Plastics News featured the one-cup coffee maker trend a few weeks ago, highlighting the rapid growth in the segment -- and how plastics were benefitting.

Readers of that story, "Brewing up market share, 1 cup at a time," may be interested in the latest news about sector leader Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.

The New York Times' Dealbook reported this week that Green Mountain founder Robert P. Stiller resigned his position as chairman on May 8 after he sold 5 million shares of the company's stock -- worth about $125 million -- to pay off loans he had taken against the shares.

Stiller, who is still on the company's board, now owns only about 5.4 percent of Green Mountain, down from 27.5 percent in early 2008, according to the report.

Indepedent shareholders took a bath as a result of Stiller's margin call too -- the value of Green Mountain stock lost about half their value in the past few weeks.

Here are some short takes on plastics headlines from the past week:

"Lego gets snapped at over girls' line of toys," from the San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate.com. According to the story, "a pair of feminist activists" is unhappy with the new Lego Friends line of toys designed for girls.

Characters in the Lego Friends line include Mia, an athlete; Olivia, an inventor; Stephanie, an animal lover; Emma, who enjoys fashion; and Andrea, who likes to sing and dance.

The activists, Stephanie Cole and Bailey Shoemaker-Richards, started a petition on Change.org protesting Lego's marketing strategy.

And more than 55,000 people have signed the petition.

OK...

"Plastic remains No. 1 pollutant on Jersey coast," from the Greater Media Newspapers chain in Manalapan, N.J.

The story notes that according to Clean Ocean Action, 7,500 people participated in 2011 Beach Sweeps on the New Jersey Shore, and they collected 452,698 pieces of marine debris that had washed up in 65 locations.

Some 83 percent of the total was plastic.

There was some good news -- for the first time in 19 years, cigarette debris (filters, packaging, lighters and cigar tips) were not in the top three pollutants.

So perhaps there's hope after all for changing consumer behavior.

Thanks to all the volunteers who participated in the Beach Sweeps. Were there any Plastics Blog readers in the clean-up crews?

Here's a fun post for Star Wars fans, and a nice pop culture reference for the plastics industry.

Brian Stillman, a journalist and documentary filmmaker whose previous works include "Toys Are Us: A Revolution In Plastic," is working on a new movie, "Plastic Galaxy, The Story of Star Wars Toys."

The film, which will be released later this year, will include "interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, it looks at the toys' history, their influence, and the fond and fervent feelings they elicit today," according to the website.

The toys themselves "transformed both the toy and movie industries," it says.

Enjoy the trailer, and check the link for more information.

There's a lesson in social media here too. The movie is using Kickstarter to raise funds, and both Facebook and Twitter to inform and keep track of Star Wars toy fans -- obvious potential customers when the film is ready for sale.

Anecdotal evidence continues to pile up that some manufacturers are "reshoring" -- bringing work back to North America.

The story is becoming familiar. Companies say the advantages of bringing work back from places like China are the shorter supply chain, reduced lead time and stable pricing. With prices rising in China, and North American manufacturers becoming lean and more efficient, the cost difference that started the offshoring trend in the first place isn't as significant.

In the past few days, Plastics News has covered Whirlpool Corp.'s KitchenAid brand is bringing production of its hand mixers back to the U.S. from China, and Readfield, Maine-based Saunders Manufacturing Co. Inc. relocating some plastics work from China to LC Industries in Jackson, Miss.

In the KitchenAid story, staff reporter Rhoda Miel writes from the International Home + Housewares Show that the company is in the process of moving production now to Greenville, Ohio, which is already home to KitchenAid's larger stand mixers.

That shift will mean new business for suppliers of the mixers injection molded parts, said Larry Simpson, global business development manager for KitchenAid Small Appliances. Among other parts, the mixers' bodies are injection molded plastic, some of them painted and some using a molded-in-color process.

In the Saunders story, PN intern Brandi Shaffer writes that Saunders President and CEO John Rosmarin said the company is "committed to produce as many of our products as possible here in the U.S.A."

The company started a "Made in USA" product line in 2008.

And speaking of "Made in USA," here's a story for readers who want to jump into the trend with both feet.

The story, "Made in the USA: Ann Arbor firm constructing homes with products made in America," reports on a Michigan company that's building homes using American-made goods.

"Except for the granite countertop, the microwave oven and the recessed lighting, everything will be made in America, down to the nails," writes Janet Miller from AnnArbor.com.

For all the consumers who claim they can't find American-made products, this should be an eye-opener.

Not only is the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. giving out awards to cool products in its triennial International Plastics Design Competition at NPE 2012, but from the same crop of nearly three dozen entries will emerge the winner of the 12th IDSA/Plastics News Design Award.

The judges (for that award only) are a trio of industrial design experts - Augusto Picozza, ID director at Jarden Consumer Solutions in Boca Raton, Fla.; Sean Hagen, principal and director of research and synthesis at BlackHagen Design in Dunedin, Fla.; and Michael Paloian, founder/president of Integrated Design Systems Inc. in Great Neck, N.Y.

That award, co-presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America, aims to shine a light on the often-unheralded work of the industrial designer in the product development process.

Below is a video with more information on the International Plastics Design Competition.

And don't forget to vote online for your favorite via the People's Choice Award.

Attendees to the China Plastics in Automotive 2012 conference in Shanghai on April 17 will gain insights into Ford Motor Co.'s vision for creating greener, more lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles globally when they hear from keynote speaker Jennifer Gilhool.

She's Ford Asia Pacific & Africa's Shanghai-based director of sustainability, environment and safety engineering.

Gilhool has a law degree from the University of Michigan. she started in Ford's legal department, then moved to the regulatory side of the business, working on safety and compliance matters.

Other topics to be covered at the conference include vehicle design trends, and the role plastics and advanced polymer composites will play in interiors, seating, powertrain and under-the-hood components, as well as in electrification and hybrid technology.

Check the agenda for a list of other speakers.

The bilingual event is being organized by Plastics News at the Kerry Hotel on the day before the huge Chinaplas 2012 trade show. See full event details at www.pnchina.com/cpa2012.

Have you noticed any of the new package recycling labels?

Some manufacturers are voluntarily using the labels in an effort to make recycling easier. One of the biggest problems with the status quo labels is related to plastics -- specifically, complaints from consumers and recyclers who say many people don't understand the chasing arrows resin ID codes.

The new Package Recovery Label System was developed for the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Mike Verespej, Plastics News' staff reporter in Washington, has written a few stories about the project, including "Recycling campaign kicks off as OEMs launch label system," and "New package labels aim to simplify recycling." Check those links for background on the project.

Today, thanks to a tweet from the American Chemistry Council's "Recycle Plastic" feed, I found a handy website that's supposed to help the public navigate the new labels.

The labels are being called "How 2 Recycle Labels," and the site is www.how2recycle.info.

Check it out for more information, and to better understand exactly what the labels mean.

Meanwhile, to help you recognize them when you see them, here's an example of one of the new labels:

Here's a suprising fact: It has been five years since Procter & Gamble Co. launched a brand in the United States, and that product was niche probiotic Align.

Is P&G, which has a long history as a creator of innovative products, slipping?

Jack Neff at our sister publication Advertising Age takes a close look at P&G this week with this story: "Why Some Think P&G's Innovation Is Slipping."

Some analysts "doubt the power of P&G's innovation machine and voiced concerns that the company is too big and too complacent," Neff writes.

Chairman and CEO Bob McDonald is aware of the criticism and he's working on rebuilding the company's image. P&G spent more than $2 billion on R&D in the past two years, and it has projects in the pipline, he said.

What's the view of plastics suppliers to P&G?

We know on the packaging side that the company has been undertaking significant materials-related changes -- first disclosed in 2010 ("P&G outlines broad sustainability plans").

More recently we saw a small step toward that goal, when the company revealed its new Gillette Fusion ProGlide packaging.

Does P&G have more plastics-related innovations ready to hit the market? Neff's story hints at one: a product named T@U, a patch for removable or temporary tattoos.

How appropriate -- a day after the Super Bowl, Forbes.com has a Q&A interview today with the "other" Tom Brady -- you know, the plastics guy.

Of course I'm talking about Tom Brady, the founder of Plastic Technologies Inc., the packaging and recycling specialists in Holland, Ohio.

Gregg Fairbrothers interviewed Brady for a Forbes section on leadership. The interview covers his background at Owens-Illinois Inc., including his role in the company's efforts to commercialize PET containers, plus insight into his decision to leave the company and form PTI.

"Like many entrepreneurs, I began as a company of one person. I was Chairman, CEO, President, Chief Engineer, and Customer Service Manager; I was also the accountant and the janitor," Brady told Fairbrothers.

"The PTI family of companies now includes two manufacturing companies, two technical development and engineering service companies and three joint venture companies that license technology or sell specialty services to the packaging industry. We have more than 200 employees worldwide and many of the products you buy every day are sold in plastic containers designed by one of our companies.

"Interestingly, all of the other PTI companies were the "brainchildren" of PTI employees. Today we remain a private, employee-owned company and only a handful of professional employees have left us over our 26-year history," he said.

Check out the link for the full interview. Unlike that other Tom Brady, this one should be feeling pretty good about his team's performance today.

On top of the Forbes interview, I discovered just minutes after I posted this today that Brady is a new member of the Plastics Hall of Fame. He's one of 10 new inductees who will join the hall on April 1 at NPE2012 in Orlando, Fla.)

Here's the full list:

Thomas E. Brady, PhD. A pioneer of today's PET industry, Dr. Brady did fundamental research on polymer and packaging technology, founded Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) and six other packaging-related companies, and received patents relating to PET and packaging.

Lawrence J. Broutman, ScD. A prolific researcher, Dr, Broutman has developed techniques for the analysis and characterization of polymer materials that have spurred further research and generated innovation in many plastics sectors. He has written nearly 170 technical publications and two textbooks, been awarded four patents, and received five best paper honors from the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

Jay L. Gardiner. A tireless volunteer for plastics causes, Mr. Gardiner has been continuously active in service to the industry for more than two decades and has held leadership positions or board memberships with many plastics organizations.

Jobst U. Gellert. One of the most prolific inventors in Canadian history, Mr. Gellert has been awarded hundreds of patents. He patented the first commercially viable hot runner system in 1965 and built Mold-Masters Limited, a leading worldwide supplier of hot runner systems.

H. Gunther Hoyt. Mr. Hoyt has played important roles in the internationalization of the plastics industry and in the progress of SPI and the NPE exposition. He has also been a technological leader in the field of machine components.

Robert P. Kittredge. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mr. Kittredge founded Fabri-Kal Corp. in 1950. It is now the eighth-largest thermoformer in North America, serving the packaging market. Mr. Kittredge also established the Fabri-Kal Foundation, which has provided millions of dollars in scholarships and community grants.

H. Richard Landis. An inventor and entrepreneur, Mr. Landis has been a pioneer in injection molding. His company, Landis Plastics, grew from a one-machine operation in 1956 to an enterprise with six U.S. locations employing more than 2,100 people. He has been awarded 16 patents in the design of plastic parts. He participated in SPI's development of the resin identification code for the "chasing-arrow" recycling symbol.

Robert A. Malloy, PhD. An educator, researcher, and author, Dr. Malloy chairs one of the leading U.S. plastics engineering departments and has trained many engineers who have gone on to make an impact on the industry. He holds 16 patents, has been a principle investigator for more than 70 funded research projects, and has authored or co-authored more than 60 conference and journal papers in the field of plastics engineering.

Daniel W. McGuire, Jr. Dubbed "the father of resin distribution," Mr. McGuire founded the first plastics distributor in North America. His vision was to create an organization to fill in the gap between resin producers and small or medium-size processors. This became the mission of his company, General Polymers.

Timothy W. Womer. A widely recognized authority on plasticizing screws, Mr. Womer has designed thousands of these components. He holds 15 patents and is a prolific author and lecturer. He has been extensively involved with industry associations, held a number of leadership positions, and received several of the industry's most prestigious honors.

Top industrial designers are a bit like rock stars -- well known in their fields, and frequently known for their quirky personalities.

Last weekend one was featured in The New York Times' Sunday Magazine -- including enough plastics manufacturing references to make Plastics Blog readers smile.

The story, "Is There Anything Marc Newson Hasn't Designed?" profiles Marc Newson, called "the most acclaimed and influential designer of his generation" -- and that's just on his own firm's website.

Many of Newson's creations are made from plastic, and the feature story doesn't skimp on plasticky details -- how often do you get to read a New York Times Sunday Magazine story that mention parting lines, vacuum forming, and rotational molding -- within the first few graphs?

Another highlight: a list of Newson's least-favorite industrial designs. Is that opportunity I hear knocking?

I'm at the Plastics News Executive Forum today, and this morning's session featured several speakers who talked about the value of collaborating with industrial designers. More on that later .. for now, check out the Times feature on megastar designer Newson.

Forget about moon colonies. A new thermoset composite, developed in part by Owens Corning through a joint development program with Lockheed Martin under the name Applied NanoStructured Solutions LLC, provides electrical magnetic interference shielding for vital components on the Juno satellite, which will orbit Jupiter to provide the best view yet of that planet.

The hybrid composite includes carbon enhanced reinforcements, produced by ANS.

Lockheed Martin describes the part as providing: "contoured supports to prevent thermal blanketing from interfering with the three solar array support mechanisms. The supports also provide an electrostatic discharge path. During its 5-year journey to Jupiter, the Lockheed Martin-made Juno spacecraft will rely on solar energy to power it computers and instruments."

Thanks to Plastics News staff reporter Rhoda Miel for today's post -- she discovered the project at the Society of Plastics Engineers Topcon event in San Antonio, Texas.

The Bank of Canada promotes its new plastic currency as being durable, secure and innovative -- but just how durable are they?

CTV News in Winnipeg claims the currency -- specifically the new $100 bills -- are not as durable as old-fashioned paper money.

The report cites Charles Shepard of Brandon, Manitoba, who noticed that when the bills are folded, they can develop cracks that can turn into rips.

Shepard ... put a full can of Coke on top of a new $100 bill.

When he pulled on it, he said the plastic bill ripped in half.

"It's similar to thin tin foil or plastic food wrap. "You pull on it but as soon as it's got a mark or tear on it, it just peels apart," he said.

I'd like to think a $100 note can stand up to a can of Coke. And the next time I find myself with a wallet full of hundreds, you can be sure I'll give it a try.

Hewlett-Packard Co., leads Greenpeace International's new list of electronics companies ranked by energy usage, green products and sustainable operations.

Jeremy Carroll, a colleague at Waste & Recycling News, wrote about the report today. He notes new criteria this year also challenged the companies to reduce their carbon footprint in manufacturing, in their supply chain and through the end-of-life phase for their products.

Here are some materials-related highlights, directly from the Greenpeace reports. In addition to the details about phasing out certain materials, processors may note that Greenpeace now is looking favorably about companies that are using post-consumer plastics.

"[HP] scores the least points in the Products category; although it scores comparatively well for its progress on phasing out the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from its product range and is on track to achieve 90 percent of its new goal to phase out BFR and PVC in newly introduced personal computing products in 2011. HP needs to report on the amount of post-consumer plastics it uses as a percentage of all plastics and publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines, as well as show more innovations to extend product life. HP does not provide a summary of the energy efficiency of its products by giving
a percentage of its products that meet the latest Energy Star standards (or other relevant international standard for external power systems); this should be published on its
website, for each product range. However, HP risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of trade associations that have commented against stringent
energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"Dell scores poorly on all the other Products criteria. Although it reports on the quantities of post-consumer recycled plastics used, this is not given as a percentage
of total plastics use and there is no target and timeline for increasing its use. Dell needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product
lines in order to score any points for extending its products life cycle. Dell does not provide figures on the percentage of its products that meet and exceed the latest Energy Star
standard, although it offers tools for users to optimise energy efficiency. Dell also risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of trade associations that
have commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"On Products [Nokia] scores no points for the use of recycled plastics; although it now reports that the Nokia 700 is its first smartphone to use recycled plastics which make up 33 percent of the plastics used, it needs to expand its use further and report total use as a percentage of all plastics used in order to score points. To score on the products life cycle criteria it needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines. It scores close to maximum points on the new criteria for hazardous substances in products, with all of its products free from almost all the specified hazardous substances, missing the target because it does not include all antimony compounds in its restrictions on hazardous substances. It continues to score maximum points for the energy efficiency of its products; it has achieved its target of reducing no-load power used by its chargers by 50 percent from 2006 to 2010 and has set a new target of 75 percent by 2012. However, Nokia risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of trade associations that have commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"[Apple] continues to score well on the Products criteria; all Apple products are now free of PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), with the exception of PVC free power cords in countries where their safety certification process is still ongoing; however, it does not mention plans to phase out antimony or beryllium. Apple scores a point for its information on battery life for the product life cycle criterion, but it needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines. It provides no information on its use of post-consumer recycled plastics. It gets maximum points for reporting that all of its products meet or exceed the latest Energy
Star standards for energy efficiency, however, it risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of a trade association that has commented against stringent
energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"On Products [Philips] has brought a number of product ranges onto the market that are free from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), as well as six phthalates and antimony, to add to the industry's first PVC/BFR free TV, the Econova LED TV, as part of its commitment for all new products to be free from these substances from 2011. It needs to commit to phase out exempted uses of beryllium and all phthalates. Philips has a target to double its use of recycled plastics by 2015, but needs to specify if this is post-consumer recycled plastics; it also needs to report the percentage of post-consumer plastics it uses currently. To score points on the product life cycle criteria Philips needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for their main product lines. It also has targets to increase the energy efficiency
of its products but needs to update its information on the percentage of its products that meet and exceed the Energy Star standards. Philips risks a penalty point in future
Guide editions as it is a member of a trade association that has commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive
positions with a strong statement."

