Programs
– Applications for the Fellow-of-the-Society and Honored
Service Member (HSM) programs are due October
20th, 2007. Applications are available on the SPE
website. Questions about the Fellows program can
be directed to Marie Salzo or Gail Bristol. Questions
relating to the HSM program should be addressed to
Marie Salzo or Tricia McKnight.

Annual Awards Program – Applications for the
SPE Annual Awards Program, recognizing excellence
in business management, education, engineering
technology, research, benefit to society, and overall
industry contributions, are due November 15, 2007.
Nominations for the Plastics Product Design Awards
are due February 15th, 2008; parts will be shipped
to ANTEC 2008 for judging. Gail Bristol can answer
questions about these awards.

Essay Contest – The 2008 “Wonders of Plastics”
Essay contest is under way; and all SPE Sections are
encouraged to work with local middle/junior high
schools and senior high schools to obtain entries
for the 2008 contest. Information on the contest,
an entry form that can be tailored to local Sections,
a copy of the timetable for the 2008 contest, and a
score sheet to use in judging entries are available
on the SPE website. Questions on the essay contest
should be addressed to Gail Bristol.

Husky and Chase Education Awards – Applications
are available online for the Husky Section Education
Award and the Chase Student Chapter Award.
Applications are due February 6th, 2008. Questions
about these two awards should be addressed to
Laurie McDougal.

T

(continued on next page)

Pinnacle Awards – Section and
Division boards should begin
working on the 2008 Pinnacle
Award application now, as it takes
time to compile the required
information for this award. Applications
are available on the SPE
website, and are due December
31st, 2007. Questions should be
addressed to Tricia McKnight.

Outstanding Student Chapter
Awards – Applications are available
online for the Outstanding
Student Chapter Award (formerly
STRETCH). Applications
are due February 6th, 2008. Tricia
McKnight is the contact for this
award.

Information on all SPE Awards
is available on the SPE website at
www.4spe.org/awards.

Bylaws & Policies

The Bylaws & Policies Committee
submitted four new policies
for consideration by Council:

• 003-Conflict of Interest

• 007-Fellow Election
Committee

• 011-Unemployed
Members

• 017-Election of
Councilors

Council voted to approve all
four policies.

K-Show

The SPE Seminar program for
the K-Show in Dusseldorf, Germany,
will be conducted by a
new slate of Seminar instructors,
recruited exclusively from the European
Divisions and SIGs. It is felt
that an all-European core of instructors
will enhance attendance
at the October K-Show and get
the European Seminars program
off to a faster start in 2008.

The SPE Foundation

The SPE Foundation ended
August with a surplus of $64,818.
Expenses are on track with this
year’s budget. We continue to
realize less income from the
dues check-off boxes, which we
attribute in part to the fact that
the response to the dues invoice
mailing is about 3.5% less than
the same time last year. The
Foundation investment balance is
approximately $1,592,000.

Presentations

• The Composites Division
presented two checks
to The SPE Foundation
– $1,500 for the Harold
Giles Scholarship fund
and $1,000 to the general
scholarship fund. Thank
you, Composites Division!

• Jon Ratzlaff presented a
$6,000 check from Chevron
Phillips for sponsorship of
SPE India’s Autoplast Conference.

Sections Committee
Report

The following Sections were
moved from Active status to Provisional
status:

• Buffalo

• Mexico City

• Wichita

The following Section was
moved from Provisional status to
Abandoned status:

• Arizona

Divisions Committee
Report

Special Interest Groups

The following three Special
Interest Groups were approved
by Council:

• Plastics in Building in
Construction. Contact:
Mark Barger (markbarger@
dow.com).

• Biopolymers. Contact:
Doug Hirt (hirtd@clemson.
edu).

• Medical Polymers Europe.
Contact: Gerard McNally
(g.mcnally@qub.ac.uk).

The following SIG name change
was approved by Council:

(continued from previous page)

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

These sponsors enable us to publish

Thermoforming

QUARTERLY

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Contact: Jay Waddell jwaddell@plasticoncepts.com•Ph: 843-971-7833 •Fax: 843-216-61511127 Queensborough Blvd. •Suite 102 •Mt. Pleasant SC 29464 USA •www.plasticoncepts.comThermoforming & Extrusion Consultants • Manufacturing Processes AnalysisIn-house Training and Seminars • Turn-key Project ManagementMarket Development • Advanced Materials Forming • Product and Design DevelopmentComing Soon – 2007 Seminar Schedule
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Council Highlights continued …

• From North American Radiation Processing to Radiation Processing of Polymers North America.
Contact: Dave Kerluke (DKerluke@sterigenics.com).

