SPE® to Hold First Conference on Design & Development with Automotive Engineering Plastics


TROY (DETROIT), MICH. - The Detroit Section and Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE®1) International today announced that they have teamed up to host a special 1-day technical conference and exhibition on advances in engineering plastics for the automotive industry. Called Design & Developments with Automotive Engineering Plastics, the event will be held April 25, 2006 at the Best Western Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights, Mich.

Said current SPE Automotive Division Chair, Dr. Norm Kakarala of Delphi, the person who envisioned this conference, "We're very excited about the Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference because it fills a unique niche in the educational efforts of both the Automotive Division and the Detroit Section in promoting the benefits of plastics to the automotive industry. We already have annual events focusing on thermoplastic polyolefins, thermoset and thermoplastic composites, and paint alternatives. We also put on a widely attended awards recognition event that covers all polymeric materials. So turning our efforts to highlight the role that engineering plastics are having in the automotive industry seemed a logical next step."

Both the Automotive Division and the Detroit Section of SPE are actively involved in holding technical conferences each year. Conferences are an important part of both groups' charter to help educate a broad spectrum of the automotive industry on the benefits of various polymeric technologies. The automotive industry's key decision makers have indicated that they find these conferences to be one of the most effective means of learning about rapid innovations and new uses for polymeric materials.

The new Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference will feature technical presentations on the newest advances in materials technology, predictive engineering, process enhancements, and application developments for thermoplastic and thermoset engineering materials for the automotive industry. Tabletop exhibits will be on display throughout the event. A light lunch and a formal dinner, plus several coffee breaks will also be provided throughout the conference to allow further networking opportunities for all who attend. The all-inclusive cost of attending the event is $150 USD for non-SPE members, $125 USD for SPE members, and $50 USD for students.

To register for the event, please contact Cindy Job, A. Schulman Inc., at cynthia_job@us.aschulman.com or call +1.248.643.6100.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ron Price, Global Polymer Solutions, at rprice525@aol.com or call +1.248.563.6343.

To submit a technical presentation for the event, contact Mike Shoemaker, Dow Chemical at mrshoemaker@dow.com or call +1.248.393.3074.

Members of the media are invited to attend the 1-day event at no charge. Pre-registration is recommended to speed entry into the conference. For media registration, contact Patricia Levine, SPE Automotive Division, spe_automotive_detroit@yahoo.com or call +1.248.244.8993.

The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics. SPE's Automotive Division and Detroit Section work to advance plastics and plastic-based composites technologies worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. Both groups are dedicated to educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic based-composite developments, including applications, materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design, and development.

For more information about the SPE Automotive Engineering Plastics Conference, visit the Automotive Division's website at www.speautomotive.com, or the Detroit Section's website at www.4spe.org/communities/sections/s01.php, or call either 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 International or other SPE events, visit the SPE website at www.4spe.org, or call +1.203.775.0471.

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