"Sony Ericsson takes 6th place in the re-launched Guide. It is one of the top scorers in the Products category, scoring maximum points for the energy efficiency of its
phones, its advice to users and its targets to increase their efficiency. It is close to scoring maximum points for its avoidance of hazardous substances in its products, with only a few exemptions for uses of antimony and some types of phthalates remaining. It reports the recycled plastics content for several of its phones but still needs to report the amount of recycled plastic sourced as a percentage of all plastics used. To score on the product life cycle category it needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines."

"Samsung takes 7th position in the re-launched Guide. The penalty point which was first imposed in v.14 of the Guide for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate
brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in new models of all products by January 2010 and PVC vinyl plastic by end of 2010 has been lifted. It now has notebooks, mobile phones
and MP3 players that are free from these substances, but its commitment to phase out hazardous substances now only covers some product groups - TVs and household
appliances are no longer included. Samsung does reasonably well on other Products criteria - it is one of the leaders on the new product life cycle criteria for providing
information on its warranties and provision of spare parts as well as details of innovations. Samsung also scores well for the energy efficiency of its products, but it risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of a trade association that has commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"Lenovo takes 8th place in the re-launch of the Guide; it benefits from the removal of the penalty point that was imposed for backtracking on its commitment to eliminate PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in all its products by the end of 2009. While its current goal for new products in 2011 to be PVC/BFR free has not been completely met, Lenovo has launched a number of PVC/BFR free products, including notebooks and a desktop and many components are PVC/BFR free. On other Products
criteria it scores well for its use of recycled plastics, where a slightly higher percentage of post-consumer plastics use would earn Lenovo maximum points. However, to score any points on product life cycle it needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines. It reports on the percentage of products that meet and exceed the Energy Star standard, although this needs to be a higher percentage for more points. Lenovo risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of a trade association that has commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"Panasonic is one of the top scorers on Products, scoring well for product life cycle as it provides information about its warranties and replacement parts, as well as many examples of innovation to make its products last longer. It has many products that are free from polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC), and plans to eliminate PVC and brominated
flame retardants (BFRs) from its notebooks and mobile phones by the end of 2011, but this commitment does not extend to all of its products. It reports on its use of recycled plastics but does not specify whether this is post-consumer plastic. It scores maximum points for the energy efficiency of its products for reporting that 100 percent of its TVs meet the latest Energy Star standards and exceed the standby power requirement. However, it risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of trade associations that have commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"Sony also risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of trade associations that have commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement. On Products its performance on the energy efficiency of its products earns top marks; all of its TVs meet or exceed the latest Energy Star standards. It uses comparatively high quantities of post-consumer recycled plastics but no longer provides information on its use of recycled plastics as a percentage of total plastics used. It is less impressive on the other products criteria; it scores no points on product life cycle as it does not report on the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines. Although it has phased out polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) from many of its products the scope of its phase out of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) is limited."

"[Sharp] scores most of its points on the Products criteria for the energy efficiency of its products, reporting that all of its TVs meet the latest Energy Star standard, with 90 percent of them exceeding the requirements for sleep mode. However, it risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member of a trade association that has commented against
stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement. Sharp has many products that are free from polyvinyl
chloride plastics (PVC) but its phase out of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) is mostly limited to casings and it has not met its commitment; it it needs to communicate the
dates when new products will be free of PVC, phthalates, BFRs and antimony. It reports on its use of recycled plastics but not as a percentage of total plastics used. Sharp provides some examples of extending product life cycle but does not publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines."

"Acer takes 12th position with a score of 2.9. ... However, it does report on the use of post- consumer recycled plastic in monitor casings of seven families of EPEAT Gold models. It has also launched many new models of products that are free from polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and it has informed Greenpeace that the majority of its products will be PVC/BFR free in the near future. A higher percentage of its products need to meet or exceed the latest Energy Star standards
in order for it to score more points on product energy efficiency."

"LGE scores 2.8 points and takes joint 13th place, together with Toshiba. It benefits from having a penalty point lifted, imposed for backtracking on its commitment to have all its products free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by the end of 2010. All of LGE's mobile phones are now free from PVC and BFRs as well as phthalates, antimony trioxide and beryllium oxide; other products such as TVs and notebooks have many PVC/BFR free parts and LGE aims to phase these substances out
from TVs monitors and PCs by 2012 and household appliances by 2014. On other Products categories LGE scores best for its product energy efficiency; it regains points that it lost in the last edition by making a strong statement in support of more stringent Energy Star verification standards. LGE reports on the quantities of post-consumer plastics that it uses and gives an example of a product with recycled content, but does not have a target to increase its use of recycled plastics. It does not yet score on the product life cycle category, as there is no information on product warranties or replacement parts availability."

"Toshiba scores 2.8 points and takes joint 13th place, together with LGE. It also benefits from having its two penalty points lifted, which were imposed for backtracking on its commitment for all new consumer electronics products to be free of PVC vinyl plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by 1 April 2010 and for misleading its customers
and Greenpeace by not admitting that it would not meet its public commitment. It released a PC in March 2011 which is PVC and BFR free. It has also made a new commitment
to phase out PVC, BFRs, antimony and compounds, beryllium and compounds and phthalates by FY2015 from ALL its consumer products; the timeline is unreasonable, however, the fact that it covers all products and a range of hazardous substances is welcome. It also scores poorly on other Products criteria; it provides some information on extending product life but does not publish information on its warranties and availability of spare parts. The quantities of recycled plastics it uses have also gone down. It needs to report on the percentage of its products that meet and exceed Energy Star standards for each product range. However, it risks a penalty point as it is a member of a trade association
that has commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement."

"RIM makes its first appearance in the Guide in last place, with 1.6 points. ... For Products it only scores points for the energy efficiency of its products, for reporting that its Blackberry charger gets the European Commission IPP 4-star rating, although it does not report on the energy efficiency of its chargers as a percentage of all its external power devices. It also risks a penalty point in future Guide editions as it is a member
of a trade association that has commented against stringent energy efficiency standards; it needs to distance itself from such regressive positions with a strong statement. For hazardous substances, RIM should set timelines to phase out their use in all of its products. It needs to publicly disclose the length of warranty and spare parts availability for its main product lines to score points on the product life cycle criteria."

Would the phrase "Make it work" be appropriate here? Lexus had four designers -- jewelry, shoes, eyewear and clothing -- create something from parts from its CT Hybrid.

Final products included:

• "Nomadic Sanctuary"--A sleek trench coat, shorts and clutch designed by John Patrick, featuring floor mats made from plant-based plastic, sustainable sound-dampening material, wire harness, leather seat covers and cargo covers
• "The Luna Shoe"--Created by Alejandro Ingelmo using armrest leather trim and clear plastic tubing.

Thanks to Rhoda Miel, Plastics News' staff reporter in Detroit, for this item.

And Rhoda's not even embarrassed to say that she remembers that TV's "Project Runway" had a challenge to make clothing out of car parts some seasons ago. (A Saturn.)

OK, this isn't a high-volume application for recycled plastics, but it's still pretty cool.

Jim Griffioen, a stay-at-home Dad in the Detroit area, has blogged about making his son's Halloween costumes the past couple of years, and taken shots in appropriate run-down Detroit locations.

Last year's RoboCop was made from an old bike helmet, laundry detergent bottles and "a bunch of plastic crap," among other items. Check out the link, you'll love the photos (and captions) of the little guy visiting with some of Detroit's finest.

This year, he's "The Rocketeer", with a helmet made from an old BMX helmet, the lenses out of an old pair of sunglasses and a piece of acrylic, along with a rocket pack made from two-liter soda bottles.

Super creative stuff.

Thanks to Rhoda Miel, Plastics News' staff reporter in Detroit, for contributing this item today -- and have a Happy Halloween.

Penn State Erie has officially opened its new Medical Plastics Center of Excellence, aimed at educating students and helping companies develop new medical devices and packaging.

The center held a grand opening ceremony on Oct. 26.

The center is located on the first floor of the Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center, and it is adjacent to the school's 10,500-square-foot plastics processing facility.

It includes a medical plastics lab that features an ISO Class 8 clean room, a 55-ton liquid silicone injection molder, a materials compounding extruder, autoclave sterilization, and injection molding machines with clamping forces up to 200 tons.

"Our mission is to partner with companies to maximize medical device performance and lower the cost of healthcare," said Jason Williams, head of the Medical Plastics Center of Excellence, in a news release.

More than 100 people attended the opening ceremonies, according to the Erie News-Times.

The school invested $4.3 million to create the facility.

At daily newspapers, editors know stories about dogs or ice cream belong on Page 1. Readers love 'em.

But in the world of plastics journalism, we rarely get the opportunity.

So imagine the reaction today to a news release from PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers that combines both. I can't resist sharing their feature on the Happy Lapper, a dish designed to help dogs eat ice cream without making a mess.

(Aren't the best new products just solutions to problems we didn't know we had?)

The plastics angles?

The dish is made by Covington Plastic Molding Inc., a small injection molder based in New Oxford, Pa. The company specializes in small to medium runs and hard-to-mold parts.

The material -- a 60 Shore A durometer thermoplastic elastomer from PolyOne GLS. The TPE resin is FDA compliant and is soft enough to grip most types of flooring without tipping over.

Finally, the customer is Linda Haverstock, founder of Dillsburg, Pa.-based Pup Peeves.

PolyOne GLS's Rick Noller cites the Happy Lapper as an example of collaboration involving a molder, a material supplier and a customer.

No mention, unfortunately, of the key role played by man's best friend.

Country music star Toby Keith may call it the "stupidist song" he's ever recorded, but his catchy homage to a thermoformed icon is all over the web today.

Yes, it's "Red Solo Cup," a silly song with the refrain: "I love you, red Solo cup. I fill you up. Proceed to party. Proceed to party."

The folks at Solo Cup Co., the 75-year-old Lake Forest, Ill., foodservice products supplier, just might be about to experience a surge in public recognition.

Slate magazine has already discovered the song, as well as a new square base design that Solo Cup has introduced. The web site reports today on the developments:

How did the red cup become synonymous with good times, keg draughts, and sticky-floored basements?

"The history is a little sketchy," says Kim Healy, VP of consumer business for Solo. "We know we were one of the first to introduce a party cup."

Solo Cup offers the 18-ounce "flush fill" cups in a variety of colors, but it turns out that consumers prefer the red ones by a large margin.

I have my own theory about why -- think school colors. But if Toby Keith's song catches on, the red variety may even catch on up in Ann Arbor.

Reckitt Benckiser plc, known for its Clearasil, Lysol, Durex and Woolite brands, among others, released its 2010 sustainability report today. Here are some of the plastics-related highlights:

The company's very proud of that eliminated all the PVC packaging from its household products by the end of 2009. The step is highlighted in big blue letters on page 3 of the report (downloadable here), and on top of the company's news release.

It notes, however, that "Healthcare products are excluded from this target as no viable alternatives have yet been identified for some healthcare applications."

Under the category of "material use," the company notes several plastics-related innovations:

• In 2010 a packaging redesign introduced an all-plastic trigger in the North American market. This will eliminate more than 198 metric tons of stainless steel a year. Since it is mainly polypropylene resin, it is also widely compatible with US recycling streams.
• We have also made progress with 'light weighting' in North America, most notably on the Lysol Dual Action Wipes, Lysol Spray, and Lysol 32oz cleaners. This has avoided more than 290 metric tons of resin usage and reduced our carbon emissions by 920 metric tons.
• Small savings can make a big impact In Europe we have changed the dosing scoop for Vanish powder from an injection moulded scoop to a thermoformed scoop. This change in manufacturing technology has reduced the weight by nearly 50% resulting in 153 tons of PP resin saved. As the thermoforming process requires much less energy than injection moulding this project also saved around 638 metric tons of CO2.

Actually, PP caps aren't widely recycled in the United States, although there's growing interest among recyclers and cap makers.

Dutch sculptor Theo Jansen works in an ususual medium: PVC pipe. But when you're creating giant kinetic creatures that appear to be alive, you use what works.

Jansen explains his work on his "Strandbeest" website:

Since 1990 I have been occupied creating new forms of life. Not pollen or seeds but plastic yellow tubes are used as the basic material of this new nature. I make skeletons that are able to walk on the wind, so that they don't have to eat. Over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better as surviving the elements such as storm and water and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives.

Engineers may enjoy Jansen's detailed explanation for how he gets the animals to walk.

By now we've all seen cool examples of 3D printing used to quickly make prototype products from computer drawings.

Today let's go old school -- with a fun story about a replica of a Stradivarius violin made from polyaryletherketone on a 3D printer.

Wired.co.uk has the story. The violin was made by Krailling, Germany-based EOS GmbH.

"The violin was a technology exercise," EOS told Wired.co.uk. "We wanted to test what we can achieve with our technology, which...is ideally suited for complex structures. This is why we chose a complex musical instrument which normally is being made in a very traditional way and with a traditional material -- wood."

How about it, music fans? Is the sound any good? How does it compare to the original?

John Concannon, managing director of Tuam, Ireland-based plastics rotational molder, pipe extruder and recycler JFC Manufacturing Ltd., hasn't had a typical career as a manufacturing company entrepreneur.

Concannon became something of a celebrity in 1987 when he appeared on the popular Irish talk show "The Late Late Show" to highlight an invention -- a special three-part bucket that allowed farmers to easily carry more food to hungry calves.

Now Concannon is in the spotlight again. Yesterday he was featured in "The Secret Millionaire," a new program on Ireland's Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE).

I didn't see the program. But from what I can tell from the thoroughly positive reviews, Concannon came across quite genuine and likeable.

Few plastics processors would follow in Concannon's shoes and try to make a name for themselves -- and their companies -- on TV talk shows and reality programs.

But it's definitely been effective for JFC Manufacturing.

I received a note this week from a vinyl window fabricator that donated product for a deserving family featured on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The company, National Vinyl LLC of Chicopee, Mass., said its vendors -- Chelsea Building Products, Edgetech, AGC Glass, Guardian, Timber Trading and OSI Sealants -- also donated material for the project, a home in Springfield, Mass.

Chelsea Building Products supplied all the vinyl profiles.

"We are extremely proud to be involved in this project," said National Vinyl General Manager Scott Channell. "The ability to assist a deserving member of our community is an honor and our employees as well as our vendors are excited to be contributing to this great cause."

My wife is a fan of "Extreme Makeover," and we always notice the not-so-subtle product placements shots. We're not bothered by them, though -- half the fun of watching the show is seeing which companies supply the cool building products and appliances.

Congratulations to National Vinyl and Chelsea, we'll be watching for you in a future episode.

Defects and malfunctions can be fixed, but design problems are forever. And auto interiors are full of them, according to a new report from J.D. Power and Associates.

According to the 2011 U.S. Interior Quality and Satisfaction Study, released today, design problems account for a majority of the quality issues that new owners have with vehicle interiors.

The top five most frequently reported problems: material scuffs/soils easily; cruise control difficult to use/controls in poor location; cup holders difficult to use; center console difficult to use; and door locks difficult to use/controls in poor location.

I come across reviews all the time where journalists complain about the plastics in new cars. The material isn't mentioned specifically in this report -- the emphasis here is more on the design than material selection.

Owners reported an average of 17.2 problems per 100 vehicles related to the vehicle interior, and 11.6 per 100 are the result of design issues, according to the report.

Allan Dix, research director of automotive product quality at J.D. Power and Associates, noted that interior comfort is very important to buyers.

"In fact, more than one-half of new-vehicle buyers cite interior comfort as one of the most important factors in choosing a vehicle," he said. "As a result, it's crucial to improve on interior design issues -- such as difficulty using the center console or door locks -- as these are issues that can really make a difference to the overall vehicle ownership experience."

The study is based on responses from more than 73,000 new-vehicle owners who purchased a 2011 model-year vehicle. The study was fielded between February and May 2011.