International Committee Report

A discussion was held relative to changing the name and focus of the International Committee to a Strategic
Growth Committee. A decision was not required at this time.

The next formal Council meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 26th, 2008 in Savannah, Georgia.

.

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www.gnplastics.com |Chester|Nova Scotia |Canada|Tel +1-902/275 3571The GN DM with patented technology is a plug-assist machineRobotic product handling system | Built-in diagnostic systemMulti-zone upper and lower ovens | Positive and negative formingQuick tool changesof the GN family… be partGNDM series thermoformers
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In 2008 the
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Additional sponsorship
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847-829-8124

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IN 2008!

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MARK YOUR
CALENDAR!!!

The Thermoforming
Board of Directors
has taken your advice
from your completed
surveys and beginning
in 2008 we will be
going back to our
old dates –

DATES:

Saturday, September 20th,
2008

thru

Tuesday, September 23rd,

2008

MINNEAPOLIS
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HEADQUARTER HOTEL:

MINNEAPOLIS HILTON

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2008 Chairman:

Dennis Northrop

Avery Dennison
Performance Films

Cut Sheet Chairman:

Jim Armor

Armor & Associates

Roll Fed Chairman:

Phil Barhouse

Spartech Packaging

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CURT ZAMEC

2007

THERMOFORMER

of the

YEAR

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Pictured left to right are daughter Katie,
Curt Zamec and wife Nancy.

Curt Zamec accepted the award
September 1st at the Society of
Plastics Engineers’ 17th Annual
Thermoforming Conference in
Cincinnati, Ohio.

A Cleveland native, Zamec began
his plastics career about
30 years ago, when he worked
at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Co. in Akron, Ohio, in a division
that marketed polyester films.
Soon after he joined, Goodyear
closed that business and Zamec
joined a Cleveland distributor of
plastics and rubber products.

His involvement with thermoforming
began when he became
president of R. B. Plastics, a small
heavy-gauge former in Rochester,
New York, that was in Chapter
11 protection. He helped
turn the company around. Dur

C

ing that same time, he started
a company – Zamec Industries
– to make single-station thermoforming
machines, because R. B.
Plastics could not afford to buy
a new large machine.

Zamec then moved to
Thermoform Plastics Inc. in St.
Paul, Minnesota, which was
owned by Wilbert. TPI formed
the plastic liners for Wilbert’s
concrete burial vaults.

Zamec is known today as a
plastics deal maker and you
need a scorecard to keep track
of Wilbert’s moves. It all started
in 1996 when Zamec, then
president of TPI, made his first
acquisition – Plastivac Inc. with
plants in Cleveland and Gastonia,
North Carolina.

In 1999, Zamec was promoted
to the top spot at Wilbert.
The company continued to
make plastics acquisitions as
Thermoform Plastics bought
TransPak-USA to expand into
thermoformed pallets.

Today, Zamec said, heavy-gauge
thermoforming generates about
$10 million of the $280 million
in sales for Wilbert Plastics
Services.

Zamec said technology has
improved greatly since his first
thermoforming assignment at
R.B. Plastics.

Congratulations

Curt Zamec

President & CEO

Wilbert
Industries Inc.

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

.

. European Thermoforming Conference, Berlin, Germany

D

Dear Industry Member,

Following our last successful conferences, we are delighted
to inform you that, by popular demand, we
are planning a repeat conference 3-5 April 2008 in
Berlin, Germany. The last conference was very well
received by all sectors of the Thermoforming Industry
and there has been an overwhelming demand
for a “repeat performance”! Not only in Europe,
but worldwide.

As a result of our previous conferences, we now
have a large proportion of the European Thermoforming
Industry members on our database, which
represent the most influential group of industry
professionals.

As you know, the success of every conference depends
not only on the support of the delegates, but
also on the support of the industry as a whole. With
this in mind, we urge you to MAXIMISE YOUR IMPACT
AND RAISE YOUR PROFILE by signing up for
sponsorship at the most important industry event of
the new millennium.

Once again major recognition will be given to those
organisations that support the conference, their
details being given maximum exposure throughout
the conference. Sponsor details will be continuously
displayed on advertising boards as well as recognition
being given at the Conference Sponsors dinner,
with the presentation of a commemorative plaque.

Bid for Sponsorship of the

European Thermoforming Conference
2008

To be held in Berlin, Germany

3 – 5 April, 2008

Name

Company

Address

City

State Zip

Country

Telephone

Fax

E-mail

We would like to support your sponsorship initiative
for the European Thermoforming Conference 2008
by:

1. Making a Sponsorship Donation of C 1.850 *

2. Taking a Tabletop Display at:

C 1.350 – SPE member, ID _____________

(incl. conference registration for 1 person)

C 1.525 – non-member

(incl. conference registration for 1 person
and 2 years’ SPE Membership)

Signed

Position

Date

* Sponsorship does not automatically entitle the individual to
attend the conference. A fee of C 625,- for SPE Members and
C 800,- (incl. 2 years’ SPE Membership) for non-SPE members will
apply to those who wish to attend the conference.

European Thermoforming
Board Represented

at 17th Annual Conference

in Cincinnati

=

=

=

=

=

Pictured left to right are: Marie and Ken Darby, Walt Walker,
Division Chair, and Andy and Lillion Eaves.

Additionally, you may wish to
consider a tabletop exhibition
to demonstrate your product or
service to the industry. Tabletops
are limited, therefore early application
is recommended to avoid
disappointment!

These are the only opportunities
for DIRECT sponsorship and
marketing of your products or
services to the ONLY Thermoforming
Industry specific conference
in Europe. We advise you
not to miss out on this unique
opportunity.

Please find below a Sponsorship
Form, detailing rates for
sponsorship and tabletop exhibition
rates, which we hope you
will complete and forward without
delay to the Society of Plastics
Engineers-Europe.

If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact
Yetty Pauwels at: Society of Plastics
Engineers-Europe, European
Thermoforming Division, Eric
Sasselaan 51 ~ BE-2020 Antwerpen
~ Belgium, who will be only
too willing to help.

May we take this opportunity
to thank you in advance for supporting
the efforts of all those
involvved in raising the profile
of Thermoforming and we look
forward to meeting with you in
Berlin 2008!

3 – 5 April 2008 in Berlin,
Germany, we are assembling one
of the largest ever gatherings
of European thermoforming
companies. The historical city
will host the conference of the
Society of Plastics Engineers,
European Thermoforming
Division. The two-day conference
has been organised to bring
together all of Europe’s
leading manufacturers and
representatives from allied
industries to discuss technical
advances in the industry and
hear the views of internationally
renowed experts in the field.

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Thermoformers,
have you discovered
a forming tip that
you are willing to
share with your
fellow formers?

A time saver?

Or a cost saver?

Or something that
will save wear
and tear on your
machine?

Or your employees?

Forming

TIPS

More Than Machines.
We’re more than just thermoforming machines.
Brown is a process engineering team and a
machine & tooling group that is focused on
discovering the best process and machine
combination to optimize your production output.
Contact us today at www.brown-machine.com
column

is for you!

Just email Barry Shepherd
at bshep@shephered.ca
out-lining your tip in two
hundred words or less.
You may include drawings,
sketches, etc.

..CHECK..VISA..AMEX..MASTERCARDcard numberexpiration date (mm/yyyy)
Checks must be drawn on US or Canadian banks in US or Canadian funds.
……………………………………….(choose from below)
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Phone/Fax Format: USA& Canada: (xxx) xxx-xxxx All Others: +xx(xx) x xxx xxxx
………………………………………………………………
………………….(mm/dd/yyyy)
…………….Male..FemaleThe SPE Online Membership Directory is included withmembership. Your information will automatically be included.
..Exclude my email from the Online Member Directory
..Exclude all my information from the Online Member Directory
..Exclude my email from 3rd party mailings
……………………………………
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firstlastmi
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costs for each Additional Division
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US $6.00 $12.00Canada $8.00 $16.00Euros..5.00..10.00
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By signing below I agree to be governed by the Constitutionand Bylaws of the Society and to promote the objectives ofthe Society. I certify that the statements made in theapplication are correct and I authorize SPE and its affiliatesto use my phone, fax, address and email to contact me.
signaturedaterecommended by member (optional)Id #
D
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Dues include a 1-year subscription to ……………………………………magazine.
SPEmembership is valid for twelve months from the month your application is processed.
*save over 10%
..Medical Plastics (D36)
..Mold Making & Mold Design (D35)
..Plastics Environmental (D40)
..Polymer Analysis (D33)
..Polymer Modifiers & Additives (D38)
..Product Design & Development (D41)
..Rotational Molding (D42)
..Thermoforming (D25)
..Thermoforming, European (D43)
..Thermoplastic Materials & Foams (D29)
..Thermoset (D28)
..Vinyl Plastics (D27)
..Additives & Color Europe (D45)
..Automotive (D31)
..Blow Molding (D30)
..Color & Appearance (D21)
..Composites (D39)
..Decorating & Assembly (D34)
..Electrical & Electronic (D24)
..Engineering Properties & Structure (D26)
..Extrusion (D22)
..Flexible Packaging (D44)
..Injection Molding (D23)
..Marketing & Management (D37)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
..
…………………………………………………………………………………………
..US ($122.00)..US ($212.00)..US ($28.00)
..Canada ($162.75)..Canada ($282.00)..Canada ($37.50)
..Euro (..125.00)..Euro (..219.00)..Euro (..25.00)
..
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..Consulting..Purchasing
..Design..Quality Control
..Education (Faculty)..R & D
..Engineer..Retired
..General Management..Self-Employed
..Manufacturing..Student
..Marketing/Sales..Tech Support
..Other
……………………………………………………….
..Composites..Polyolefins
..Film..Polystyrene
..General Interest..TPEs
..Nylon..Thermoset
..PET..Vinyls
..Foam/Thermoplastics..No Interest
……………………………………………………
..Blow Molding..Injection Molding
..Compression..Mold Making
..Compounding..Product Design
..Engineering Properties..Rotational Molding
..Extrusion..Thermoforming
..Fabrication..General Interest
..Foam..No Interest
………………………………….
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..
..
Membership

Application

®

info@cmtmaterials.com www.cmtmaterials.com
TEL (508) 226-3901 FAX (508) 226-3902CMT MATERIALS, INC.
Innovative Tooling Materials for Thermoforming
RENSHAPE®
Prototype Boards
HYTAC®
Plug Assist Materials
METAPOR®
Porous Aluminum
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Thermoforming

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PH (800) 833-1305 / FX (800) 832-5536

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SOLARKOTE

A Tradition of Excellence Since 1970

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CNCMACHININGCENTERSFORMACHININGPLASTIC AND
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PRODUCTS / INCplastics………
RAY
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The Experts inThermoforming1700 Chablis AvenueOntario, CA 91761909/390-9906800/423-7859FAX 909/390-9896www.rayplastics.comBrian RayVicePresident/
General Manager
Brian Ray

