October 2015 Newsletter
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Volume 60 Volume ▲ Number 2 To be held at the Troy Marriott, Troy MI Visit our TPO Website to Register and find more details (http://www.auto-tpo.com) Use our TPO2015 Guide on your computer, smartphone, and tablet to review the complete agenda cross-linked with the speakers listing (htpps://goo.gl/6FP1ma) SPE Detroit Sec4on CHAPTER” DETROIT SECTION - SOCIETY OF PLASTICS ENGINEERS “THE CHARTER Technical Dinner SPE Detroit Mee4ng Section “Plas4cs Engineering Technology at Ferris State University” Monday, October Technical 26, 2015 Dinner Meeting “Plastics5:00 – Engineering 8:00 pm Technology at Ferris State University” Monday, October 26, 2015 5:00 – 8:00 pm Visit the Detroit Section website for details (http://www.spedetroit.org) In this issue: A Review of the Detroit Section Technical Dinner Meeting at Kettering University September 14, 2015 Proudly sponsored by October 2015 President’s Message Dr. Adrian Merrington Midland Compounding and Consulting President And Then Something really is too long to include here but a smattering of what we do is included on Magical Happens….. our website: spedetroit.org. If you’re reading this message then you’re And as we’re talking about the website, probably somehow involved with the let’s start with our Communications Detroit Section of the Society of Plastics Committee. Irv Poston leads a committed Engineers. And being involved with SPE team of webmasters (Marc Bahm), Detroit, you might wonder how events newsletter editors (Eve Vitale) and or even this newsletter come together. those who post on social media sites SPE Detroit runs on the strength of its (I get involved here) which helps get volunteer base. Contrary to the title our message out. Having professional- of this piece, nothing magically just looking communications with our happens. It happens because of the hard membership helps establish Detroit SPE work put in by dedicated volunteers as a superior organization. The newsletter who believe in SPE’s mission. SPE’s is nationally recognized as being a quality Mission? “The mission of the Society of product and has received numerous Plastics Engineers is to promote scientific SPE awards for its content and design. and engineering knowledge relating Our website was recently updated and to plastics worldwide and to educate is constantly evolving to meet current industry, academia, and the public about needs. More recently, people have been these advances.” able to get the latest information about our activities by subscribing to one form So, how do we get there from here? We of social media or another (LinkedIn, get there by having people willing to Facebook, Twitter and SPE’s The Chain). give up their free time and focus their All of our communication mechanisms efforts in one area or another (or, for help us maintain a well-informed some, in many areas) so we can offer membership and general public. the services we provide. Those services might be publications, conferences, Our conferences are internationally technical presentations, scholarships, recognized as having some of the educational liaisons, etc., etc. The list best technical content and greatest 2 www.SPEdetroit.org networking opportunities available. those who have just left education and Even conferences put on by professional entered the workplace, Furkan Akdemir entities, whose livelihood depends on and Maheen Khan chair our Next their ability to attract attendees, often Generation committee. pale in comparison (you can likely tell how proud I am to be associated with Being able to do all of this work is the people who put on our conferences). not cheap. We are blessed with some Our TPO Conference, chaired by Sassan tremendous section sponsors that Tarahomi, and Auto EPCON, chaired by include BASF Performance Materials Sandra McClelland and Gary Kogowski, North America, Ravago Manufacturing, in addition to producing exceptional ENTEC, Chase Plastics, Vantage Plastics, content, also have a little friendly rivalry Maple Press and Midland Compounding over which is our top money-earner. and Consulting. If you’re interested in Sponsorship, please talk to Chris Surbrook Our Education Committee has become (csurbrook@midlandcompounding. one of our Section’s crowning jewels. com) or Bob Petrach (robertpetrach@ Sandra McClelland has grown this aol.com). With Dawn Cooper (dawn@ group to include full Student Chapters uniplasinc.com), Chris also co-chairs the at Ferris State, Michigan State, Kettering Material Auction that sees us auction University, and Schoolcraft College, donated resins to also raise funds for and we’re developing programs at the educational outreach. University of Michigan, Saginaw Valley State, Delta College and Mid-Michigan And of course, I haven’t even started to