Engineering Plastics Conference explores roles in automotive design.
Press Release Summary:
Sixth-annual Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference and Exhibition, AutoEPCON 2011, will be held April 26 in Troy, MI. Organized by Detroit Section and Automotive Division of SPE, event highlights advances in materials, design, processing, and automotive use of engineering plastics. Attendees can attend technical presentations, keynote addresses, and exhibits as well as networking reception. Planning committee is also seeking presentations, abstracts for which are due by March 1.
Original Press Release:
SPE® AutoEPCON Explores Role of Engineering Plastics in Vehicle Lightweighting, Cost Reduction, Design
TROY, (DETROIT) MICH. - A report out January 10 by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (www.strategyr.com/Engineered_Plastics_Market_Report.asp) predicts that worldwide use of engineering plastics will exceed 20-million metric tons by the year 2015, due in large part to their potential to reduce automotive component weight and cost in the range of 40 percent. Against this resurgence of double-digit growth, SPE® announces its sixth-annual Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference & Exhibition ("AutoEPCON" 2011), a one day event that will be held Tuesday, April 26 at the Management Education Center in Troy, Mich.
Organized by the Detroit Section and Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), AutoEPCON features technical presentations, keynote addresses, exhibits, and a networking reception to highlight the latest advances in materials, design, processing, and automotive use of engineering plastics, plus the challenges and opportunities still on the horizon for this versatile class of polymers. The event annually draws 200-250 attendees from North America and Europe, with close to half reporting they work for automakers or tier suppliers. The conference focuses on the most pressing auto industry needs for lighter weight, more cost efficient and higher performing material applications for vehicle electrification, turbocharging and a host of other technologies that will be required to meet fuel economy and vehicle performance standards worldwide.
Nippani Rao, 2010 & 2011 AutoEPCON event chair, president of Rao & Assoc., and retired Materials Engineering supervisor at then Chrysler LLC said, "You'd be hard-pressed to find a more effective event to dialogue about transportation uses of engineering plastics than AutoEPCON. It's an outstanding opportunity to network with and learn beside the most influential engineers and scientists developing, specifying, and recommending engineering plastics - the auto industry's workhorse materials for lightweight drivetrain, vehicle electrification, safety-enhancing body and chassis components, and high-value ergonomic design."
The conference planning committee has issued its annual call for presentations. Interested speakers should submit abstracts by March 1, 2011 and final presentations by April 10, 2011 to AutoEPCONpapers@speautomotive.com. First held in 2006, AutoEPCON features several keynotes from industry leaders, plus 16 or more presentations in multiple technical tracks on the newest advances in materials technology, predictive engineering, process enhancements, and application developments for thermoplastic and thermoset engineering plastics for the automotive industry. Exhibits are also on display throughout the event. Registration fees of $100 USD for SPE members and $125 USD for non-SPE members include the conference program book, which contains abstracts of presentations, as well as lunch, refreshments, and an evening reception to further networking opportunities for all who attend.
The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. SPE's Detroit Section and Automotive Divisions, which co-organize the AutoEPCON show each year, are active in educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic based-composite developments - particularly in the automotive industry. Topic areas include applications, materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design, and development.
For more information about the SPE Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference, to view the conference's program, or to register for the event, please visit speautomotive.com/emc, or contact the group at +1.248.244.8993, or write SPE, 1800 Crooks Road, Suite A, Troy, MI 48084, USA. For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers or other SPE events, visit the SPE website at www.4spe.org, or call +1.203.775.0471.
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