Steve Jobs' decision to resign as CEO of Apple Inc. last night is the biggest story on the business page today. Jobs is one of the rare corporate CEOs who became a household name. Newspaper readers understand that, no matter the company culture, Apple without Jobs will be a different company.

Apple may not be the No. 1 player in personal computers, but the company's impact in that market -- and in smartphones, tablet computers and portable media players -- has been significant.

And that's not limited to operating systems, software and features. Apple also put an emphasis on design -- the materials, the colors, the shapes -- that has been revolutionary.

That's one way that Jobs has had a major impact on the plastics industry.

Plastics News correspondent Roger Renstrom touched on Apple and plastics design in a sidebar story to a special report on electronics earlier this year.

Jonathan Glancey of The Guardian newspaper also wrote about Jobs' influence on design, in a feature today headlined "Steve Jobs: iDesigned your life."

Here's part of Glancey's column that highlights the plastics-related design breakthroughs at Apple:

One of Jobs's greatest contributions to design was the promotion of Jonathan Ive, the brilliant young British designer, to senior vice president of industrial design at Apple Inc in 1998. Jobs had been away from Apple for some years - creating Pixar and thus Toy Story in the interim - yet when he came back, he teamed up with Ive to create a range of hugely appealing products. The first was the colourful iMac of 1998, a bold attempt to break away from the dull world of beige and grey plastic computer cases. With its oddball marriage of boiled sweet colours and transparent plastics, the iMac was certainly eye-catching, and it also sold - two million in the first 12 months.

But Jobs and Ive really got into their stride in 2001 with the iPod MP3 player, a small, minimalist design that evoked the work of the legendary German designer Dieter Rams, who had done so much since the 1950s to make Braun products, from record players to electric shavers, sell in prodigious quantities worldwide. The iPhone (2007) and iPad three years later have seen the Jobs-Ive design partnership come to fruition. These lightweight yet well-made, jewel-like objects, with their crystal-clear screens, finally imbued the design of computers and digital gizmos with a seductive quality. Once seen and touched, sales were made.

Another way that Jobs has had an impact on plastics is related to material choices -- specifically those that have been the result of pressure from environmentalists.

For years, Greenpeace has pressured Apple to avoid PVC and brominated flame retardants. Long before the word "sustainability" become a buzzword, Apple's plastics material choices have been under a microscope.

Greenpeace determined that a significant number of Apple buyers cared about these issues. Apple, indeed, has paid attention, and it has adjusted its material portfolio as a result of the campaign.

Now that Jobs is retiring, will we see changes from Apple that will impact its plastics part and material suppliers? Or will the company be cautious about straying too far from Jobs' strategies?

New ideas, new products -- they're the lifeblood of many plastics housewares molders. You see them in specialty stores and late-night TV ads and infomercials. Today I discovered an unexpected gem: the Happy Hot Dog Man.

The plastic device cuts hot dogs into the shape of a person. In other words, it's a simple product that no one really needs. But it's getting attention and (apparently) selling like hotcakes.

According to this story from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the HHD Man was originally marked by local residents John Twerdok and Dan Brodland, who called it the "Frank Former."

Fairfield, N.J.-based TeleBrands Corp. -- the company behind the "As Seen on TV" logo -- discovered the "Frank Former" at one of its inventors day events, decided to test market the product, and eventually signed a deal.

TeleBrands changed the name to the "Happy Hot Dog Man," developed a goofy TV ad and website, and priced it at $10.99 for two, plus shipping and handling.

HHD Man has benefited from some media interest -- Jimmy Kimmel mentioned it in a recent monologue, and today the Huffington Post blog wrote about it.

Can molders survive making proprietary products like the HHD Man? Plastics News staff reporter Rhoda Miel wrote about the topic for a 2010 special report -- here's a relevant snippet:

The varied companies operating in the marketplace do not necessarily have some secret to success that others lack. Instead, they have to learn a specific set of rules to survive, just as molders do in any industry, said Jeff Mengel, a partner with Plante & Moran PLLC based in Chicago.

"It's not something that just happens," he said. "They've been honing those connections and those products for years."

In its annual survey of molders, Plante & Moran compared the profit margin for contract molders with those molders with at least 25 percent of their business from proprietary products. It found no statistical difference, Mengel said. Any benefit those proprietary firms would see by controlling the marketplace for their own pieces is taken up by the cost of marketing those products either to retailers or directly to consumers.

Making it in the consumer and proprietary products arena means developing all new skills in marketing -- either through going directly to buyers or by fighting for retail space with major manufacturers, some of whom distribute inexpensive items made overseas.

In other words, it's not a license to print money -- but it may be an effective way to stay in business.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has been getting attention for years for its extensive use of lightweight composite plastics. But last week, when the company unveiled the first 787 ready for delivery, it was a pair of "simpler plastic innovations" that caught the eye of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Aubrey Cohen.

Cohen, writing in the SeattlePI's aerospace blog, mentioned the improved cupholders in the Dreamliner.

They include a fold-down cup holder above the tray table, plus another fold-down cup holder on the underside of the tray table.

"One down side of these kinds of cup holders is that they don't do a great job holding larger cups. But the lousy little cups that airlines hand out should fit just fine," Cohen wrote.

In the comments section, readers point out that the cupholders aren't brand-new features. Seat suppliers have offered the improved drink accessories for a while, and Boeing seems to have picked up the option on the 787.

So if you haven't seen an improved cupholder on a flight yet, don't worry, you probably won't have to wait until you're on a Dreamliner.

Will it be long before airlines learn a lesson from automakers and really start to go overboard with multiple cupholders?

"Personal" computers have been around since the 1970s -- I worked on a TRS-80 in high school, and let's just say that was sometime before 1980. But today the world is celebrating the 30th birthday of the PC, because the IBM 5150 was introduced on Aug. 12, 1981.

PCs have used a lot of pounds of engineering resins in the past 30 years, and I've contributed my share. I must have 50 pounds of obsolete equipment in my basement and garage.

But the market is changing, and now analysts are wondering if the PC era is over.

On Wednesday, Mark Dean, chief technology officer for IBM Middle East and Africa, wrote on the company's "Building a Smarter Planet" blog that although he was proud to help design the first PC, he's also proud that IBM exited the PC business in 2005, when it sold that division to Lenovo.

"While many in the tech industry questioned IBM's decision to exit the business at the time, it's now clear that our company was in the vanguard of the post-PC era," Dean wrote.

I, personally, have moved beyond the PC as well. My primary computer now is a tablet. When I helped design the PC, I didn't think I'd live long enough to witness its decline. But, while PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they're no longer at the leading edge of computing. They're going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs.

PCs are being replaced at the center of computing not by another type of device--though there's plenty of excitement about smart phones and tablets--but by new ideas about the role that computing can play in progress. These days, it's becoming clear that innovation flourishes best not on devices but in the social spaces between them, where people and ideas meet and interact. It is there that computing can have the most powerful impact on economy, society and people's lives.

Is the PC era dead? I doubt it -- tech analysts and writers are always eager to write off yesterday's technology. Sure, PCs have replace typewriters. But I think we've got at least a decade or two left before PCs disappear.

A fountain featuring rotomolded sharks -- could plastics be any more fun? Greg Lynn, a California-based architect, created the project for the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.

Now the fountain is in the front yard of Lynn's home, and on Aug. 3 The New York Times featured a Q&A interview with the Ohio-born materials connoisseur.

Much of the interview is focused on the material, so here's a snippet of what Lynn has to say about plastics:

Plastics, as a material, are very nasty, but as an alternative to, let's say, a brick, which seems really natural, they start to look pretty good. They're very low energy to produce, very lightweight to transport and construct. That's why they're so popular. And that's part of the problem with plastic: it's so good and so cheap that it becomes disposable.

Seems fitting that the fountain was featured at the Hammer -- the museum was founded by Armand Hammer, former chairman of Occidental Petroleum Corp.

Check out the video for more about the project, Lynn's thoughts about plastics, and shots of the fountain under construction.

German pneumatics company Festo AG & Co. KG has developed a lightweight robo-gull that mimics the flight of real birds using automation technology.

The SmartBird, inspired by the herring gull, can start, fly and land autonomously with no additional drive mechanism, Festo said. The ultra-lightweight 'bird' is made using polyurethane foam and weights around 450 grams.

The German company said its research team has unravelled "the mystery of bird flight," by unlocking the secrets to feathered flight. The firm said that key to understanding bird flight are two features: the active torsion of its wings and the fact that it does not use additional lift devices.

It is these properties that Festo says makes SmartBird different to all previous mechanical flapping wing constructions. The robot "flies, glides and sails" through the air just like the herring gull it is modelled on, Festo said. Its wings not only beat up and down but also twist at specific angles, which is made possible by an active articulated torsional drive unit.

Compared to the herring gull however, the SmartBird is considerably bigger, with a wingspan of two metres. Festo's aim in building the SmartBird is to demonstrate optimal use of airflow phenomena, the company said, and to provide an example of resource-efficient lightweight design.

(Thanks to Urethanes Technology International, a sister publication of Plastics News, for today's blog post -- and I hope you enjoy these videos of the Smartbird in flight.)

It's often fun to see what sorts of products that designers can create from plastics. Today I spotted an item in the Gizmodo blog that's worth sharing: the Frii, a super-strong all-plastic bicycle.

Gizmodo's Kwame Opam noted that design student Dror Peleg created the bike with flat-proof tires, a shorter fork, and a ribbed body.

"So, while its not winning any beauty pageants, it could probably take a good beating," Opam wrote.

There's a photo below of the colorful Frii. If you want to see more, or get more information, check Designboom.com.

Pittsfield, Mass., is well known in plastics circles as the home of Sabic Innovative Plastics --formerly GE Plastics. The city and the company are just about synonymous. So it makes perfect sense that the city, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary, is marking the event with a plastic memento.

According to this story from the Berkshire Eagle, Sabic Innovative Plastics and local injection molder Hi-Tech Mold & Tool Inc. created 3,000 limited-edition, commemorative medallions to mark the city's incorporation.

The medallions, made of Lexan polycarbonate, "depicts an historic image of Park Square and the old elm tree; the other side commemorates the plastics industry's long and innovative history in Pittsfield."

Sabic donated the resin in three different colors. The medallions will be on sale during the city's "Welcome Back Reunion Weekend," July 1-4, for $3 each, or for $5 with a display sleeve.

Way to embrace that plastics heritage, Pittsfield!

Some technology-related websites are buzzing that the new white iPhone 4 is 0.2 millimeters thicker than the black model. (Don't believe me? Do a Google search on "0.2 millimeters.")

Blogger Ryan Cash first noticed the difference when the white version of the phone came out in late April. He actually noticed that it felt thicker, so he measured both versions. Cash works in marketing for Marketcircle, a company that makes business apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

At first Apple tried to dismiss the story. Senior Vice President Phil Schiller tweeted: "It is not thicker, don't believe all the junk that you read."

But the story wouldn't go away, so Apple finally tried to explain -- while emphasizing that 0.2 millimeters really doesn't make a difference, even to iPhone accessory manufacturers.

Today PC Magazine takes a more in-depth look at the issue.

Some of you are probably thinking, "it's because the white ones are painted." But PC Magazine points out that "a coat of paint is so thin, thinner than a human hair ... it wouldn't account for anything more than a couple of thousands of a millimeter."

It turns out that the thickness issue is actually related to the plastic case. The white iPhone does have some design and engineering difference from the black model. But the bottom line is that there are small -- and apparently unintentional -- differences in the injection tooling used to mold the cases.

PC Magazine calls the issue "Sizegate," but it's clearly tongue in cheek. Peter Pachal, the website's news director, writes that Apple must have been aware of the difference, but officials decided that because it had no practical effect, they didn't need to say anything.

"Given that there haven't been any reports of people lining up to return cases they bought for their white iPhones, you could conclude (rightly) that a difference of 0.15 millimeters simply isn't a big deal after all," he writes.

"'Sizegate' certainly isn't on par with the iPhone 4's antenna problems that plagued the phone upon its initial release. But for anyone who's ever looked at a spec sheet as definitive, it's a reminder that every number cited is really just an average, and your mileage may vary. Sometimes a lot," Pachal said.

Maybe a molder making a case for a high-end product like the iPhone doesn't have to worry too much about a few extra grams of plastic. But I doubt it.

Did you know that plastic food is a big business in Japan, and it's growing in China? This surprised me, but it's the topic of an informative report on the OddityCentral blog -- complete with some great photos of some realistic-looking plastic food.

According to the report, Japanese restaurants started to use wax models of meals in 1917, and eventually manufacturers shifted to plastic. The manufacturing process is pretty complicated:

Restaurants send fake food makers the exact item they want replicated, along with photos. Silicon is poured around and over the disk and solidifies into a mold, which is then filled with liquid plastic and cooked in an oven. Then comes the really hard part - getting the details right. Oil based paints, regular brushes, air brushes, knives and carving tools are all part of fake food artist's arsenal, but they all keep their techniques a secret.

Maiduru Corp. is one of the big players in the market, check out their website for more photos of plastic food.

According to Wikipedia.com, which actually has a listing for "Fake food in Japan" (isn't the web wonderful?), Japanese makers of plastic food now are targeting restaurants overseas, including in China.

Every once in a while I run across the blog post so complete and entertaining that it leaves me with almost nothing to add. That's the case today with Nicola Twilley's post on TheAtlantic.com, "The Rise of the Plastic, Disposable Coffee Cup Lid."

Twilley covers the history and industrial design highlights of the lowly coffee cup lid, with special attention to the Solo Traveler, a favorite of some industrial design experts. But she doesn't stop there.

Despite the Solo Traveler's celebrity status, to my mind, these lids are most interesting when considered as a group, unified by function and yet differentiated in form. Patton, Harpman, and others have traced their design evolution over time, from the 'primitive days' of simple vented plastic circles, through the invention of the sip tab, to the multi-functional straw/sip-through domes of today.

She cites an I.D. Magazine feature story by design historian and author Phil Patton, who had a collection of more than 30 lids that was once on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

A lid also was featured in a 2004 exhibit titled "Humble Masterpieces" at the Museum of Modern Art.

Check TheAtlantic.com for all of Twilley's research, and enjoy her links.

The Plastics Blog is pleased and humbled to be included on "50 Best Blogs for Industrial Design Students," a list put together by OnlineUniversities.com.

The list is described as "50 blogs that anyone interested in learning more about great product design should check out, with news, stunning photos and tips that can help you improve your skills in the field."

Check the link for the whole list. They include 12 "Must-Read" blogs including Core 77, Yanko Design, Product Design Hub, Industrial Design History, Industrial Design Served, CAD CAM News, Embody 3D, ID Tuts, Planet Industrial Design, Get It Made, Industrial Design Sandbox and IDSA News.

There are also blogs listed under the "General Design," "Inspiration," "Designers and Firms," "The Business of Design" and "Niche" categories.

The Plastics Blog is in that last category, with this description: "So much of what we use and what you'll be designing will require plastics. Why not learn a bit more about it now? Start with this blog."

Itasca, Ill.-based office products maker Fellowes Inc. is tangled in a trade dispute with a former partner in China that is getting attention from the U.S. State and Commerce departments.

According to reports by Paul Merrion at our sister newspaper Crain's Chicago Business, part of the dispute is over the ownership of nearly 1,000 tools used to injection mold components for the company's office shredders.

Merrion's explained in an earlier story that Fellowes started making inexpensive shredders in China in 1998, with production handled by two firms owned by a family named Zhou.

In 2006 Fellowes formed a 50-50 venture with Jiangsu Shinri Machinery Co. Ltd., identifed as being part of a large holding company owned by the Zhou family. By 2009, the JV had about $150 million in sales and 1,600 employees.

Then there was a dispute between the partners, and by November 2010 production shut down. Ownership of the tooling is still being decided by the court, and Fellowes had to build new tooling in order to continue production.

The latest: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke wrote a letter to U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., letting him know that the department is involved in the case.

The letter, according to Merrion's latest story, says that Locke wrote that "We have made the Chinese authorities aware of the impact this case could have on the investment climate of China, and Jiangsu Province in particular, and the importance the U.S. government places on ensuring fair, open and speedy resolutions of this and other commercial disputes."

This sort of dispute definitely plays into the hands of U.S. molders and toolmakers. Some will try to scare OEMs into avoiding offshore manufacturing.

So don't be surprised if you start getting emailed links to this story.

Remember the paper "bottle" that Ecologic Brands Inc. rolled out last month for its Seventh Generation laundry detergent? A sustainability consultant blogged today about how he is disappointed in the package.

Paul Smith, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, wrote that "there was something about the design that missed the mark, on a psychological level. The lack of handle made it feel strange to hold. It was only then that I realized how crucial a handle is to my laundry detergent paradigm. The package utilizes pressed recycled paper, which makes the inclusion of a handle quite a challenge."

He added that the sample bottle he received leaked, and he also was critical of the company's claim about how much plastic it was saving.

