Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
April 08, 2019 02:00 AM

Products honored in Plastics for Life competition at Antec

Bill Bregar
Senior Staff Reporter
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Society of Plastics Engineers
    General Motors Co. won the grand prize in the Plastics for Life Global Parts Competition for a thick polycarbonate light bar for LED styling in headlamps on the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck. Valeo Lighting Systems is the Tier 1 supplier, GM used Covestro LLC's crystal polycarbonate and the mold maker is Proper Group International Inc.

    Detroit — General Motors Co. won the grand prize in the Plastics for Life Global Parts Competition for a thick polycarbonate light bar for LED styling in headlamps on the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck. The "sculpted ice" light bar uses a novel light-pipe design that incorporates special multishot thick molding, tooling and processing.

    The Society of Plastics Engineers named the winners of the Plastics for Life awards during SPE's Antec 2019 conference, held March 18-21 in Detroit.

    For the grand prize-winning part, Valeo Lighting Systems is the Tier 1 supplier. GM used Covestro LLC's crystal polycarbonate. The mold maker is Proper Group International Inc. Because of the large, complex shape of the part, the tooling required a modified surface plus a special ejection design to properly eject the thick light bar.

    The light bar was a winner at the 2018 SPE automotive division's awards gala.

    Judges selected the Plastics for Life winners from among parts that had already won in competitions at SPE conferences during the past year. Products winning the Plastics for Life competition were deemed to make people's lives better in some way.

    A People's Choice Award was also presented to the part that gained the largest number of votes by Antec attendees. At the Detroit Antec, the winner was a 6-gallon container, called a carboy, used in fermenting in the brewing industry. The wide-neck container is blow molded from HDPE to replace glass carboys, which can break and also have narrow necks that are hard to clean.

    TricorBraun Inc. had submitted the part for the parts competition at the SPE's Annual Blow Molding Conference on behalf of Brewcraft USA. The blow molder is Western Case Inc. of Riverside, Calif.

    Society of Plastics Engineers

    ThermaPanel, a modular liquid heat transfer system for heating and cooling exterior and interior systems, thermoformed by Therma-Hexx of Portsmouth, N.H.m won the Improving Life Award.

    Improving Life Award

    The Improving Life Award went to the ThermaPanel, a modular liquid heat transfer system for heating and cooling exterior and interior systems, thermoformed by Therma-Hexx of Portsmouth, N.H.

    ThermaPanel's main applications are efficient snow melting of pavement and collecting solar energy to heat swimming pools while also cooling the pool patio at the same time. The patented turbulent flow channel design transfers 250 percent more energy than traditional heat exchange systems with laminar flow properties.

    Therma-Hexx does twin-sheet thermoforming to make the panels, using polyethylene on a shuttle-type former with molds that allow for the creation of a multichannel panel with stanchions and inlets that allow for even, turbulent flow of the hydronic fluid throughout the modular panel. Individual panels are interconnected using plastic pipe in a secondary process that fusion welds the panels together using extruded, raised-temperature polyethylene tubes.

    Society of Plastics Engineers

    The Protecting Life Award went to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV for an integrated tire carrier, rear camera and brake light assembly on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler.

    Protecting Life Award

    The Protecting Life Award was presented to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV for an integrated tire carrier, rear camera and brake light assembly on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The hybrid composite technology uses magnesium injection molding for higher structural strength and reduced weight as well as polymer overmolding for improved impact and corrosion resistance. The new design also eliminates the need for a steel bracket. Toledo Molding & Die Inc. is the Tier 1 supplier. Tooling comes from Leggera Technologies LLC.

    The integrated part is 60 percent lighter than metal stamping and 20 percent lighter than die casting. The load rating was improved from 85 pounds to 115 pounds. Cost savings was 20 percent.

    The part won an award at the SPE automotive division's awards event.

    Quality of Life Award

    The Quality of Life Award went to SPI Blow Molding LLC of Coloma, Mich., for a lightweight portable cargo box called the PickUp Tuck. It can be installed or taken out in minutes, without tools. The product, which weighs less than 30 pounds, folds together and stores behind the seat of a pickup truck.

    SPI blow molds parts for the cargo box from high density polyethylene. The product has some unique plastic design features — especially an integral, snap-on single hinge between the panels. The adjustable cargo box weighs less than 30 pounds. The hinged box folds together and stores behind the seats when not wanted or needed.

    The part is designed for single-cavity tooling to mold either side of the back panel, as the tooling configuration replaces left and right parts with a universal part. American Tool & Engineering Inc. made the mold. The designer was 99 Studio Inc. of Naperville, Ill.

    The cargo box won an award at the SPE's Annual Blow Molding Conference.

    Society of Plastics Engineers

    Brewcraft USA won the People's Choice Award at Antec for its 6-gallon carboy used in home brewing of beer. TricorBraun Inc. had submitted the part for the parts competition at the SPE's Annual Blow Molding Conference on behalf of Brewcraft USA. The blow molder is Western Case Inc. of Riverside, Calif.

    Sustaining Life Award

    The Sustaining Life Award went to the Simply Orange juice bottle, from Coca-Cola Co.

    The 89-ounce bottle is formed from extrusion-blow-molded PET. The bottle is lighter than the previous container, which was made of glycol-modified PET, and it is 100 percent recyclable, the companies said.

    The high-gloss bottle met or exceeded standard requirement for drop impact strength.

    The Simply Orange bottle also has won a design award from the Association of Plastic Recyclers.

    Atlanta-based blow molder CKS Packaging Inc. and Thai chemicals maker Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. teamed to make the bottle, which earlier won an award at the Annual Blow Molding Conference.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Arcitell's composite Qora Cladding goes to market
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Redline's ‘outrageous cultural behaviors' retain top employees
    2
    Cuts at KraussMaffei to spare US, assembly jobs
    3
    M. Holland, Lavergne strike deal on recycled resin distribution
    4
    K'Nex Brands sold to Florida-based toy company
    5
    PureCycle now planning April startup for PP recycling plant
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified