The North American plastics industry is healthy and growing but navigating through the risks and opportunities has never been more challenging – global competition, escalating trade wars, labor shortages, raw material volatility and merger and acquisition impacts. Smart finance strategies are a critical element to a company’s long-term growth and profitability and, in many cases, its very survival. Join us for our second Fireside Chat of 2019 as we discuss topics that are key to financing a modern plastics business, including borrowing alternatives and their benefits and costs; trends in working capital management; financing international operations; and the automation of the finance function.

Our Editorial Team will discuss the economy, trade, tariffs, the border, supply chains, NAFTA and USMCA. They will take an in-depth look at their impact on plastics, from the point of view of two industry journalist who each have decades of experience.

Versatile and made to last, plastics are today found in everything from cars to medical devices to food packaging and much more – including the environment. Public outrage at plastic pollution is mounting, as are concerns about resource scarcity, which have served to increase awareness about the need for better solutions. Preventing the leakage of end-of life plastics into natural systems and ensuring these plastics are collected, preferably to be reused or recycled, has become a priority topic within the ongoing transition to a more circular economic approach. Effective recycling will require designers and producers to radically rethink product and packaging designs if we are to successfully close the plastics loop.

The term bioplastics is a very broad one that, moreover, can be interpreted in multiple ways. As a result, there is much confusion about what precisely bioplastics are, and even more importantly, what they are not. In this webinar, we will explore the differences between bio-based, biodegradable and compostable materials. We’ll also examine a few of the myths surrounding this group of materials and dispel a number of common misconceptions regarding their durability, processability and mechanical properties. Bioplastics today are viewed as a crucial component in the drive to create a fully sustainable and circular bioeconomy, and they will, in the future, play an increasingly important role in plastics product development and the plastics processing industry.

Plastics suppliers are adapting to a changing auto market, with electrification and autonomous vehicle technology impacting interiors, under the hood and exteriors. The Plastics News team will give firsthand reports on plastics developments at the North American International Auto Show, one of the premier events in the auto industry, in addition to the Plastics & Rubber in Automotive Conference.

Melt filtration of polymers plays a key role in setting quality criteria for virgin resins and various extruded end products. Polymer manufacturers have a lot to think about from process efficiency to product quality. Are you: • Struggling with gels or other product quality issues? • Having to shut down your process line too often? • Not sure where to start with your filtration specification and design? Join us for an informative and interactive webinar as we uncover the mysteries behind polymer melt filtration. We’ll discuss why media selection matters, how element choice can impact your process, and how system design can dictate final product quality and process efficiency. We’ll also touch on success stories from customers that have found filtration solutions to improve their process, product, and total cost of ownership. Several polymer filtration experts will join our discussion to help answer your questions

Many processors know that they should implement a purge program but just don’t know how to get started. This presentation will discuss what data to collect, how to collect it, and how to measure performance when you introduce purging to your process. Our purging expert will explain different tangible ways purging compounds can improve efficiency and will discuss several customer examples of how purge programs helped them reduce costs.

With the confusion surrounding Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT (IIoT), it can be difficult for plastics manufacturers to understand how to harness the power of this new technology and how to select an Industry 4.0 solution. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of Industry 4.0 technology and its history, the current state of digital manufacturing, and how data analytics can transform manufacturing operations to improve production, eliminate waste, and gain the competitive edge.