Pour yourself a cup of melted butter and check out this story about University of Maine researchers who are using lobster shells to mold biodegradable golf balls.

The best parts: the lobster-dervived balls are made from a waste material, and they may be cheaper to make than biodegradable golf balls already on the market.

In conjunction with the Lobster Institute, Professor David Neivandt and undergraduate student Alex Caddell developed the technology.

These balls aren't meant for the PGA Tour, or even for duffers like me. The ball was created for use on cruise ships.

According to the university, the balls are the first to be made with crushed lobster shells with a biodegradable binder and coating. The shells would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Biodegradable golf balls now on the market retail for just under $1 per ball. The raw materials for the lobster shell balls cost as little as 19 cents each.

"The flight properties are amazing," Caddell told the university. "It doesn't fly quite as far as a regular golf ball, but we're actually getting a similar distance to other biodegradable golf balls."

UMaine has filed a provisional patent for the lobster-shell mixture, which can also be used for such products as plant pots that decompose in the ground, surveying stakes and other applications.

Ford Motor Co. has a well documented history of using bio-based polymers. But mushrooms? That's the word from Ecovative Design LLC, a Green Island, N.Y.-based company that makes polymers from agricultural waste.

The news is all over the environmental blogs this week. This one is reporting that Deborah Mielewski, head of Ford's plastic research department, is interested in using Ecovative's mushroom foam "to replace 30 pounds of each car's petroleum-based foams with more environmentally sensible alternatives."

I was surprised to see the story explode in blogland. I had to go back a few days to find the source. It was this press release announcing that Mielewski and Ford research engineer Angela Harris will give presentations at the upcoming BioPlastek 2011 Forum, set for June 27-29 in New York.

"Ms. Harris' presentation will outline Ford's R&D process for finding and developing novel bio-based material solutions that meet the rigorous requirements for automotive, highlighting key technical obstacles that must be overcome before widespread usage of these materials takes place," the release said.

Ford was the first major automaker in North America to begin using soy foam blends (in the Mustang), and the company has also used natural fiber-reinforced composites. It will be interesting to see just how committed Ford will be to using mushroom-based plastics.

For more about Ecovative Design, check out this video. Note that co-founder and CEO Eben Bayer isn't a big fan of polystyrene, and he makes a special effort to call the company's Ecocradle a "polymer," rather than a bio-based plastic.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an alert today urging consumers not to use plastic water walking balls, because of the potential to suffocate or drown.

"CPSC has informed state amusement ride officials of the risks associated with this product and encourages state officials not to permit this ride in their state," the agency said in a March 31 news release. "CPSC does not know of any safe way to use this product."

According to the agency, at least some of the balls have no emergency exit and can be opened only by a person outside of the ball.

An individual climbs into the large, see-through plastic ball; it is inflated with a blower through the zipper opening; and the zipper is closed, making the ball air-tight. The ball, with the person locked inside, then rolls around on a number of surfaces, including water, ice, or grass. The product is most commonly used by children and is used mainly as a ride in amusement parks, carnivals, malls, sporting events and other high-traffic areas. The product is also sold directly to the public for personal use.

Several states have banned or refused to provide permits for rides that use this product. CPSC is aware of two incidents involving this product. In one incident, a child was found unresponsive after being inside the ball for a very brief period of time, and emergency medical treatment was sought. In the second incident, a person inside of a ball suffered a fracture when the ball fell out of the shallow, above-ground pool onto the hard ground.

The Boston Globe had a nice story on Sunday about a trend in the housewares sector that we've been following, the rise of recycled-content products. The story went into some detail on housewares brand Preserve Products.

Plastics News staff reporter Rhoda Miel touched on this a few weeks ago, when recycled resins specialist NextLife LLC announced at the International Housewares Show that it had signed a partnership to supply post-consumer polypropylene to Recycline Inc., the Waltham, Mass., company that developed Preserve.

NextLife, based in Boca Raton, Fla., has worked with other companies to source recycled resins for their products. Its resins include proprietary post-consumer recycled PP and polystyrene that meet U.S. food safety requirements.

For Preserve, NextLife will provide PP for a range of items including toothbrushes, dishes and food storage products.

The Globe's story goes into some more detail on Preserve's plans, including naming the company's custom molder -- G&F Industries Inc.

G&F Industries Inc. of Sturbridge makes the Mini, along with other Preserve products, including colanders and reusable drinking cups. The two companies began working together in 2007. G&F president John J. Argitis says Preserve is still his only customer using 100 percent recycled plastic in its products. "From my perspective, I think it's pretty rare in the industry,'' he says.

While the relationship started small, today Preserve is a major customer of the 100-person plastic molding company. Once the Mini has been produced, G&F applies several labels (like "BPA Free'' and a bar code), puts a dozen of them into a cardboard box, and sends the boxes off to a distribution center in upstate New York. (Preserve uses software to analyze the environmental impact of nearly every decision it makes, such as whether to use trucks or trains to transport materials and products. The finished Minis are trucked; plastic the company reuses travels by rail.)

Check out the March 21 issue if Plastics News for our special report, "Plastics in Housewares," which includes a story on more products that are using recycled content.

And watch PlasticsNews.com tomorrow for Rhoda Miel's video reports from the show.

Packaging is about more than just cool designs and innovations -- isn't it?

After a few sessions -- and side conversations -- about packaging at the Plastics News Executive Forum this week, I'm starting to wonder.

I was under the impression that packaging executives care about resin pricing and saving pennies on automation and efficiency. At the forum, I was told that they focus on things like design thinking and open innovation. It turns out these are hot trends in manufacturing, but the packaging sector already has a big head start.

(Watch for Plastics News' stories and videos from the forum in the coming weeks for more information on those trends.)

And just to reinforce the message, here's a blog post from Forbes magazine's CIO Central section, of all places, along the same lines.

The author is Jack Knott, chairman and CEO of Exopack Holding Corp.

Knott writes that Exopack has invested in new information technology systems -- not to save money, but to "more quickly and effectively service our customers. ... This was not a capacity expansion strategy but one which allows us to better meet the changing needs of the marketplace. As economic factors improve, we will be ready to respond quickly and with novel packaging solutions."

So will consumers recognize this commitment to excellence during their normal shopping excursions? According to IPG Media Lab, 74 percent of shoppers say the package is a critical element to making a final product selection. Whether the product attracts their attention on the retail shelf because they recognize a favorite, trustworthy brand or a unique package format that may make their life easier, they are looking at the package.

The sensory promise that is conveyed through state-of-the-art printing may increase the perceived value of a frozen food package while the ease of handling of a large heavy package with handles makes for a grateful customer transferring packages to the trunk of their car. Other innovations will go unnoticed by the consumer, but will help keep prices in check by reducing damage and waste in the distribution channel.

Will the CIO crowd understand concepts like sensory promises? Based on my conversations at the Forum, if they're the packaging market, I think they will.

Plastic packaging manufacturers have some new competition jockeying for attention from consumers who value sustainability.

Ecologic Brands Inc. this week is rolling out a cardboard bottle for Seventh Generation laundry detergent. USA Today wrote about the package yesterday.

Ecologic calls its packages pouches, but they look like bottles. They're made from recycled cardboard and newspaper, and when they're empty they can be torn up and recycled with newspapers. (That's assuming anyone out there is still buying newspapers and recycling them, right?)

The packages still have plastic caps -- so that they look like a regular laundry bottle, according to Ecologic CEO Julie Corbett. "If you change too much, you can end up scaring consumers from buying it," she told USA Today's Bruce Horovitz.

Surfers have been on the front lines on the battle against plastic marine debris. Here's a video about a surfer and shaper who's trying to make boards from recycled plastic.

I noticed the story today on Discovery Communications' Treehugger.com blog. It's the story of Kevin Cunningham in Providence, R.I., who created the Spirare Sustainable Surf Craft project -- bringing together a desire to do something about marine debris with his passion for making surfboards from sustainable materials.

He explains in the video that his materials include post-consumer polystyrene.

Here's a link to Cunningham's project -- he says it will move forward if he can raise $3,200 by April 16.

Apple Computer Inc. may be phasing out a lot of external plastics, with a design ethic focusing on glass and aluminum, but it is still using some resins.

In the hype of the iPad 2 release, there's this information on the product's new cover:

"The innovative new iPad 2 Smart Cover provides protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it's opened and puts it to sleep when it's closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. The Smart Cover also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos and is available in vibrant polyurethane for $39 or rich leather for $69 in a range of colors, including a (PRODUCT) RED one which helps support the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa."

In this video from cnet, Apple's Steve Jobs says the covers "come in polyurethane, which is used to make space suits [audience laughter] ... or leather."

Thanks to Rhoda Miel, who covers design for Plastics News, for contributing this item.

Jan Schroers, a Yale University materials scientist, is touting a breakthrough that can help metal compete with plastic -- the ability to blow mold metal.

The blow molding process has some technological advantages for economically making complex, hollow shapes. Until now, blow molding has been pretty much limited to thermoplastics, because of the unique properties (viscocity, flow strength, etc.) of the material.

Schroers, in an article in the journal Materials Today, explains the conditions necessary for blow molding some metals.

Registration is required for the article, but for more information I recommend listening to this podcast interview with Schroers, or reading this news release from Yale on his research.

Fans know that some sports have adapted to changes in equipment -- golf and football are prime examples. How about bowling?

Zach Berman from The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., wrote last week about professional bowlers bringing up to eight balls to the US Open tournament in North Brunswick, N.J.

"In the last 20 years, bowling balls evolved from rubber to polyester to urethane to reactive resins, with current technology that can control the amount of chemical friction a ball creates on the lane" Berman wrote in his story, "Competitors deploy a dizzying array of bowling balls at U.S. Open."

He quotes John Petraglia, a former bowler who now works for ball maker Brunswick: "You need a different ball, a different layout, a different surface on the ball for every condition you bowl on, almost every game now. A typical bowler will go through 80 to 100 balls a year now. Relate the bowling ball to NASCAR tires."

Unlike golf, which has resisted some equipment-related changes in the name of tradition, bowling has pretty much embraced this evolution ... with one exception.

The Professional Bowlers Association still gives a nod to "traditional materials" in the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship, scheduled to run from March 2-6 in Cheektowaga, N.Y.

In this tournament, all the players must use identical "throwback" polyester balls, like the ones that PBA Hall of Famer Mark Roth used back in the 1970s.

"The concept behind the plastic ball tournament is to put a premium on knowledge of changing lane conditions, subtle adjustments in hand positions and delivery techniques, and other skills rather than relying on advanced bowling ball technology," according to the PBA.

I'm aware that advances in bowling ball technology have resulted in much higher scores on all levels -- but I'm afraid that I wouldn't know the difference between the proper way to throw a polyester ball and a polyurethane ball.

Most industries are short-sighted. They put off investing in products that could save energy, even when the payoff is proven and relatively fast.

Case in point, the trucking industry. According to this story from Scientific American (reprinted from Climatewire), the U.S. Department of Energy claims that if every long-haul truck in America would install a set of plastic fairings in front of the wheels under the trailer, it would cut fuel use 7-12 percent.

That would save 1.5 billion gallons of fuel a year.

The fuel savings would pay for the part within six to 18 months, according to Mitch Greenberg, president of SmartTruck, one of the Greenville, S.C., companies that developed the product.

America may be the land of frivolous lawsuits, but England is host to a county council that's suing a supermarket chain over "excessive packaging."

Elisabeth Rosenthal of The New York Times wrote a story about the case on Saturday, and followed up with a post in the paper's Green blog yesterday.

According to the story, the suit was brought by the Lincolnshire County Council against Sainsbury plc, which packages its Taste the Difference Slow Matured Ultimate Beef Roasting Joint in plastic wrap, atop a plastic tray, under a clear plastic cover surrounded by a cardboard sleeve.

Interesting, since Sainsbury has gotten quite a bit of publicity for its effort to reduce single-use plastic packaging, particularly with its reusable cotton "I am not a plastic bag" bags, which it sold for $10.

Packaging is one of those topics where everyone feels like an expert -- like the weather. So the topic seems to have struck a nerve, especially with the timing around Christmas, when so many consumers are struggling to un-pack things like toys and electronics.

Check the comments posted on Rosenthal's blog for a taste of what consumers think of the packages that some Plastics Blog readers have a hand in creating.

German designer Konstantine Grcic, who made the pages of Plastics News a few years ago for his work on the Myto cantilever chair made of plastic, was named designer of the year at DesignMiami this week.

The New York Times posted a Q&A interview with Grcic this week, noting that the honor was a surprise -- most previous winners were artists, while he is "known for his rigorous focus on logic, utility and simplicity."

PN readers may recall that Grcic worked with BASF AG on the Myto chair, which featured a then-new high-speed version of its Ultradur polybutylene terephthalate resin. For background on that project, check out staff reporter Rhoda Miel's story.

Plastics and fashion came together in a cool and unexpected way last night, when rapper/songwriter/producer will.i.am wore a hat made from Lego blocks to the 2010 American Music Awards in Los Angeles.

I was hoping to post a video, but haven't found a good one yet that I can share. But here are some nice photos. This one shows the hat's brim, and this one gives you the ability to zoom in on the blocks by putting your cursor over the hat.

Finally, here's a video from CNN, with an interview where wil.i.am is wearing the hat.

It's a nice, colorful and creative departure from the usual bling.

An item in The Wall Street Journal's "Driver's Seat" blog caught my eye today, about a product that seems like a potential growth market for plastics companies.

According to the post, Nissan Motor Co. is working with a company called Original Wraps Inc. to offer custom graphics for Nissan vehicles.

The stick-on designs go beyond old-fashioned racing stripes to include a variety of patterns and designs.

Other carmakers also offer body wrap decorations, as well as aftermarket firms.

Makes sense, doesn't it? Young people who are spending money getting body art -- like tattoos and piercings -- are naturally going to be more interested in decorating/personalizing their vehicles too.

I won't be surprised if this sort of product becomes a lot more common in the next few years.

Here's your feel-good-about-plastics story of the day. A veterinarian in the United Kingdom has come up with a way to help a blind Staffordshire bull terrier named Dolly "see" -- by putting extra-long cable ties on the dog's collar.

The ties act like whiskers, and allow Dolly to roam around without bumping into things.

"I still can't believe something so simple has helped Dolly so much," owner Brian Chadwick told the Daily Mail.

The New York Times has a good story today on innovations in 3-D printing. The story, "3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution," highlights several companies including Bespoke, a California firm that uses the technology to make custom prosthetic limbs.

The accompanying video (see below) does a nice job demonstrating state-of-the-art 3-D printing. It also highlights how the price of the technology is becoming much more affordable, and how designers can use it to make moving parts, thanks to the ability to make items out of more than one material

Enjoy!

Forbes magazine has an interesting little story in its Sept. 13 issue about Ford Motor Co.'s research into car interior odors.

According to the story, Ford employs five engineers "with exceptionally sensitive noses" who are focused on making sure their cars and trucks don't smell bad.

In fact, their "ultimate goal," according to the story, is to find a scent that "produces a sense of well-being inside a Ford."

This seems like an area where plastics materials suppliers and molders could create new products. My suggestions:

• Ford 150 trucks should smell like hot coffee and donuts, perhaps with a hint of chewing tobacco or unfiltered cigarettes.
• The Mustang should smell like Axe ... or Old Spice.
• The Fusion Hybrid should smell like granola.
• The Lincoln MKX should smell like bank lobbies and putting greens.

Suggestions, anyone?

Just when we thought they'd disappear forever, the plastic shoes that many people seem to love to hate are making a comeback.

The U.K. newspaper the Guardian has a feature story on the comeback today, "Crocs steps back from the brink of business oblivion: A sudden turnaround at Crocs proves the world never really fell out of love with its ugly plastic shoes."

The newspaper cited the company's most recent financial report for the "back from oblivion" reference:

After racking up huge losses in 2008 and 2009, Colorado-based Crocs Inc became a Wall Street joke, with one investment manager comparing the firm a year ago to a zombie. But, in an abrupt turnaround, Crocs has seen its stock leap by 130% in eight months. The company recently delivered a $32m (£21m) quarterly profit following a 31% jump in sales to $228m, prompting its chief executive, John McCarvel, to crow: "We hope those who published our obituary a year ago will now take some time to give us our due."

It goes to show you, you can't predict style trends.

For those who don't remember the plastics details, Crocs are made out of a proprietary closed-cell resin that make them soft, lightweight and odor-resistant.

A designer in the United Kingdom is developing a plan to collect and recycle chewed gum and turn it into a plastic that can be molded into new products.

Gross, I know, but interesting.

The designer is Anna Bullus, who, according to her biography, left a job at Chase Furniture in 2008 to set up her own company, Gumdrop Ltd., "to tackle the global problem of gum litter."

Her web site is filled with statistics about the problems caused by gum litter, including the cost of cleaning it up that burdens big cities like London.

For example, she claims that Britain creates, on average, 7,000 metric tons of used gum each year.