President

brianr@rayplastics.com

Standex Engraving Group

5901 Lewis Rd.

Sandston, VA 23150

Ph: 804/236-3065

Fax: 804/226-3462

Visit

the

SPE

website

at

www.4spe.org

. Index of Sponsors

ADVANCED VENTURES IN

TECHNOLOGY, INC…………………..27

ALCOA GLOBAL MILLS
PRODUCTS………………………………31

ALLEN EXTRUDERS…………………….34

AMERICAN CATALYTIC

TECHNOLOGIES………………………25

AMERICAN THERMOFORMING

MACHINERY…………………………….14

ALTUGLAS INTERNATIONAL…………..1

B & F PLASTICS…………………………..14

BROWN MACHINE……………………….32

CMS NORTH AMERICA…………………35

CMT MATERIALS, INC………………….34

COPPER AND BRASS DIVISION……..5

EDWARD D. SEGEN & CO…………….28

FOXMOR GROUP…………………………34

FUTURE MOLD CORP…………………..35

GEPCO……………………………………….29

GN PLASTICS………………………………26

JRM INTERNATIONAL…………………….5

KIEFEL TECHNOLOGY…………………14

KMT ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS, INC…..10

KYDEX………………………………………..36

LANXESS…………………………………….27

LUSTRAN POLYMERS………………….29

MAAC MACHINERY………………………..6

McCLARIN PLASTICS…………………..34

MODERN MACHINERY…………………32

NEW HAMPSHIRE PLASTICS……….22

ONSRUD CUTTER……………………….26

PLASTICS CONCEPTS…………………25

PLASTIMACH………………………………32

PORTAGE CASTING & MOLD,

INC…………………………………………..25

PREMIER MATERIAL CONCEPTS…14

PRIMEX PLASTICS………………………34

PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES……34

PRODUCTIVE PLASTICS, INC………25

PRODUCTO CORPORATION………..34

PROFILE PLASTICS……………………..25

RAY PRODUCTS, INC…………………..35

RAYTEK………………………………………25

SELECT PLASTICS………………………35

SENCORP……………………………………36

SOLAR PRODUCTS……………………..35

STANDEX ENGRAVING GROUP……35

STOPOL INC………………………………..22

TEMPCO ELECTRIC………………………4

THERMWOOD CORP……….Inside Back
Cover

TOOLING TECHNOLOGY, LLC………..4

TPS…………………………………………….24

ULTRA-METRIC TOOL CO…………….28

WECO PRODUCTS………………………29

WELEX, INC…………………………………31

XALOY…………………………………………35

ZED INDUSTRIES…………………………34

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

– 36 Standard colors

– 3000+ Custom colors

– Granite patterns

– Fluorescent colors

– Woodgrain and

– Abstract Designs

8 Surface Textures

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THERMOFORMING DIVISION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James A. Alongi – 2009

MAAC Machinery

590 Tower Boulevard

Carol Stream, IL 60188-9426

TEL (630) 665-1700

FAX (630) 665-7799

jalongi@maacmachinery.com

Machinery Committee

Jim Armor – 2008

Armor & Associates

16181 Santa Barbara Lane

Huntington Beach, CA 92649

TEL (714) 846-7000

FAX (714) 846-7001

jimarmor@aol.com

Materials Committee

Phil S. Barhouse – 2009

Spartech Packaging
Technologies

100 Creative Way

P.O. Box 128

Ripon, WI 54971

TEL (920) 748-1119

FAX (920) 748-9466

phil.barhouse@spartech.com

Materials Committee

Arthur Buckel – 2008

McConnell Co., Inc.

3452 Bayonne Drive

San Diego, CA 92109

TEL (858) 273-9620

FAX (858) 273-6837

artbuckel@thermoforming.com

Processing Committee

Conor Carlin – 2008

Stopol, Inc.

31875 Solon Road

Solon, OH 44139

TEL (440) 498-4000

FAX (440) 498-4001

conorc@stopol.com

Machinery Committee

Haydn Forward – 2009

Specialty Mfg., Inc.

6790 Nancy Ridge Drive

San Diego, CA 92121

TEL (858) 450-1591

FAX (858) 450-0400

hforward@smi-mfg.com

Processing Committee

Roger Fox – 2010

The Foxmor Group

373 South County Farm Road

Suite 202

Wheaton, IL 60187

TEL (630) 653-2200

FAX (630) 653-1474

rfox@foxmor.com

Marketing Committee

Richard Freeman – 2009

Freetech Plastics

2211 Warm Springs Court

Fremont, CA 94539

TEL (510) 651-9996

FAX (510) 651-9917

rfree@freetechplastics.com

Processing Committee

Hal Gilham – 2010

Productive Plastics, Inc.

103 West Park Drive

Mt. Laurel, NJ 08045

TEL (856) 778-4300

FAX (856) 234-3310

halg@productiveplastics.com

Processing Committee

Ken Griep – 2008

Portage Casting & Mold, Inc.

2901 Portage Road

Portage, WI 53901

TEL (608) 742-7137

FAX (608) 742-2199

ken@pcmwi.com

Machinery Committee

Steve Hasselbach – 2008

CMI Plastics
P.O. Box 369

Cranbury, NJ 08512-0369

TEL (609) 395-1920

FAX (609) 395-0981

steve@cmiplastics.com

Donald C. Hylton – 2010

646 Holyfield Highway
Fairburn, GA 30213

TEL (678) 772-5008

don@thermoforming.com

Materials Committee

Bill Kent – 2008

Brown Machine

330 North Ross Street

Beaverton, MI 48612-0434

TEL (989) 435-7741

FAX (989) 435-2821

bill.kent@brown-machine.com

Machinery Committee

Don Kruschke – 2010

Stopol, Inc.

31875 Solon Road

Solon, OH 44139

TEL (440) 498-4000

FAX (440) 498-4001

donk@Stopol.com

Machinery Committee

Wm. K. McConnell, Jr. – 2008

McConnell Co., Inc.

3030 Sandage St.

P.O. Box 11512

Fort Worth, TX 76110

TEL (817) 926-8287

FAX (817) 926-8298

billmc@thermoforming.com

Materials Committee

Vin McElhone – 2010

Stand-Up Plastics

5 Fordham Trail

Old Saybrook, CT 06475

TEL (860) 395-5699

FAX (860) 395-4732

vin@standupplastics.com

Materials Committee

Stephen R. Murrill – 2009

Profile Plastics Corp.