Community College. Developing discuss the group of volunteers needed programs is one thing, keeping them just to keep the Section running. But active and involved takes a combination perhaps that’s a topic for another piece. of faculty members, student volunteers and SPE Detroit liaisons. And, of course, If you are interested in getting more the funds to do what needs to be done. involved yourself, the first step is easy. But universities and colleges aren’t our Contact Keith Siopes (keith.siopes@dsm. only outreach. Tom Miller and Todd com), let him know your skill set and Hogan organize PlastiVan visits to local interests, and we’re more than happy to area schools and educational events put you to work (and grateful that you and use these visits as a means to volunteer too!). promote our annual Essay Competition. Tom is also in charge of the committee that hands out thousands of dollars in Adrian Merrington student scholarships each year. And for President, Detroit Section of SPE www.SPEdetroit.org 3 We create chemistry that lets beauty love brains. BASF high-performance materials are smart—and yes, beautiful. Offering greater design flexibility, lighter weight parts, shorter production times and lower costs than traditional materials, our plastics and polyurethane solutions can be found inside and out of some of the world’s most popular automobiles. From seating to instrument panels and consoles to suspension, we’re at the heart of many intelligent design and manufacturing solutions. Because at BASF Performance Materials, we create chemistry for a more beautiful tomorrow. And a better ride. www.performance-materials.basf.us 4 www.SPEdetroit.org September Technical Dinner Recap Bob Petrach – Safety Technology International SPE Detroit Secretary and Technical Program Chair For those of you who missed the 2015-2016 Delta Polymers is a small company, yet it has Kickoff meeting at Kettering University, you provided a tremendous amount of support to missed an eventful meeting. Below are a few the SPE Detroit Section including three past of the highlights: presidents. Adrian Merrington, our new president, kicked Shane Alexander of Kettering University it off by thanking event sponsor BASF and was presented with the first Delta Polymers table sponsors Asahi Kasei, IAC, PolyOne, Scholarship. Techno Polymer and Trinseo. He then did a The Professor Reginald Bell Scholarship was quick synopsis of SPE Detroit Section activities presented to Christopher Orr of the University before turning the podium over to Awards of Michigan. Chris has pushed tirelessly to Chair, Nippani Rao. establish a student chapter at U of M. Nippani presented the 2015 Outstanding I was given the chance to say a few words about Member Award to Dr. Sassan Tarahomi the remarkable person that was Professor followed by the Lifetime Achievement Award Reginald Bell and his legacy of inspiration to to Pete Grelle. all students (and non-students) with over 50 Sassan then presented Star Awards to Dr. Gary years of teaching and his tireless support for Kogowski and Dr. Adrian Merrington. the plastics industry. Sassan also presented the President’s Special Sandra mentioned the opportunity to be Recognition Award to Sandra McClelland, SPE a part of the Great Lakes Bay STEM Festival Detroit Councilor and Education Committee to be held at Delta College September 25th Chair, for her years of service to the Section, and 26th. The Detroit Section of SPE will be divisions, and SPE International, and for the sponsoring a booth to showcase plastics and personal support and guidance she’d given is seeking SPE members to help staff the booth him the past year. Friday and Saturday. Sandra McClelland, in her role as Education Finally we got to the program about the Plastics Committee Chair noted SPE Detroit has three Program at Kettering University presented by named scholarships with the SPE Foundation: Mark Richardson, manufacturing engineering the Tom Powers Scholarship, The Norm lecturer. Mark outlined the program and his Kakarala Scholarship, and the Education Award vision of supporting his two customers – the in honor of Fred Schwab. With excitement students and the plastics industry. After the she introduced two new named SPE Detroit presentation, Mr. Richardson, Dillon Frost, Section Scholarships to be given annually--the president of the Plastics Engineering Club, Delta Polymers and Professor Reginald Bell and Dr. Susan Farhat, assistant professor of Scholarships. chemical engineering, gave tours of the Polymer www.SPEdetroit.org 5 Processing Lab and the Chemical Engineering Labs. You can read more about plastics at Kettering in last month’s newsletter. http:// spedetroit.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ SPE15SeptNewsletter4web.pdf Since 1942 Our fearless leaders who are continuing a long tradition