More "gum facts" from her site:

• On average 30,000 pieces of gum are irresponsibly discarded everyday on Oxford Street in London.
• If everyone in the UK stopped irresponsibly discarding their gum on Oxford Street today, it would still take over 4 months to clean the existing gum off the street.
• Cleaning chewing gum off the streets in the UK, on average, costs three times the price of a piece of gum.
• Three and a half billion pieces of gum are disposed of irresponsibly each year in the UK.
• The British Government spends £150 million each year on cleaning gum off the UK's streets.
• Nine out of ten city paving stones have gum stuck to them.

Bullus has a solution to the problem: using recycled gum to make a gum-derived plastic that she calls "Bullus Recycled Gum Polymer," or BRGP.

Right now, in several pilot projects, BRGP is being molded into brightly colored pink bins where consumers can toss their used gum. (Not exactly closed-loop recycling, but let's not go there...)

When the bins are full, both the bins and their contents are collected and recycled into new BRGP.

I'm guessing the bins smell sort of fruity.

Eventually, Gumdrop Ltd. hopes to develop other applications for BRGP.

Did you ever try to sneak a chip without anyone hearing? Apparently it's just about impossible with the new Sun Chip bags from Frito-Lay.

That's according to a story from Page 1 of today's The Wall Street Journal: "Snack Attack: Chip Eaters Make Noise About a Crunchy Bag."

I love the subhead on this one: "Green Initiative Has Unintended Fallout: A Sack as Loud as "The Cockpit of My Jet."

Brad Rodgers, Frito-Lay's North American manager of sustainable packaging, fingers the biobased plastic, polylactic acid, as the cause of the very loud packaging.

The new polymers have a higher "glass transition temperature," which is when a polymer goes from a harder, glasslike state to a rubber state. Because the transition to rubberiness happens a bit above room temperature, the bag is "kind of crispy and crunchy," says Mr. Rodgers.

Don't believe the Sun Chips bag is really all that loud? Check out the video and judge for yourself.

Potato Chip Technology That Destroys Your Hearing from heathaplexVISION on Vimeo.

The market for e-readers -- innovative new products including the Kindle, Que and iPad -- is already set for a major shakeout, according to Andrew S. Ross, a business columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ross wrote in his column today, "Companies face difficulty in e-reader market," that the market has shifted dramatically in recent weeks, after Amazon Inc. introduced its $189 Kindle and Apple Inc. has seen big sales for its iPad.

Ross points out that while some start-up companies like Plastic Logic may struggle, "virtually every name-brand high-tech company, with war chests to match, [will be] jumping into the arena."

"Any big player is going to be in this emerging category, which makes it very difficult for companies like Plastic Logic," Charles Golvin, an analyst for Forrester Research in San Francisco, told Ross.

E-readers seem to offer great opportunities for plastics suppliers -- but it remains to be seen which manufacturers will hitch their wagon to the best opportunities.

With temperatures in much of the United States near 100 F, here's a story to help you think cool thoughts. Three Pennsylvania College of Technology students recently completed a project to design and manufacture injection molded ice scrapers that bear the college's initials.

Penn College notes that the project encouraged cooperation between students majoring in two of the majors available from the School of Industrial & Engineering Technologies: plastics and polymer engineering technology and manufacturing engineering technology.

Justin W. Crowther, of Bear, Del., plastics and polymer engineering technology; Michael A. Love, of Manheim, Pa., manufacturing engineering technology; and David M. Huston, of Greensburg, Pa., manufacturing engineering technology, spent 254 hours on the project.

"As a group, we produced a working plastic part from sketch to end-use," Crowther said in a story for the school's PC Today web site. "This project was run as though we were working in industry to produce ice scrapers for a customer. This gave the group experience working with deadlines and working as a team to overcome problems."

The opportunity to exercise project-management skills was important, the students said.

"It has taught critical communication skills to me that a classroom atmosphere couldn't replicate," Huston said. "Balancing my full class load, as well as finishing this project, has taught me organizational skills that I will be able to use out in the workforce."

The college's plastics and polymer technology program plans to continue making ice scrapers from the mold, providing both a learning tool for the injection molding process and a promotional item.

Crowther noted that Mold Base Industries Inc. in Harrisburg, Pa., donated several hundred dollars in mold components for the project.

Appliance maker Electrolux AB says it wants to make vacuum cleaners from plastic waste harvested from the world's oceans.

The project, called "Vac from the sea," would solve two problems, according to the company's video (see below).

First, it would help clean up the garbage patches. Second, it would boost the supply of recycled plastics that durable goods makers could use.

"The supply of sustainable raw material, such as recycled plastic, is crucial for making sustainable appliances, and assisting consumers in making their homes greener," Hans Stråberg president and CEO of Electrolux, says on a web page explaining the project.

"I therefore hope you will join us in raising awareness about the threat plastic poses to marine habitats, and the urgent need for taking better care of the plastic that already exists."

Electrolux isn't new to using recycled plastic. In the past few months, we've had a couple of stories about their Ergospace Green project, a canister vacuum made using 55 percent recycled plastic.

In that case, the material was supplied by MBA Polymers Inc. of Richmond, Calif.,, which uses automotive shredder residue as the raw material.

So while Electrolux's "vac from the sea" project sounds a little wacky -- how can a company mold a product from a feedstock that's so contaminated? -- this is a company that has a track record for using hard-to-recycle materials.

I expect they'll find a way -- and the right partners -- to make this work.

Tired of looking at a vacant lot that some investor is sitting on, waiting for the market to bounce back? How about filling it, temporarily, with a plastic iceberg?

Crain's New York Business has a story ("Designer floats iceberg idea for stalled sites") and photo of the concept

According to the item, international design firm Woods Bagot "has come up with a cool fix for the plethora of unsightly stalled building sites that dot the city's landscape."

The firm is proposing filling each site with an "iceberg" -- a recyclable structure with angular, bright-wight strutures that resemble an iceberg, that "would serve as sort of architectural placeholders while developers struggle to regroup and restart their projects."

The icebergs would be made of steel beams covered with a thin plastic film. The structures could be quickly removed when the construction project is ready to move ahead.

Check the link to the Crain's NY story to see an illustration of the iceberg concept.

Woods Bagot "has yet to build any icebergs, but it is in talks with several developers," the story says.

Many sports fans have been introduced this week to the sound of the vuvuzela, the plastic horn that's known for creating a buzzing sound, which has dominated the audio of all of the World Cup soccer games from South Africa.

Plastics News posted a story about the vuvuzela today, and staff reporter Rhoda Miel also suggested posting a link to this video, which shows the instrument being molded, plus some musicians who play the vuvuzela in a more aesthetically pleasing manner than what we've heard from the World Cup fans.

Enjoy?

Congratulations to Bob Moore, CEO of Intelligent Global Pooling Systems Co. LLC (iGPS), who was named Florida's Entrepreneur of the Year in the emerging industries category by Ernst & Young.

Wait, you're thinking -- iGPS is a pallet firm. How does a pallet maker qualify as an "emerging" industry?

Moore took one of the most basic products in the world and revolutionized it by making all-plastic pallets embedded with RFID tags. The company's pallets are lightweight, strong and reusable, and are easy for customers to track.

Moore received his award on June 10 in Orlando. Now he will compete in the Ernst & Young national competition in November in Palm Springs, Calif.

Bloomberg News is reporting on a legal case on expired patents that is bound to impact a variety of plastics processors and toolmakers.

The story involves thermoformer/injection molder Solo Cup Co., which won an appeals court ruling related to its practice of listing expired patents on some of its products.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington upheld a lower court ruling that Solo Cup did not intend to deceive consumers by displaying expired patent numbers on its cups and lids -- it was simply trying to save money by continuing to use the same tooling.

[Solo Cup] said it didn't immediately swap out the molds that had the old patent numbers because each replacement would have cost about $500,000.

More than 100 lawsuits have been filed this year against companies including Pfizer Inc., Procter & Gamble Co. and Kimberly-Clark Corp. after a court in a different case in December said companies can face a penalty of as much as $500 for every item falsely marked as under patent protection. The Solo Cup case was brought by a San Diego patent lawyer.

According to Bloomberg, the appeals court said companies like Solo Cup are protected from such cases if they can prove that they had a reason to continue to list the expired patents.

On the common sense meter, this ruling looks like a winner.

But it may be bad news for tooling firms that had been hoping for a surge in business from OEMs with an urgent need to change molds to remove obsolete patent numbers!

How about it -- were there any mold makers out there who were rooting for the plaintiffs' attorneys to win this court battle?

The soccer ball that will be featured at the World Cup -- don't forget, the games start June 11 -- is once again under fire from players who complain about their ability to control its flight.

Tales Azzoni of the Associated Press filed this story from Johannesburg, South Africa, over the weekend with complaints from several top players. The story is getting play in a lot of newspapers this week. Some of the players say the ball, called the Jabulani, behaves like a cheap ball that kids buy at the supermarket.

This doesn't come as a surprise ... at every tournament where a new ball is introduced, some players (usually keepers) complain. (Here's an earlier blog post with similar complaints about the Europass gloria ball).

To add some intrigue to the story, England's Mirror.co.uk news site has a story interviewing the designer of the Jabulani, who says he could give the England team some advice on how to treat the ball -- advice that could mean the difference between winning and losing.

"It would probably give him [Coach Fabio Capello] and the players a slight advantage in South Africa, there's no doubt about it. It could be the difference between winning and losing," Andy Harland told the newspaper. "There are certain things you can do to make the ball act differently, the way you kick it for example. Then there's the way it acts at high altitude."

Maybe Capello's boys are too confident to worry about the ball. Andy, if you'd like to give some advice to Landon Donovan and the US team, I don't think you'll have to ask twice.

What color is "Giggle"? Or, for that matter, Bluff, Sharkskin, Joker, Orinoco or Cayman?

I get a kick out of the new colors that designers create, and the names and desriptions they attach to them.

Here's a list that came today from Bayer MaterialScience LLC. Check out the names and descriptions, and see if you can match them up with the photo below. I'll post the cutline for the photo in the blog comments section, so you can see how you did:

• Bluff - This velvety, pinkish-tan hue provides depth and richness to auto interiors. The Bayblend LGX300 polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC/ABS) blend plastic used with this color is a low-gloss resin that draws in automotive designers with its high-end appearance.
• Sharkskin - Bathed in silvery-gray, this is a cool, sleek and modern shade. Auto interiors will appear streamlined and smooth when draped in this hue. For this color, OEMs also turn to Bayblend LGX300 PC/ABS blend plastic for its good mar and scratch resistance qualities.
• Joker - Take a splash of whimsy and add in a pinch of mischief, and you have Joker: a playful purple created in flame retarded Bayblend PC/ABS blend plastic for electronic device housings which are often used in homes and offices.
• Orinoco - This moody green color takes you right to the depths of the jungle. Developed in flame retarded Bayblend PC/ABS blend plastic, this verdant shade complements interiors and is following the latest fashion trends for the housings of electrical and electronic devices.
• Cayman - A deep blue, the shade of the warm waters of a spring break spent in the Caribbean. This bright, chromatic shade of azure will be a pleasant addition to many consumer products. Makrolon 2405 polycarbonate plastic, which is often used in consumer products, is the "workhorse" of plastic resins - a higher performing material that includes improved flowability for increased design flexibility.
• Giggle - Like the soda bubbles that tickle your nose, this lighthearted orange hue will tickle any designer's fancy. This shade was also designed in Makrolon® 2405 polycarbonate plastic resin, which features a broad processing window that permits faster cycling and higher productivity.

Giggle, et al, are part of a new crop of spring offerings from the color experts at BMS, who come up with new products every year to stay on top of design trends.

John Skabardonis, polycarbonates marketing manager for North America, said BMS works closely with designers, and in fact most of the new colors were named at contests held a few weeks ago at the Industrial Designers Society of America's district conferences.

The winners were: David Thimm (Sharkskin); Faith Gagliardi, Wentworth Institute of Technology (Joker); David Randle (Cayman); and Christian LaPointe, New Jersey Institute of Technology (Giggle).

The Plastiki isn't just raising awareness of marine debris, it's also helping to publicize, and commercialize, a new composite sheet made out of recycled PET.

The Plastiki -- the boat made out of PET soda bottles that David de Rothschild is sailing from San Francisco to Australia -- managed to get a plug today for the composite sheet product.

The plug came from The New York Times Green blog.

Blogger Sindya N. Bhanoo writes that "after 38 continuous days at sea, the crew anchored at Christmas Island on April 27 for a few days' rest before the next leg, a 20- to 30-day voyage to Fiji." While the crew is in port, he traded emails with skipper Jo Royle, and put together a Q&A interview for the blog.

The plug? It comes in Royle's answer to this question: "Did you have any harrowing moments in those 38 days sailing the Pacific?"

We have arrived after sailing for nearly 40 days across some of the most remote ocean in the world with no visual fatigue in the super structure of the Plastiki. This is a great achievement for the project and proves that Seretex -- a fully recyclable self reinforced PET [polyethylene terephthalate] -- is a smart material to replace the use of more toxic and less recyclable plastics used to manufacture anything from garden furniture to bus stops to the interior of cars. The Plastiki is the first product to be built from Seretex.

Seretex didn't ring a bell with me, so I did some checking.

This web site describes it as Seretex srPET, short for self reinforced PET, "a revolutionary product that will change the way we build composite structures. This replacement for typical fiberglass/epoxy products is much safer and easier to work with. It can be made from 100% recycled content and can then be recycled again at the end of it's life. Your next tennis racket or pair of skis might be derived from drink bottles and when you are done with them recycled again into a jacket or sweater. This is the future, be part of it."

This earlier Plastics Blog post included a video that featured the Seretex material, although the story doesn't mention the material by name. The material is created by taking a polyester fabric made from recycled PET, applying heat and pressure, to create a rigid board.

I'm sure we'll hear more about Seretex after the Plastiki completes its voyage to Australia. Interesting that SmarterPlanet LLC is apparently using this eco-focused voyage to prove the durability of a recycled-content product.

Here's a nice headline for plastics packaging makers: "Marks & Spencer's mini wine range goes a shade greener with plastic bottles."

The story comes from British national daily The Guardian, in a report about U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer converting "its entire range of 25cl still wine bottles from glass to environmentally friendly plastic, meeting growing consumer demand for lighter and 'unbreakable' containers."

More from the story:

The new bottles are 88% lighter than glass bottles, less energy is required to manufacture a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle than a glass bottle and the lightweight bottle reduces distribution emissions. The company estimates that the switch will save it 525 tonnes of packaging a year.

Marks & Spencer has already converted its standard-sized 750ml wine bottles to plastic. But the story points out that the mini-bottles are popular on picnics. The retailer sells about 100,000 mini bottles a week, and sales are up 26 percent over the same period a year ago.

We've often seen studies comparing certain products made from plastic and traditional materials -- like soft drink containers and grocery bags. What about food wrap -- what's the most sustainable choice? The Green Lantern blog from The Washington Post's Web site takes a look at that question today, and plastic ends up with a pretty good report card.

Nina Shen Rastogi writes in "Aluminum foil or plastic wrap: Which is better for the environment?":

Judging by conversations the Lantern has had with her colleagues, most people seem to believe intuitively that aluminum foil is better for the planet, maybe because plastics are made from fossil fuels and we've heard so much about how they're polluting the oceans. Plus, foil can be rinsed and reused with relative ease, or sometimes even recycled at the curb, while plastic wrap is usually thrown away.

But as we discussed in our analysis of beer containers, aluminum has a heavy manufacturing footprint. It takes a whole lot of energy to mine bauxite ore from the Earth and then process it: Producing a ton of aluminum ingots requires 170 million British thermal units of energy and spits out about 12 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent.

By comparison, producing a ton of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) pellets requires just 17 percent as much energy and generates 12 percent as much greenhouse gas. (Consumer cling wrap used to be made out of polyvinyl chloride, a substance reviled by many environmentalists, but now it's nearly all LDPE or its tougher cousin, linear LDPE.)

For the answer, Rastogi turns to an online tool called Compass from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, which packaging designers can use to compare the environmental impacts of their products.

When comparing one square foot of aluminum foil and one square foot of LDPE, aluminum "was the loser in nearly all the metrics Compass assesses, including fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, human health impacts, aquatic toxicity and potential for eutrophication."

Using recycled aluminum helps to narrow the gap, as does reusing the aluminum foil.

These results are sure to surprise many Post readers, who likely assume that aluminum is always the environmentally superior choice in packaging.

Some gondoliers in Venice are expressing outrage over a shipbuilder creating fiberglass versions of the city's famous gondolas, according to this story from London's Telegraph.

The story, "Plastic gondola plan provokes anger in Venice," notes that traditionalists are afraid of anything that will make Venice like an amusement park.

