ARM Intl presents 5 Ingredients for Molding Success.

Press Release Summary:



When ARM International convened its 2007 Annual Meeting from Oct 7-10, attendees focused on building more successful businesses with "5 Ingredients for Molding Success - Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale". Distinguished lineup of speakers and seminar leaders offered expert guidance in both large- and small-group forums. Combined with traditional tabletop exhibits and industry networking, meeting delivered formal and informal educational opportunities.



Original Press Release:



ARM International Presents "5 Ingredients for Molding Success"



Glen Ellyn, IL--When the Association of Rotational Molders (ARM) International convenes its 2007 Annual Meeting October 7-10 at the Detroit Renaissance Hotel in Detroit, Michigan, attendees will focus on building more successful businesses with "5 Ingredients for Molding Success -- Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and Morale." A distinguished lineup of speakers and seminar leaders will offer expert guidance in both large- and small-group forums. Combined with the association's traditional tabletop exhibits and unparalleled industry networking, the Annual Meeting promises to deliver the formal and informal educational opportunities members count on as the most valuable benefits they receive from the association.

The sessions kick-off on Monday with a keynote presentation by Mark DeAmico,
Operations Manager for Dutchland Plastics Corp. DeAmico will focus on each of the concepts of SQDCM which will set the tone for the rest of the meeting and will be a major focus of educational programming. ARM International's goal is to have attendees leave the meeting with the ability to implement these concepts in their businesses.

Beyond the keynote presentation, the concepts of SQDCM will also be individually covered throughout the schedule with stand alone general sessions which will include:
A Practical Approach to Tracking Quality, Efficiency, and Material Usage Trends, conducted by Dru Laws, Engineering Manager, SimTek Fence. If it can't be measured, it can't be improved! It is time to start measuring accurately so you can take the next step in making appropriate improvements. Interfacing common computer applications with your machine automation can allow you to easily monitor cycle times throughout the days and seasons, calculate efficiencies, measure scrap rates and raw material usage, in addition to other measurable outcomes. Doing so will allow you to generate objective reports that can lead you to production improvements and thus, increasing quality and margins.

Delivery, What's Your Problem? conducted by Doug Von Arb, Director of Operations, Solar Plastics; Cullen Jones, Vice President, Proprietary Sales & Marketing, North America-Western Region Bonar Plastics; and Craig Davis, Vice President Sales and Marketing, ICO Polymers. Delivery is one of the keys to customer satisfaction. But what is acceptable delivery, what is world class delivery, how do you know what it is, and how do you measure it? Once you know the answers to these questions how do you get there? During this general session, three industry representatives will present their perspectives and delivery strategies. Don't miss out on learning how to deliver customer satisfaction.

A Business Model Transformation From a Cost Perspective and Cost Savings Opportunitites Through Mold Design and Use, conducted by Jim Braeunig, President and CEO, Hedstrom Plastics; and Sandy Scaccia, President, Norstar Aluminum Molds, Inc.
Morale In the Workplace; Angry Mob or Motivated Team? conducted by Rich Maguire, V.P. of Operations, Remcon Plastics. An industry insider will demonstrate how to turn around the employee culture in your facility. A company-wide approach to improving both morale and your bottom line will be described from experience.

Also on the schedule, Certified Speaking Professional Frank Bucaro will use humor and real-life examples to help attendees understand how applying ethics in business practices can help companies survive in difficult times. Dr. Peter Klein of Ohio University will engage attendees with his presentation titled, "How the Next Generation is Learning Rotomolding at Ohio University." His students are the industry's future employees and customers. Industry leaders need to know what they're learning and what they think about the uses of rotomolded products.

In addition, Frank DeCarlo will present "The Influence of Powder Quality on the Performance of the Rotational Molding Process." DeCarlo's presentation focuses on the importance of free flowing material, usually in the form of powder, for satisfactory rotational molding. He points out that in any grinding operation, it is important the size reduction not alter the chemical characteristics of the material or modify the thermal history. In addition, the size distribution and configuration of individual particles must conform to closely controlled specifications. Recent development work related to the importance of powder configuration and uniformity has confirmed the influence on a number of process variables. The presentation will consider these variables in greater depth.