65 S. Waukegan

Lake Bluff, IL 60044

TEL (847) 604-5100 EXT. 29

FAX (847) 604-8030

SMurrill@thermoform.com

Processing Committee

Dennis Northrop – 2009

Avery Dennison

Automotive Division

650 W. 67th Avenue

Schererville, IN 46375-1390

TEL (219) 322-5030

FAX (219) 322-2623

Dennis.Northrop@averydennison.
com

Materials Committee

Joe Peters – 2010

Universal Plastics

75 Whiting Farms Road

Holyoke, MA 01040

TEL (413) 592-4791

FAX (413) 592-6876

petersj@universalplastics.com

Processing Committee

Laura Pichon – 2008

Ex-Tech Plastics

P.O. Box 576

11413 Burlington Road

Richmond, IL 60071

TEL (847) 829-8124

FAX (815) 678-4248

lpichon@extechplastics.com

Materials Committee

Robert G. Porsche – 2009

General Plastics, Inc.

2609 West Mill Road

Milwaukee, WI 53209

TEL (414) 351-1000

FAX (414) 351-1284

bob@genplas.com

Processing Committee

Walt Speck – 2010

Speck Plastics, Inc.

P. O. Box 421

Nazareth, PA 18064

TEL (610) 759-1807

FAX (610) 759-3916

wspeck@speckplastics.com

Processing Committee

Clarissa M. Schorn – 2009

Invista S.A.R.L.

1551 Sha Lane

Spartanburg, SC 29307

TEL (864) 579-5047

FAX (864) 579-5288

clarissa.schorn@invista.com

Materials Committee

Jay Waddell – 2008

Plastic Concepts & Innovations,
LLC

1127 Queensborough Blvd.

Suite 102

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

TEL (843) 971-7833

FAX (843) 216-6151

jwaddell@plasticoncepts.com

Processing Committee

Brian Winton – 2010

Modern Machinery

P. O. Box 423

Beaverton, MI 48612-0423

TEL (989) 435-9071

FAX (989) 435-3940

bwinton@modernmachineinc.com

Machinery Committee

These sponsors enable us to publish Thermoforming QUARTERLY

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

SOCIETY OF

PLASTICS

ENGINEERS, INC

™

a joURnal of the thermoforming division of the society of plastics engineers

P. O. Box 471

Lindale, Georgia 30147

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Executive

Committee

2006 – 2008

Division

Our mission is to facilitate the advancement of thermoforming

technologies through education, application, promotion and research.

CHAIR

Walt Walker

Prent Corporation

P. O. Box 471, 2225 Kennedy Road

Janesville, WI 53547-0471

(608) 754-0276 x4410 • Fax (608) 754-2410

wwalker@prent.com

Conference Coordinator

Gwen Mathis

6 S. 2nd Street, SE

Lindale, Georgia 30147

706/235-9298 • Fax: 706/295-4276

email: gmathis224@aol.com

SPE National

Executive Director

Susan Oderwald

Direct Line: 203/740-5471

Fax: 203/775-8490

email: Seoderwald@4spe.org

CHAIR ELECT

Barry Shepherd

Shepherd Thermoforming & Packaging, Inc.

5 Abacus Road

Brampton, Ontario L6T 5B7 Canada

(905) 459-4545 x229 • Fax (905) 459-6746

bshep@shepherd.ca

…………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Website: http://www.4spe.org/communities/divisions/d25.php

or www.thermoformingdivision.com

2007 – 2009 THERMOFORMING DIVISION ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

TREASURER

Brian Ray

Ray Products

1700 Chablis Avenue

Ontario, CA 91761

(909) 390-9906 • Fax (909) 390-9984

brianr@rayplastics.com

SECRETARY

Mike Sirotnak

Solar Products

228 Wanaque Avenue

Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442

(973) 248-9370 • Fax (973) 835-7856

msirotnak@solarproducts.com

COUNCILOR WITH TERM

ENDING ANTEC 2009

Lola Carere

Thermopro, Inc.

2860 Preston Ridge Lane

Dacula, GA 30019

(770) 592-8756 • Fax (770) 339-4181

lcarere@bellsouth.net

Walt Speck

Minneapolis

PRIOR CHAIR

Roger Kipp

McClarin Plastics

P. O. Box 486, 15 Industrial Drive

Hanover, PA 17331

(717) 637-2241 x4003 • Fax (717) 637-4811

rkipp@mcclarinplastics.com

Barry Shepherd


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