"We gondoliers will oppose this in every way possible," said Aldo Reato, head of the Venice Ente Gondola association. "Aside from tradition and city regulations the idea of a fibreglass gondola is impractical because this is not some amusement park, this is Venice."

There's something to be said for tradition, for sure. I wonder how much easier it would be to navigate a lightweight fiberglass gondola, compared to a wood model.

It's fun to note little details about "classic" plastic products, so here's one from The Consumerist blog and Australia's Herald Sun newspaper. Australian winemaker Thomas Angove, who patented the idea for packaging wine in a plastic bag in a box 45 years ago, has died at the age of 92.

Wine packaging has changed in the past few decades, but I imagine that when Angove proposed the bag-in-box, it was a radical idea. After all, wine packaging had been pretty standard for centuries.

Angove's son, John Angove, told the Herald Sun that he remembers being skeptical about his dad's concept.

"I do remember when I was about 15 and he brought home a prototype and I said to him: 'that's ridiculous, nobody is going to buy wine out of a cardboard box and a plastic bag'," he said. "But he persevered, didn't listen to me and he was determined. He had a very broad vision."

A toast to Thomas Angove, an inspiration for all the product designers who think outside the box.

Tupperware Corp. may have a reputation as being a bit old fashioned -- remember Tupperware parties? But the PBS Nightly Business Report did a story on the Orlando, Fla.-based housewares company that emphasizes Tupperware's emphasis on new products, and its success in global markets.

Jeff Yastine, correspondent for Nightly Business Report, noted that Tupperware "doesn't even try" to compete with cheap food storage containers that consumers can buy at Wal-Mart. Instead, Tupperware invests in research, design and product development, to come up with innovative products.

Chairman and CEO Rick Goings added: "We made this very important decision, oh goodness it had to be 15 years ago, that we weren't going to make commodity products. So technology had to play a part."

He cited an example -- a cheese container that's a big seller in France. The top has a semi-permeable membrane, "very much like Goretex," that allows the container to release moisture.

On the financial side, Goings said Tupperware plans to boost its dividend -- a move sure to be popular with investors.

"You have got these baby boomers who've been so terribly disappointed over this last decade of what's happened in the equity market. We think they're going to be looking for income, fixed income, from companies like us. And if our stock appreciates, then that's just double good for them. So that's the road we're going down," Goings said.

Pretty soon, you won't be using paper money in Canada.

Bank of Canada announced yesterday that starting in 2011, it will begin to issue a new series of bank notes printed on a polymer material.

The new notes will incorporate security features that will "significantly increase their protection against counterfeiting." In addition, the plastic notes will last longer than the cotton paper currently in use, "resulting in lower overall production costs and reduced environmental impact."

Other countries have been using polymer banknotes for years, including Australia and New Zealand.

When will we see polymer dollars and euros?

I love a good sports technology story, and The Wall Street Journal has a winner today with a look at the high-tech materials used at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The story, headlined "The Olympics of Engineering: From Heart Monitors to Translucent Fabric, the Winter Games Often Come Down to Who Has Better Gear," notes that "With hundredths of a second deciding who wins many events, a tiny tweak to a sled runner or a racing suit can mean the difference between gold and silver, or no medal at all."

Plastics play a key role in many of the products mentioned in the report -- dating back to the 1972 Games, when East Germans first brought plastic luge sleds to compete with other teams' wooden models. (The East Germans dominated.)

Some of the expensive, low-volume plastics sporting goods that first show up in Olympics equipment are bound to find other commerical applications.

Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene is making architectural headlines again, this time in the design of a proposed new US Embassy in London.

The Los Angeles Times' Culture Monster blog had a nice review of the design this week.

Here's what blogger Christopher Hawthorne had to say about the plastic feature:

The embassy's cubic form will be wrapped on three sides in ETFE -- a transparent polymer and the same flexible material used on the outside of the Water Cube swimming arena for the 2008 Beijing Olympics -- that will not only shade the building but also hold flexible solar panels. (The north side, facing the river, is left uncovered.) The roof, meanwhile, will be covered with an array of solar panels that will hide mechanical equipment while producing electricity.

In a phone interview Monday, KieranTimberlake's James Timberlake said the goal is a building that creates more energy on balance than it uses.

Ultimately, the embassy's success as a piece of architecture will largely depend on how the ETFE scrim operates visually. If the architects can manipulate it to curl or bend dramatically away from the boxy form underneath or to reflect light in novel ways, the building will likely carry a sculptural power to go with its operating efficiency. If not, it may fade into the skyline, resembling a well-tailored but conventional office building.

If this all sounds familiar, it may be because not only did the Water Cube feature ETFE, but so did the design for a new rail hub in Anaheim, Calif.

Like the US Embassy, part of the goal of using the material was environmental -- the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center was seeking a LEED Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Here's another one of those posts where you have to click through to see the photos.

The io9 blog has a photo gallery post today titled "Nothing Is Ever Junk When It Can Be Reembodied." It features the work of sculptor Sayaka Ganz,, who created beautiful horses that appear to be emerging from a wall.

When you get close to the sculptures, you realize they are are made entirely from junk plastic, like discarded packaging and foodservice ware.

Ganz had this to say about her work:

I find discarded objects from peoples' houses and give them a second life, a new home. For my sculptures I use plastic utensils, toys and metal pieces among other things. I only select objects that have been used and discarded. The human history behind these objects gives them life in my eyes. My goal is for each object to transcend its origins by being integrated into an animal form that seems alive.

The comments on the blog are also worth a look. So far, at least, there are no attacks on the plastic material -- only praise for the pieces.

Thanks to Plastics News staff reporter Rhoda Miel, for pointing out this item.

AB Electrolux has an interesting looking new concept for a cooking appliance called "Heart Of The Home." The cooker doesn't use pots and pans -- the surface is soft, and the user just presses down to create a hole, drops in the ingredients and sets the temperature.

Henrik Otto, the company's senior vice president of design, introduced the concept Feb. 12 at the Swedish Museum of Architecture in Stockholm.

Here's what the company has to say about the surface of the appliance, which it claims will function as a kitchen table, cooking surface and bar all in one.

'Heart of the Home' is an intelligent, amorphous, interchangeable cooking surface that adapts to user needs. When using the Heart of the Home one simply places one's ingredients on the surface. The appliance then analyses the ingredients and presents a list of suitable recipes. After deciding on a recipe, the user marks an area with his hand to determine how large the cooking area should be. Then the desired depth of the surface is created by simply pressing the hand against the malleable material. After achieving the required width and depth it's just a matter of setting temperature and time with a simple touch of a finger.

Electrolux told the Daily Mail that the company has "no immediate plans to create the device," adding that "the technology should be in use within 40 years."

A couple of plastic products are getting media attention today because of their connection with the Super Bowl.

The Facts newspaper in Clute, Texas, has a feature about Dow Chemical Co.'s Primacor resin, used in the face masks for both the Colts and Saints.

The coating being used during an event as global as the Super Bowl, which is seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world, shows how Dow products are applied, but also is fun for employees, Dow spokeswoman Tracie Copeland said.

"Being able to point to something is just fun," Copeland said. "It's nice to be able to say, 'Hey, I make that out in the plants and, because of what we make, we make those guys safer and keep the helmets stronger.'"

Meanwhile, up in New York at the Rochester Business Journal, the attention is on ice cream. More specifically, the Buddy Cone, a polystyrene ice cream packaging "system" from Buddy Cone Systems Inc., which the newspaper reports is being used at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

"We've always known the Buddy System was a super product," President and CEO Robert Sotile told the RBJ. "Now, it's confirmed."

The Super Bowl is all about hype, right? Everything about it -- silly interviews, expensive commercials, huge half-time show -- screams "watch me, watch me."

So it's no surprise that some plastics companies are going to seek a bit of attention for their role in the spectacle.

Watch for more cool plastics-in-sports applications coming soon from the Winter Olympics.

Ready to curl up with a good plastic e-reader? There will be a new one on the market very soon that highlights the benefits of plastics, with a plastic screen that may revolutionize the electronics sector.

Plastic Logic LLC -- the company wants to use plastics in place of glass for e-readers -- introduced its first product, the Que, at the Consumer Electronics Show today.

CEO Richard Archuleta called the introduction "the birth of a new market category [and] a milestone in the evolution of plastic electronics."

"The Que proReader was built from the ground up for people who need to read. Starting today, mobile professionals can look forward to a paperless briefcase, a lighter load, and a better way to work," he said.

Que was designed to mimic paper, but without the weight and clutter. It's the size of a pad of paper, about 1/3 inch thick, and weighs about a pound. The shatterproof plastic display is 10.7 inches, which the company touts as largest display in the market.

Brad Stone of The New York Times Gadgetwise blog calls the Que "awfully expensive." A model with 4 gigabytes of memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity will sell for $649. A higher-end 8GB model with AT&T's 3G connectivity will cost $799.

That compares to about $479 for a Kindle DX.

The New York Times posted an interesting obituary about Curtis Allina, the executive who may have come up with the idea to put plastic heads on Pez candy dispensers. Allina died on Dec. 15 at age 87.

For nearly three decades after World War II, Mr. Allina was the vice president in charge of United States operations at what is now Pez Candy. In 1955, at his urging, what had been an austerely packaged Austrian confection for adults took on vibrant new life as a children's product.

That year, the first character dispensers, as they are known in the parlance of Peziana, were issued, giving birth to what is today a highly collectible pop-cultural artifact. Instantly recognizable, the dispensers are slim plastic containers, usually anthropomorphic in design, whose heads -- modeled after those of TV characters, cartoon figures or historical personages -- flip back to disgorge brick-shaped pieces of candy.

The story notes that some rare Pez dispenser now cost thousands of dollars apiece.

Let's try to avoid the obvious double entendres and check out a new application for injection molded plastics: the Banana Guard.

The product, from Aberrant Designs Inc., is made to hold bananas and keep them from getting bruised.

Aberrant Designs also offers what it calls a Froot Guard, for apples, peaches and similar-sized fruit, and a smaller Froot Case, for kiwi, plums and apricots.

I imagine there are customers out there that would like a colorful, durable and reusable fruit-shaped plastic container that the can use to carry fruit in their lunch box or back pack.

According to the company's FAQ page, the Banana Guard was designed to accommodate the majority of banana sizes.

"Our testing indicates that over 95 percent of commercially available bananas will fit into the Banana Guard. Highly curved bananas can be straightened ever-so-slightly without harm to fit the Banana Guard shape. The opposite holds true of very straight bananas.

The guard features ventilation holes that allow the fruit to ripen naturally.

As the Plastics Blog noted last week, there seems to be no end to the number of sustainable new products that designers and molders can create out of plastics. Now we can add the Banana Guard to the list.

Designers and manufacturers looking for ideas for making sustainable products can take some ideas from a couple of plastic products featured today in the Treehugger.com blog.

One is a rotationally molded kayak dubbed the Tequila! with an unusual feature: it can snap apart into two pieces for easy transport and storage.

Treehugger notes that the smart design "reduces the cost of buying roof racks, and their associated environmental impact on fuel economy and carbon emissions."

Similarly, the Eco Board surfboard from Imagine is touted for its sustainability, both for the materials selection and the design.

On the materials side, the boards are made from recycled polystyrene, laminated with a stretch bamboo cloth.

In terms of design, the surfboards come in two pieces that snap together -- again, doing away with the need to put them in a car roof rack. (Treehugger notes that putting a sports toy on a car roof cuts the car's fuel economy by up to 27 percent.)

Interesting how these two sporting goods manufacturers are using some pretty conventional plastic materials -- polyethylene and polystyrene -- to make products that they can promote as being ultra-sustainable.

Geese have a way of bothering some park visitors, but the folks in Fort Smith, Ark., may have come up with a new way to keep the birds away.

The city Department of Parks and Recreation bought six realistic-looking plastic coyotes, which they placed in the Carol Ann Cross Park.

Mike Alsup, the director of parks and recreation, told the local 40/29 TV news that since the city installed the faux-coyotes, the geese have since stayed mainly in the park's pond.

"So far it seems it's working," Alsup said.

I have seen stories before about people using plastic owls to keep away pigeons. But this is the first time I've seen the coyotes vs. geese strategy.

Seeing the plastic animals in this Arkansas TV report reminds me of a plant tour I took quite a few years ago at Flambeau Inc. in Baraboo, Wis. They had a very interesting operation for blow molding and decorating plastic decoys.

And, of course, thinking of Flambeau reminded me of the year that author Dave Barry put a Flambeau "duck butt" decoy in his annual holiday gift guide.

As Dave himself might say, I'm not making this up... and Merry Christmas to readers of the Plastics Blog.

How'd you like a peek inside Newell Rubbermaid Inc.'s big injection molding plant in Mogadore, Ohio? The Akron Beacon Journal has an informative profile of the plant, plus a gallery of photos from the factory, on the Ohio.com Web site.

Business reporter Betty Lin-Fisher provides these details on the plant, its products, and what's new:

• The plant, which is spread out over five buildings, is keeping busy making food storage containers -- including the firm's Easy Find Lids products. About 70 percent of the plant's output is for food storage containers and about 30 percent for home organization products.
• The complex has 350,000 square feet of factory space and 500,000 square feet for product distribution.
• Mogadore employs 600 full-time and 200 temporary employees. The plant runs 24 hours, with 12-hour-long shifts.
• The plant molds more than 1 million products a day.
• The plant had 74 injection molding presses, but by the middle of next month it will have 80. The plant is adding some molding work from a Graco factory in nearby Macedonia, Ohio.

That's a lot of interesting detail, especially coming from a company that at times is reticent about sharing much information.

Today marked a milestone for plastics in the transportation sector, with the first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner -- the plane you've been hearing about for so long that saves fuel through widespread use of structural composites.

A live crowd of 25,000 witnessed the first Dreamliner liftoff in Everett, Wash., as well as millions more on live TV. (Check out the number of people who tweated about the test flight on their Twitter sites today).

Soon enough, all those composite aircraft fans will be able to take a ride of their own. Boeing plans to test the jets for about nine months, and then deliver the first to a customer late next year.

You'd think sporting goods designers would have created the perfect soccer ball by now -- after all, it's just sphere. But every few years they come out with a new version -- always better than the last, yet never popular with goalkeepers.

The newest ball, the Jabulani, was unveiled on Dec. 4 for the 2010 World Cup. (If you're wondering, Jabulani means "to celebrate" in the Bantu's isiZulu language).

What's new about this ball? The design itself. Regular balls are made with 32 hexagonal panels. The Teamgeist ball that Adidas created for the 2006 World Cup had only 14 panels.

But the Jabilani ball has only 8 panels.

As before, the panels are made of EVA and thermoplastic polyurethane -- not leather -- and they're thermally bonded -- not sewn together. Adidas says this new ball is "perfectly round and even more accurate than ever before."

A news release from Adidas notes that "Following the first tests, players all over the world are enthusiastic and are promising many goals with the new ball." Among others, it quotes German star Michael Ballack: "Fantastic, the ball does exactly what I want it to."

Perhaps that's the problem for goalkeepers -- they don't necessarily want a ball that does exactly what midfielders want! And they certainly don't want a ball that promises "many goals."

South African keeper Hans Vonk has already expressed his dislike of the Jabulani, telling Dutch magazine Voetbal International "It is claimed the ball holds its line exactly, but in reality it veers off in all directions. The ball is lighter and there seems to be more plastic used than previously."

"It is a tragedy for goalkeepers."

Blog readers may recall that it's not unusual for keepers to complain about new soccer ball designs. Perhaps they'd prefer to just play without a ball altogether!

Dow Chemical Co. will sponsor a new showcase at the 2010 North American International Auto Show that will feature innovations related to electric vehicles.

The exhibit, dubbed Electric Avenue, will include advances in lighweight design and battery technology. It will include almost 20 vehicles, plus related symposiums and special events on an adjacent stage.

"We believe developing and commercializing next generation battery technology, for example, will help ensure the sustainability of the automotive industry while meeting the nation's energy and environmental goals and generating tens of thousands of green collar jobs in Michigan and throughout the nation," Dow's Heinz Haller, executive vice president for performance systems, said in a news release.

The auto show will be here before you know it -- the press preview starts Jan. 11, and the industry preview on Jan. 13.

The lightweight Boeing 787 Dreamliner has experienced more than its share of delays, but that didn't stop the folks in Charleston, S.C., from celebrating the company's decision to make that city the site of a second assembly plant for the revolutionary aircraft.

The first assembly plant is in Everett, Wash., but Boeing says it needs a second line so it can eventually deliver as many as 10 of the wide-body jets per month, according to this story from The Seattle Times.

Although production of the 787 has been delayed several times, airline companies are eager to buy the Dreamliners because the revolutionary fuel-saving design.

Boeing already has a plant in Charleston where it employs 900 fabricating single-piece rear-fuselage barrels out of composites. The company also has an adjacent joint venture plant that employs 1,600 assembling the central fuselage, according to the story.