Other topics included in this year's program include Predicting the Quality of Rotomolded Parts. The Annual Meeting will also have presentations by Paul Nugent and Dr. Roy Crawford, two of the industries' most well respected minds and speakers. As always, the "What's New" presentations will provide attendees with practical knowledge they can use upon returning to their businesses after the meeting.

Separate Seminar Schedule
Speakers are just one aspect of the Annual Meeting's diverse programming. A number of valuable seminars have already been scheduled in conjunction with the 2007 Annual Meeting. They will be presented Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7, before the Opening General Session on Monday, October 8th. Attendees are encouraged to leverage these training opportunities as part of their Annual Meeting participation. All seminar registration fees are separate from the Annual Meeting registration fee.

Introduction to Rotational Molding Seminar, conducted by Einar Voldner.
This introductory seminar will cover the key elements of the rotomolding process. This includes available materials (from polyethylene, PVC and nylon to non-traditional materials), the main types of equipment used (from basic rock and roll to carousel to fully automatic), mold construction methods (from cast to fabricated to glass fiber), processing parameters (oven and cooler settings), process control methods (measuring temperature profiles and how to optimize part properties) and key design guidelines (the basic do's and don'ts of good part design). Presented in a highly visual and flexible format, attendees will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions and explore areas of particular interest. Einar Voldner, retired, was the founder and President of Synergy Polymers Inc. He provided training in the rotomolding process and the use of specialty polymers. The company developed proprietary resin formulations and introduced projects such as permanent anti-stat polyethylene and recycling technology for rotomolding.

Design Seminar in Rotational Molding, conducted by Michael Paloian, Integrated Design Systems
This one-day, eight-hour, seminar will provide you with a basic understanding of how to design a rotationally molded part. The seminar will be segmented into two parts: the first portion will focus on basic design principles, and the second will concentrate on applying these principles to design exercises. Basic design principles will be presented to the group within a two-hour period. The remainder of the seminar will focus on creative application of these principles to two to three product designs. Each attendee will be encouraged to sketch out a design based on rotational molding. Designs will be reviewed and critiqued.

One or more of them will then be modeled in CAD by the instructor to demonstrate feasibility, moldability and appearance. Each attendee will be provided with a CD summary of the seminar. Paloian's expertise as an industrial designer and plastics engineer has provided him with a unique set of design skills, allowing him to design products from concept to production. He has been a frequent contributor to RotoWorld magazine as well as many other trade journals in the plastics industry. He and his firm have designed numerous rotationally molded parts, such as material handling pallets, pool chlorinators, POP displays and toys. Paloian has an in-depth knowledge of designing parts in numerous processes and materials, including plastics, metals and composites.

Master Seminar in Rotational Molding, conducted by Prof. Roy J. Crawford, University of Waikato, New Zealand
This seminar is aimed at those who are already familiar with the basics of rotational molding. It will involve a detailed look at all aspects of the process - molds, materials and machines. It will be shown that rotomolding need not be an art because many aspects of the process can now be quantified. The seminar will include an overview of the latest developments in rotational molding and a look at competing technologies. The seminar will include a demonstration of software for simulating the rotational molding process.

Professor Crawford has researched the mechanical properties and processing behavior of plastics for the past 30 years and for the last 25 or more years has concentrated on rotational molding. He received ARM International's Distinguished Service Award in 1998 and is a member of the ARM International Board of Directors and currently serves as the Association's Director of Technical Services.

Ample opportunities for informal industry networking -- one of the most valuable aspects of the Annual Meeting -- are included in the 2007 Annual Meeting schedule. ARM International is a non-profit association of more than 400 members whose mission states: "We provide tools that will make good rotomolders and their suppliers great." To learn more about ARM International's 2007 Annual Meeting, including registration and hotel room reservation forms, please visit the meeting website, www.armmeetings.org. To learn more about ARM International, please visit the website at www.rotomolding.org or contact the association at 630-942-6589.

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