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Although a stronger real is adding some headwinds, climbing 25% in the last two years, the Brazilian plastics machinery industry continues to see gains in its exports, particularly within Latin America, thanks in large part to an assist from its machinery association and the Brazilian government.

Gloucester Engineering Co. (GEC) President and CEO Carl Johnson says Asia-Pacific customers are demanding more sophisticated and larger machines.

"They want larger machines with higher outputs," he told PlasticsToday. "The demand for quality continues to grow."

Increasing polymer production in Brazil and a growing automotive market there have prompted Japanese plastic additives supplier Adeka Corp. (Tokyo) to establish a sales and marketing office in Sao Paulo. Adeka supplies antioxidants, light stabilizers, lubricants and nucleating agents among other additive products.

Guangzhou, China - The Solar Impulse aircraft safely reached Phoenix May 5 after a 20-hour flight from San Francisco. Next up: the leg from Phoenix to Dallas which will take off the week of May 20. Traveling at an average ground speed of just 40 mph, the Solar Impulse carried its sole occupant and pilot, adventurer Bertrand Piccard, on the 650-nautical mile first leg solely utilizing the power of the sun.

Elixir Medical Corp. (Sunnyvale, CA) has received CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark approval for a coronary scaffold system designed to degrade in about one year, returning the patients' coronary vessels to a normal condition. The DESSolve scaffold combines a proprietary poly-L Lactide (PLLA) plastic with an anti-proliferative drug called Novolimus.

As far back as I can remember since I’ve been in this industry (which is now 30 years), the SPI moldmakers and machinery makers have met together each spring. Many times the meeting was here in Phoenix, which made it convenient for me to attend after I’d begun writing about tooling and molding rather than selling it.
   

On 16 May 2013, during the first Members' Meeting in 2013, the General Assembly of European Bioplastics elected a new Board to represent the association and its members for the coming two years. François de Bie (Purac) was elected as Chairman. Mariagiovanna Vetere (NatureWorks) and Stefano Facco (Novamont) are Vice-Chairpersons. PlasticsToday managed to catch Mr. de Bie between meetings to congratulate him on his election as new chairman of the board.

The news is out and it’s good for manufacturing technology as March orders totaled $507.91 million, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology, in their latest survey of companies participating in the USMTO (United States Manufacturing Technology Orders) program. That was up 30.4% from February and up 3.2% over March 2012.
   

São Paulo—Brasilplast became Feiplastic last year as the biennial Saõ Paulo show sought to better reflect its increasingly international nature, both in terms of exhibitors and attendees, and its roots as a longstanding Brazilian event with a growing global flavor were captured perfectly in the opening ceremony.

Evidence continues to mount showing soaring use of plastics in medical implants, led by polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

As of February 2013,  the number of implantable medical devices manufactured from PEEK-OPTIMA and cleared for market in the US reached 500, with more than 80 approved for market in China, it was announced by Craig Valentine, director of regulatory affairs for Invibio.