With the new assembly line, the company expects to add 3,800 new jobs in South Carolina.

That sort of investment will quickly make South Carolina a major force in high-tech composite plastic design and manufacturing.

Here's a sentence I never expected to write: actress Kaley Cuoco from TV's "Big Bang Theory" is partnering with the American Chemistry Council to celebrate the future of plastics in fashion.

ACC put out a news release on the partnership, and I have to admit I'm a little out of my element writing about plastics' impact on the fashion industry.

The announcement starts with the headline: "Plastic Is the New Black!" and notes that Cuoco will host the Oct. 29 Gen Art "Fresh Faces in Fashion" Los Angeles show.

"Plastics and couture might not seem like an obvious fit, but the fact is that plastics have played a very large role in fashion for decades," said Steve Russell, vice president of ACC's Plastics Division, in the release.

"Without plastic, we wouldn't have faux fur, and skinny jeans wouldn't have their stretch. Plastics also provide women with comfortable, smooth support under their favorite looks. We're thrilled to partner with Gen Art to highlight how plastics inspire designers' imaginations and allow artists to create pieces that are cutting-edge, on trend, chic, affordable, and even eco-friendly."

At the show, Cuoco will announce a fashion design competition that will challenge designers to create "two dynamic womenswear" looks made from fabrics that include plastic-based fibers. The winner will receive a $10,000 prize and a runway show at Gen Art's Fresh Faces event at Winter 2010 New York Fashion Week.

Will this type of event help improve the image of plastics, especially among the young millennial generation? Stay tuned.

As a footnote, I discovered a new ACC Web site through this story, PlasticsMakeItPossible.com. ACC uses that "brand" throughout the announcement, apparently assuming that its target audience still remembers the old American Plastics Council TV ads and radio spots that touted the benefits of plastics.

Apple Inc.'s newest MacBook has a polycarbonate shell, and it's getting pretty good reviews. Considering that the company has been using aluminum for everything else, retaining PC for the entry-point laptop is worth noting.

Engadget's Joshua Topolsky said:

We had a chance to play around with the laptop, and it's pretty snazzy for a hunk of plastic. The surface is super slick (AKA super fingerprint friendly), though the base of the laptop utilizes a soft-touch, non-slip surface that's nice to handle.

TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) and PCmag.com note that the new iBook features a unibody design similar to the more expensive MacBook Pro (which are aluminum).

Apple claims the unibody makes the MacBook lighter and more durable.

Apple also notes that the new laptops are PVC-free.

The energy-efficient MacBook joins the industry's greenest lineup of notebooks, with every Mac notebook achieving EPEAT Gold status and meeting Energy Star 5.0 requirements. The entire Mac notebook line now comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, use internal cables and components that are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Blog readers will remember that BusinessWeek wrote a feature back in September about Apple's efforts to eliminate PVC.

The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers today announced the finalists for its 39th-annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition.

Maria Ciliberti of Ticona Engineering Polymers, and chair of the awards program, said despite the challenging year for the auto sector, the contest attracted more than 50 nominations, with entries that can be found on commercial vehicles produced on four continents -- North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

"Clearly, there is no shortage of innovative automotive-plastics applications being commercialized right now," she said in a news release. "Polymeric materials continue to bring value to molders, tier integrators, OEMs, and the ultimate customer -- the consumer."

Category and the event's Grand Award Winner will be announced on Nov. 12 during the Automotive Innovation Awards Gala in Livonia, Mich.

Here is a list of the finalists, by category, courtesy of SPE:

CATEGORY: Body Exterior
LOW-PROFILE OUTER-BELT WEATHERSTRIP DESIGN
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Taurus Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Cooper Standard
Material Supplier: ExxonMobil
Material: TPV
Process: Tri-Layer Extrusion
Description: These outer-belt weatherstrips are the first to provide a low-profile, tri-extrusion with stainless steel, TPV, and a high-gloss vinyl ionomer. The manufacturing process envelop was pushed to the maximum to satisfy the Taurus design theme, achieving a functional component that offers three different textures (low-gloss, high-gloss, and stainless) in the same part.

GLASS-RUN WEATHERSTRIP CORNER MOLD OVERLAYS
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Taurus Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Henneges / ITW
Material Supplier: DuPont Automotive
Material: 16.5 percent-GR PA 6/6
Process: Injection Molding
Description: These door glass-run weatherstrip corner mold overlays are an industry first, providing gloss and appearance differences to the glass seals while helping guide the glass properly into the top seal. A simple part that solves a big problem in an elegant way, the plastic glass-run corner mold overlays offer improved appearance and customized craftsmanship for window surroundings while ensuring a good seal.

EXTERIOR SPOILER WITH INTEGRATED CHMSL ASSEMBLY
OEM: General Motors Co.
Make/Model: 2009MY Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
Tier Supplier/Processor: ABC Group
Material Suppliers: SABIC Innovative Plastics
Material: PC/ABS (with proprietary nanofiller package)
Process: Injection Molding
Description: Highly dimensionally stable, this thermoplastic Class A horizontal body panel meets stringent gap requirements by managing a low coefficient of thermal expansion (3.9) while also maintaining heat, impact, and surface quality for a highly aesthetic application. The center-high-mounted stop light (CHMSL) is also integrated in this first-surface part.

HEADLAMP BEZEL
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Taurus Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Ford ACH Lighting - Sandusky
Material Suppliers: SABIC Innovative Plastics
Material: PC (with metallic-pigment package)
Process: Injection Molding
Description: The inclusion of a special metallic-flake pigment package in the resin matrix for this application eliminated the need for paint while delivering improved styling aesthetics in an as-molded part.

CATEGORY: Body Interior
TUFTED PET AUTOMOTIVE CARPET - BODY INTERIOR
OEM: GM Holden
Make/Model: 2010MY VE Commodore Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Futuris Automotive Interiors
Material Supplier: Not stated
Material: Recycled PET
Process: Fiber Spinning
Description: For the first time, tufted PET carpeting has been used in an automobile. Containing 20 - 80 percent post consumer recycled content, and with the option to use 100 percent recycled PET, this tufted carpet meets or exceeds all major OEM carpet performance specifications, is 12-15 percent less expensive than traditional tufted nylon, and provides a sustainable solution.

PLASTIC POST-ISOLATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE HVAC BLOWER MOTORS
OEM: General Motors Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Chevrolet Camaro Sportscar
Tier Supplier/Processor: Delphi
Material Supplier: Spartech Polycom
Material: 20 percent talc-filled PP
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This application uses an integrally molded plastic mount instead of multiple rubber isolators that softens and quiets HVAC fan-motor vibrations, resulting in significant reductions in cost and development time plus a quieter vehicle interior for consumers. A resonant frequency "tuning" feature allowed for noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) optimization even late in the vehicle-development cycle with minimum impact on mold tooling. Now bare motors can be purchased, allowing more motors to be shipped per container, and a quick snap-fit joins the plastic mount to motor, facilitating assembly.

MOLD & FOLD CLUSTER ATTACHMENT BRACKET
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2009MY Ford F-Series Pickup Truck
Tier Supplier/Processor: Automotive Components Holdings
Material Supplier: ATC
Material: 20 percent Talc-Filled PP
Process: Injection Molding
Description: Using "negative space" in the tool, this mold-&-fold cluster attachment bracket provides a mounting surface for the instrument panel's cluster without the necessity of adding an additional part. Cluster attachment locations are integrated into the IP substrate tool and the "molded-in hinge" is then folded into place. This allowed the styling team to maximize the size of register openings and the cluster lens by minimizing the design space between them.

LIGHTWEIGHT ACOUSTICAL HEADLINER BASED ON SOY FOAM
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Escape HEV & Edge and Lincoln MKX CUVs
Tier Supplier/Processor: Magna (Escape) & International Automotive Components (Edge)
Material Supplier: Woodbridge Group
Material: Polyurethane (with 10 percent-Bio-Based Polyol)
Process: Not stated
Description: Lightweight, open-cell acoustic foam based on polyurethane chemistry with some soy-based polyols (replacing petroleum-based polyols) were used in this application, which also featured permeable thermoplastic adhesives and permeable felt fabrics in the headliner construction. The result is industry-leading noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) performance and lower weight

CATEGORY: Chassis & Hardware
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FLEXIBLE COUPLING
OEM: Fiat S.p.A.
Make/Model: 2010MY Fiat 500 Compact Car
Tier Supplier/Processor: Nexteer Automotive / Forteq
Material Supplier: DSM
Material: Heat-Stabilized, 50 percent-GR PA 4/6-
Description: This flexible plastic coupling for the vehicle's electric power steering replaced a similar stainless steel coupling with broached splines and grease. The part features ribs that connect and transfer torque from one rotating shaft to another, which in turn strokes axially and stretches and compresses the coupling. The fully complient constant-velocity joint eliminates torsional lash, the need for grease, and all sliding interfaces at a cost savings, while reducing audible interior cabin noise and improving steering "feel." The system replaces traditional hydraulic systems, reducing weight 17 percent, cost 50 percent, and increasing fuel economy by 4 percent. System performance and customer satisfaction were also improved.

LOAD-MANAGEMENT STRIKER CAP (LMSC)
OEM: General Motors Co.
Make/Model: 2009MY Cadillac CTS V-Series Luxury Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Delphi / Ammex Plastics
Material Supplier: BASF
Material: TPU
Process: Injection Molding
Description: When styling opted to add larger wheels/tires well into program development, this small thermoplastic urethane (TPU) load-management striker cap was designed to increase energy absorption by 74 percent and reduce loads on shock towers by 14 percent. This improved vehicle ride without the need to add extra structure to the body/chassis vs. standard nylon striker caps with a metal ring alone. The 43-g, high-elongation TPU part has a "springboard" effect designed in so it improves vertical impact management, leading to lower trim capability, better structural survivability, better energy management (via ride and handling), and enabling additional content (new wheels/tires) without adding significant cost or mass.

BELOW-BELT DOOR-GLASS RETAINING BRACKET
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Taurus Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Henneges
Material Supplier: Dow Automotive
Material: PA 6/6
Process: Injection Molding
Description: These nylon 6/6 below-belt door brackets are an industry first, replacing steel channels. The plastic channels will not ding the door outer panel during installation and provide quiet window-system operation, while also reducing weight 50 percent and cost 20 percent.

CATEGORY: Environmental
RADIATOR END TANK FROM RENEWABLY SOURCED MATERIAL
OEM: Toyota Motor Co
Make/Model: 2010 Toyota Camry Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: DENSO Corp.
Material Supplier: DuPont Automotive
Material: PA 6/10 (with monomer from caster bean oil)
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This is the first use of bio-plastic in a chemically aggressive and mechanically demanding application - in radiator end tanks. Roughly 40 percent of this new nylon 6/10 material is sourced from caster bean oil, reducing reliance on petroleum-based inputs and helping lower the vehicle's carbon footprint.

WHEAT-FILLED PP FOR QUARTER TRIM BIN
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010 FordFlex CUV
Tier Supplier/Processor: International Automotive Components
Material Supplier: A. Schulman
Material: Wheat-Straw-Reinforced PP
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This is the auto industry's first use of renewable (and locally sourced) wheat-straw filler for storage-bin components. This natural-fiber-reinforced PP offers greater dimensional stability than unfilled resin and is more sustainable than talc-filled PP.

HALOGEN-FREE WIRE COATING
OEM: General Motors Co.
Make/Model: 2008MY GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, & Cadillac Escalade SUVs
Tier Supplier/Processor: Delphi
Material Supplier: SABIC Innovative Plastics
Material: PPO
Process: Extrusion
Description: Flexible, halogen-free, PPO resin for wire insulation provides an environmentally friendly alternative to PVC and cross-linked HDPE. The durability and low specific gravity of the material enables thinner insulation and jacketing, allowing comparable performance to be achieved in less packaging space and at lower weight.

CATEGORY: Materials
MOLDED-IN-COLOR METALLIC INTERIOR-FINISH PANELS
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Mustang Sportscar
Tier Supplier/Processor: Ford Motor Co. / Summit Polymers
Material Supplier: SABIC Innovative Plastics
Material: PC/ASA
Process: Injection Molding
Description: Molded-in-color metallic finish PC/ASA replaced painted PC/ABS in this Injection-molded application, eliminating paint for greater sustainability while meeting tough weathering, scratch/mar, and low-gloss requirements. Optimized gating strategies and a modified pigment package were essential to minimize flow disruptions that can lead to dark streaks in molded metallic parts where flow-fronts converge. The result is the industry's first metallic-finish interior-trim panel, which is greener, increases customer satisfaction (by eliminating paint-related defects), and provides a $2.30 USD/vehicle cost savings

DOOR PANEL FROM NATURAL-FIBER PREG COMPOSITE
OEM: BMW
Make/Model: 2008MY BMW 7 Series Luxury Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Dräxlmaier Group
Material Supplier: BASF AG (resin) / J. Dittrich & Söhne GmbH (fiber mat)
Material: Acrylic Copolymer
Process: Compression Molding
Description: This lower door-panel inner was compression molded from a new, high-performance, lightweight, cost-effective, and green composite. The resin matrix is a unique acrylic polymer that is thermoplastic in its "B-stage," allowing for production of prepreg/semi-finished rollstock or blanks, yet cross-linking at temperatures above 120C to produce a very durable thermoset. The resin's high wetout of natural fibers and ability to form chemical as well as mechanical bonds to the reinforcement allows for production of composites with very-high fiber loadings - 70 percent in this application - yielding lightweight parts with high stiffness in thin walls. The resulting panel saves weight and cost, significantly reduces VOC emissions, and its rapidly renewable natural fiber needled mat reduces the vehicle's carbon footprint without sacrificing performance.

LONG-GLASS-PP FIRST-SURFACE CONSOLE SIDE PANELS
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Lincoln MKT CUV
Tier Supplier/Processor: Automotive Components Holdings
Material Supplier: Ticona Engineering Polymers
Material: 20 percent Long-Glass PP (Pelletized)
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This is the largest molded-in-color, long-glass PP part with a Class A surface out of the tool for a premium vehicle to date. The precolored and textured part is 100 percent color-matched, has no glass read-through, and offers higher stiffness than talc-filled PP and lower cost than ABS, while also eliminating the need for squeak & rattle countermeasures, saving $6 per vehicle.

CATEGORY: Performance & Customization
THERMOFORMED FULL-SIZE CARGO VAN PARTITION & CONSOLE
OEM: Various
Make/Model: 1985-2010MY Ford Astra & E-Series, Chevrolet Express & GMC Savana Cargo Vans
Tier Supplier/Processor: Chameleon 2000 / Advantage Plastics
Material Supplier: Primex Plastics
Material: Reprocessed ABS
Process: Thermoforming
Description: This large, thermoformed ABS partition and console closes off space between front and back of cargo vans, reducing workload on HVAC units, keeping exhaust fumes from the passenger compartment, and protecting passengers from flying or falling objects that could enter the passenger compartment from rear cargo space. The console provides a work surface between front seats, holding laptops, phones, and paperwork, and rear-accessible storage allows large parts to project into the underside of the console from the rear cargo hold. This application saves 100 lb vs. steel partitions while eliminating rust, quieting the passenger compartment, adding more functionality, and allowing significantly faster installation, making it ideal for fleet vans. The unit is fully recyclable and uses recycled material.

ILLUMINATED DOOR-SILL INSERT USING SINGLE-LED LIGHT ENGINE
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Mustang Sportscar, Lincoln MKZ & Ford MKT Sedans
Tier Supplier/Processor: Innotec Group
Material Supplier: Altuglas, SABIC Innovative Plastics, Serigraph
Material: ABS Bi-Laminate, Polycarbonate, & Acrylic
Process: Multiple
Description: Combining several different plastic technologies to create highly efficient optics that require only one LED light source, this illuminated door-sill insert can easily be customizable (via laser etching) to produce high-impact illuminated graphics. The system's unique construction allows the design to be adapted to new vehicles in weeks, not months, significantly reducing development costs. In addition, the application is the auto industry's first to provide multi-color illumination from a single LED light engine.

HIGH-TEMPERATURE CORED-CARBON COMPOSITE AIR SPLITTER & DIVE PLANES
OEM: Chrysler Group LLC
Make/Model: 2010MY Viper ACR Supercar
Tier Supplier/Processor: Prefix / Plasan Carbon Composites
Material Supplier: Evonik
Material: High-Temperature Epoxy
Process: Hand Layup / Autoclave Cure
Description: A unique carbon composite with a special high-density, high-temperature core capable of surviving autoclave temperatures and pressures was used to produce an extremely thin, lightweight, precision air splitter and set of dive planes for the 2010MY Viper ACR supercar. The splitter is adjustable and produces extremely high downforce resistance of 1,000 lb without deflecting more than 0.25 mm at 180+ mph. A fast-cure, UV-stabilized grade of clear epoxy resin (with visible carbon fiber weave on the surface) brings autoclave cycles down to an average of 10 min. The aerodynamic package went from concept to production in just 12 month.

