Processors of wood/plastics composites can garner some cachet at the third Wood/Plastic Composites Conference this December in Cologne, Germany with a competition to recognize an innovative product now on the market or soon entering commercial use.
The event is organized by Germany’s Nova Institute and will be held Dec. 2-3 at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne. Simultaneous translation of all of the presentations is provided and the last conference in 2007 drew 350 attendees from 25 countries, including MPW, which reported on the event here. It is Europe’s largest event devoted to WPCs.
Again sponsoring the innovation prize is extruder manufacturer Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG (Troisdorf, Germany). The competition includes categories for most innovative product and most innovative processing technology—with the latter including developments in machinery, molds or dies, materials or additives, and the like. Entrees for the competition require two typed sheets describing the product with photos before Oct. 2 to the Nova Institute, care of Dominik Vogt. A jury will whittle the entrees to three per category and these will be voted on during the conference.
 WPC Trex Deck is featured at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, as part of the museum's sustainable living home. |
On the day before the conference, Dec. 1, Reifenhäuser is planning an open house from 1-5 p.m. at its headquarters. The company has developed a number of extrusion lines optimized for processing of WPC profiles.
Detailed information on the conference in English and German can be found here.
In related news, one of the largest processors of WPC building products, Trex (Winchester, VA), has the honor of seeing its Trex Deck product featured at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit currently is in its second run at the museum and will be open to visitors through Jan. 3, 2010.
Trex donated decking products in the brand’s popular Winchester Grey color to the museum’s sustainable living home, labeled as the “greenest home in Chicago.” The company’s products are featured on the first floor of the 2500ft2 home.
The average 500ft2 composite Trex deck contains about 140,000 recycled plastic bags, most (70%) recycled through in-store collection programs. —[email protected]