CATEGORY: Powertrain
BLOWMOLDED INTERCOOLER AIR DUCT IN PPS WITH JECTBONDING
OEM: Volkswagen AG
Make/Model: 2008MY Volkswagen PQ35 Platform
Tier Supplier/Processor: Röchling Automotive Leifers GmbH
Material Supplier: Ticona Engineering Polymers
Material: Glass-Reinforced PPS
Process: Hybrid Injection/Blow Molding
Description: This is the first time glass-reinforced PPS has successfully been blow molded. The complex part was formed by a unique patented hybrid injection/blow molding process called Jectbonding, which allows functional elements to be injected against the parison during expansion, forming a chemical bond and yielding a robust part with a clean joint vs. welding the element to the part in a secondary step. Two different grades of glass-reinforced PPS were used. The process eliminates two previous production steps and provides extremely high repeat accuracy; high-performance PPS resin provides dimensional stability and outstanding mechanicals in high-temperature, chemically aggressive environments with cost and weight reductions.

PLASTICS-INTENSIVE FLUID FILTER MODULE
OEM: Daimler AG, Mercedes Car Group
Make/Model: 2010MY Mercedes C-Class Compact Executive Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Mahle Filtersysteme GmbH
Material Supplier: Lanxess
Material: 35 percent-GR PA 6/6
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This fluid module filters engine oil and cools it via cooling liquid. The cooling unit is fully integrated into a new plastic housing that provides 38 percent weight and 16 percent cost reduction and reduces pressure losses for higher engine efficiencies. The 35 percent-glass-reinforced nylon 6/6 shell covering the cooling unit serves to stiffen the filter housing against oscillation. A plastic hose replaces rubber for further cost savings.

OIL PAN OPTIMIZED FOR STONE IMPACT
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY 6.7L Power-Stroke Turbo Diesel
Tier Supplier/Processor: Dana
Material Supplier: BASF
Material: Impact-Modified, 35 percent-GR PA 6
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This is the first plastic oil pan designed for full exposure to the road environment and optimized to withstand road chemicals and stone impacts thanks to a new material / ribbing configuration. An impact-modified 35 percent-glass-reinforced nylon 6 provides excellent impact strength even at -40C and is not affected by calcium chloride thanks to a proprietary modification package. A special waffle-design ribbing pattern can handle multiple impacts (unlike earlier plastic designs with sacrificial ribs). Another unique aspect of this oil pan is that it features the first plastic drain plug, which sports a cam-lock design that makes it impossible to over-torque and break the plug's screw threads. The oil pan is 2.1-lb lighter than the steel pan it replaced and 30 percent less costly. It has an noise/vibration/harshness value similar to that of cast aluminum and quiet steel, yet will not rust or corrode and provides better protection against stone impact than metal designs

HIGH-FEATURE V6 RIGHT & LEFT-BANK TIMING-CHAIN TENSIONER ARMS
OEM: General Motors Co.
Make/Model: GM HFV6 Engines
Tier Supplier/Processor: Cloyes / Mayfair Plastics
Material Supplier: DSM
Material: Unfilled & 50 percent-GR PA 4/6
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This application features the first thermoplastic timing-tensioner arms, which replaced cast aluminum. The parts meet high-performance engine dynamics and sustain chain tensions up to 3,000 N. A heat-stabilized, 50 percent-glass-reinforced grade of nylon 4/6 provides high strength and stiffness at 140C. It also offers extremely high fatigue resistance at elevated temperatures, extreme wear resistance at pivot and tensioner piston interfaces, long-term property retention in oil, impact strength, dimensional stability, and a low coefficient of linear expansion, plus high knitline strength at the pivot. A separate unfilled nylon 4/6 wear surface is also used. The system provides 30 percent cost and 20 percent mass savings vs. previous metal designs, eliminates the need for a hardened-metal wear pin, eliminates 5 machining operations/part, provides tooling savings of $200,000 USD/year, and is quieter.

CATEGORY: Process / Assembly / Enabling Technologies
TWO-SHOT INVISIBLE PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG DOOR
OEM: Hyundai Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2009MY Hyundai i20 Supermini Car
Tier Supplier/Processor: Hyundai-Mobis / Hyundai-Motor Co.
Material Supplier: Multibase Co.
Material: TPO (door) & Talc-Filled PP (IP substrate)
Process: Twin-Shot Injection Molding
Description: This soft, seamless passenger airbag (PAB) door is integrally molded into a hard instrument panel substrate using a simultaneous twin-shot molding process and two grades of olefins: talc-filled PP for the IP and a TPO grade for the door itself. This system provides a simple, uncluttered appearance and color harmony while eliminating fit & finish issues and providing improved cold-temperature impact strength. Both design and materials optimization was required for success and the final system - which is covered by seven tooling and materials patents - provides better performance at a $5 cost and 500-g weight reduction, while significantly reducing molding and assembly operations.

AUTOMOTIVE PLASTIC-CASE RADIO WITH INSERT-MOLDED EMC SHIELDING
OEM: General Motors Co.
Make/Model: 2009.5MY ChevroletTahoe/GMT900 Family
Tier Supplier/Processor: Delphi E&S
Material Supplier: MRC
Material: Reprocessed 16 percent-GR PC/ABS
Process: Insert Injection Molding
Description: This application features an innovative, patented method of embedding EMC shielding into an environmentally friendly plastic case, enabling significant reduction in weight and assembly time. A metallic-mesh Faraday cage is insert molded into the reprocessed 16 percent glass-reinforced PC/ABS material. The design also enables the use of slide lock & snap lock design features that speed assembly while, eliminating the previous sheet-metal case and 29 screws. The resulting unit provides significant weight reduction, assembly cost & time savings, with improved physical and EMC shielding and a more sustainable product.

MOLDED IN FAUX STITCHING WITH NEAR-PERFECT APPEARANCE
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2010MY Ford Taurus Sedan
Tier Supplier/Processor: Ford Motor Co. / Automotive Components Holdings
Material Supplier: BASF
Material: Polyurethane
Process: Spray Polyurethane
Description: The realistic appearance of a hand-wrapped leather insert with French and Coach seams was achieved on this door panel using a single-piece molded spray polyurethane part without need for separate operations. The realistic appearance of leather stretching, bunching, and stitching is achieved via a silicone mold cast from leather originals. Each of the vehicle's four door panels retains its own unique bunching and stretching pattern, yet each panel is absolutely repeatable vehicle-to-vehicle. The result is a $50 USD/vehicle cost savings, better quality, perfect repeatability, and greater durability.

CATEGORY: Safety
GENUS FOLDING HEAD RESTRAINT
OEM: Kia Motors
Make/Model: 2010 MY Kia Sorento CUV
Tier Supplier/Processor: Gill Industries / Sturgis Molded Products
Material Supplier: BASF
Material: PA 6
Process: Insert Injection Molding
Description: This is the first folding-headrest system for stowable rear seats that is fully compliant with new FMVSS 202A and EC standards. The integrated system makes use of toughened, glass-reinforced nylon 6 to reduce overall part count by 50 percent, lowering weight by 2.5 kg, and simplifying manufacturing and installation.

PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION BUMPER-REINFORCEMENT EA SYSTEM
OEM: Ford Europe
Make/Model: 2009MY Ford Kuga Compact CUV
Tier Supplier/Processor: Plastal Germany
Material Supplier: SABIC Innovative Plastics
Material: PC/PBT
Process: Injection Molding
Description: An innovative energy absorber (EA) design mounted on the grille-opening reinforcement instead of cross-car beam enabled this vehicle to be the first in the SUV class to meet tough European pedestrian-protection requirements for lower-leg impacts, eliminating the need for a separate EA in front of the bumper beam. An unfilled PC/PBT resin was used to injection mold this EA/upper reinforcement, providing best-in-class performance and allowing for the vehicle's aggressive styling due to a reduction in packaging space.

PEDESTRIAN-PROTECTION-COMPLIANT FRONT FENDER
OEM: Ford Motor Co.
Make/Model: 2008MY Ford Kuga Compact CUV
Tier Supplier/Processor: Montaplast
Material Supplier: SABIC Innovative Plastics
Material: MPPE/PA
Process: Injection Molding
Description: This is the first SUV with thermoplastic fenders that meets tough European pedestrian-protection requirements for head impact in a single part, eliminating the need for secondary bracketry under the fender as in steel designs. The MPPE/PA material is online paintable, dent and corrosion resistant, a unique styling enabler, and reduces both weight and cost by 50 percent vs. steel. The vehicle was also able to qualify for a better insurance rating because of this innovation.

Rapid prototype specialists from Phoenix Proto Technologies LLC of Centreville, Mich., got a taste of Hollywood this summer when parts it produced for "Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen" were featured on one of the "hero cars" of the film.

"Bumblebee," is disguised as a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. (Bumblebee is an autobot, which is an alien race, who come to Earth in search of the "All Spark" and ... yeah. It's a summer movie. Don't think too much.)

Phoenix Proto has produced rapid prototypes for a variety of industries. For "Transformers," the company was asked to make a center stack console gauge for Bumblebee's instrument panel along with two other parts that were not seen.

"It's always exciting to see a component you've been part of the creation process on functioning in the market place," said Phoenix Proto's Scott Lammon in a news release. "It's even more exciting to see it on the big screen in a major movie."

The company created a prototype aluminum mold and center stack consoles using black ABS and a white Noryl GTX resin.

While summer has come and gone, Bumblebee -- and Phoenix -- get another moment to shine in the spotlight Oct. 20 when "Transformers 2" is released on DVD.

And thanks to Rhoda Miel, Plastics News' Detroit-based staff reporter, for this item.

Now here's the "reuse" part of the recycling circle. Kid in Malawi creates his own windmill for wind generating to power lights, water pump and other electronics by creating his own windmill out of scrap parts, including making blades from PVC pipe.

Here's an excerpt from the story:

The plan was to attach blades to the back axle of a bicycle and generate electricity through a bike dynamo. When the wind blew the blades, the sprocket and bike chain would spin the bike wheel, which would charge the dynamo and send a current through wire to the house.

For windmill blades, Kamkwamba slit a bathhouse PVC pipe in two, then heated the pieces over hot coals to press the curled edges flat. To bore holes into the blades, he stuck a nail through half a corn cob, heated the metal red and twisted it through the blades. It took three hours to repeatedly heat the nail and bore the needed holes.

He then attached the long plastic blades to the shorter metal blades of a large tractor fan found in a dumpyard, and stripped out the piston from a large shock absorber to serve as the windmill shaft. To secure the plastic blades to the metal ones, he used proper nuts and bolts. But standing in for washers were 16 Carlsberg beer bottle caps, collected from outside the Ofesi Boozing Centre.

Read more about it in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Pretty creative, eh? It's amazing what someone can accomplish with some creativity and inventiveness.

Here's a story that's got it all -- celebrity star-power, plus a plastics angle. Morphosis Architects has completed what it claims is the first floating house permitted in the United States, for Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation.

The key to the project is a prefabricated "chassis," made from polystyrene foam coated in glass fiber-reinforced concrete, which serves as the base of the house.

In the event of a flood, the base of the house acts as a raft, allowing the house to rise vertically on guide posts, securely floating up to twelve feet above the ground.

The FLOAT House is designed to be flood-safe, affordable and sustainable. The house mimics the design of the traditional New Orleans "shotgun" house, and it was built specifically for that city's flood-prone Ninth Ward.

The Ecorazzi.com blog posted some photos of the FLOAT house today. They're worth checking out.

BusinessWeek posted a feature today on Apple Inc.'s efforts to catch up to other computer makers on the sustainability front.

Plastics Blog readers will be most interested in what the story has to say about PVC. Here's an excerpt that the story has under the subhead "Eliminating PVC and Other Toxic Materials":

Apple is also winning kudos for an intensified effort to eliminate toxic materials. While many tech companies have promised to stop using particular commercial compounds that include bromine and chlorine, Apple two years ago began requiring suppliers to prove that their products included none of these chemicals at all. That required a major investment, says COO [Tim] Cook, including hiring chemists to help suppliers come up with alternatives. Take PVC, the additive that gives computer cables their flexibility. To avoid using the material inside its products, Apple came up with a "special blend" of polyester.

Meantime, while both Dell and HP had promised to stop using PVC by the end of 2009, both recently said the goal was impossible because of a lack of commercial substitutes. Yet Apple met its target of 2008 for the innards of its devices, and sources say future products will ship with PVC-free power, mouse, and monitor cords. "We report what we've done, while others set goals they can't meet -- and then they're let off the hook," gripes Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer, noting that Dell and HP rank highly in a recent green list in Newsweek.

Apple may be anti-PVC, but it's not anti-plastic. Numerous blogs, including Gizmodo, are reporting today at the computer maker is preparing to introduce a polycarbonate-body MacBook later this year.

Attention blog readers who enjoy vintage plastics products: Next month, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tenn., will feature a special exhibit of uniquely styled handbags in a made of acrylic.

The exhibit, titled "Carry Me!," will be on display from Oct. 18 through Jan. 17. The exhibit is expected to travel to additional U.S. cities.

According to a news release from acrylic supplier Lucite International, during the 1950s, American designers used acrylic to create ,handbags that reflected the futuristic trend of the times. Today, the one-of-a-kind, designer bags are considered highly collectable. Prominent designers and design houses that crafted the bags included Wilardy, Llewellyn, Rialto, Gilli, Maxim, Myles and Patricia of Miami.

Here's a story from the U.K. that's getting attention in the United States because of the great photographs. TV personality James May created a house made of Lego blocks in Dorking, England, for a program called Toy Stories.

According to this Daily Mail story, May agreed to live in the house for a few days -- and then the house was scheduled for disassembly. That sounds like fun!

The two-story home was made from at least 3 million Lego bricks -- at one point May appealed for members of the public to bring their unused bricks to the job site and donate them to the project.

Remember the Water Cube, the cool-looking National Aquatics Center at the Beijing Olympics? A new rail hub in Anaheim, Calif., will feature some of the same materials, including a roof made of lightweight ethylene tetrafluoroethylene foil.

The material is helping architectural firm HOK design the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (yes, it's really called ARTIC) with a goal of achieving a LEED Platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to a news release from HOK, the building will incorporate "solar panels, ETFE cushions -- a highly insulating enclosure system one-tenth the weight of glass -- and a solar water heater built into the roof to reduce energy use, water use, solid waste production and carbon emissions."

The new transportation hub is scheduled to break ground in 2010 and be completed by mid-2013. Phase one is estimated to cost $180 million. When it's finished, it will connect local entertainment and sports venues including the Anaheim Convention Center, Angel Stadium, Disneyland and Honda Center.

The Los Angeles Times' Culture Monster blog has an interesting story about the ARTIC, including some impressive-looking artist renditions of the finished building. Check it out -- and thanks to our long-time correspondent in California, Roger Renstrom, for suggesting this post.

John Russell of the Indianapolis Star has an interesting story today about a dispute between an inventor and a plastics product manufacturer.

Gary Hopkins is the Scottsburg, Ind, inventor who claims he developed plastic containers designed to steam-cook food in the microwave, without a need for rotating the container.

But now he's in court with Birds Eye Foods and Clorox Co., parent of GladWare food containers. Hopkins claims they are using his designs.

The companies deny the allegations, and perhaps the court or a jury will eventually decide this case. It's an interesting problem that, as Russell's story explains, happens a lot.

"It's a big risk when inventors show their inventions to big companies," patent attorney Lynn Tyler told the Star. "I've seen cases where big companies settle before it ever gets to trial, because they don't want the publicity or embarrassment. And I've seen cases where little inventors have big egos, but their cases have no merit."

I guess it goes to show that intellectual property disputes aren't exclusive to companies that do business in China.

Making maple syrup hasn't changed all that much in the past couple hundred years. But an injection molder in Williamstown, Vt., is making a new product that might revolutionize the process.

Vermont Public Radio has the story about the new injection molded maple taps, molded by Progressive Plastics Inc. in Williamstown for Leader Evaporator Co. Inc., a Swanton, Vt., supplier to the maple sugaring industry.

According to the story, Tim Perkins of the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center invented the spout. What makes it so special? The tap is fitted with a tiny plastic ball that prevents any sap from getting pulled back into the tree.

That's important because once sap gets back into the tree, the tree starts to heal, which eventually shuts off the tap.

"With a valve in here, sap can't move backwards. And by doing that it prevents the tap hole from getting infected with microorganisms, keeps the tap hole clean and allows the sap to run longer in the springtime," Perkins said.

Bruce Gillilan, vice president of Leader Evaporator, says the new tap "could be one of the biggest things that's happened with the maple industry, as big as when plastic tubing started and what it did for the maple industry then."

Based on University of Vermont testing, he believes sugarmakers will be able to collect 50-90 percent more sap.

Progressive Plastics is adding two weekend shifts to meet demand for the spounds, which will each last for one season and then be recycled.