Innovations-packed NPE opens in Orlando; exceeds previous editions in size and scope

A new era in NPE history begins this year with the giant NPE2012 international plastics exposition opening for the first time in Orlando Florida, after 40 years in Chicago. The event brings a wide variety of innovative technologies and equipment, plus many exciting highlights, according to the  SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association.
 
“Moving from Chicago to Orlando was the first initiative in SPI’s strategy of ‘breaking the mold’ by creating a broader-based and more exciting NPE with new benefits for exhibitors and visitors,” said William R. (Bill) Carteaux, president and CEO of SPI, which produces the triennial NPE. “Three years of work by SPI and the NPE Committee has given the industry an NPE2012 that not only substantially surpasses the recession-era NPE2009 in size and scope but is in line with the greatest NPE successes of the past.”
 
More than 1,900 companies are exhibiting at NPE2012, well over the totals in 2006 and 2009. This year’s exhibitors have taken 920,000 sq.ft. (85,500 sq.m) of exhibit space, 20% more than was occupied in 2009. Companies coming directly from outside the United States account for 40% of the total exhibitor count in 2012, a substantial increase from the one-third share for recent NPEs. Approximately 41% of these international exhibitors come from China—by far the largest contingent from that country at any NPE. Attendee registrations in 2012 are 30% greater than in 2009. International registrations account for 25% of the total, and fully half of them are from Latin America, attesting to the advantages of the Orlando venue for travelers from Mexico and Central and South America.
 
“NPE2012 has attracted many new first-time exhibitors and visitors, not just from other countries but from manufacturing companies in the southeastern U.S. that are within easy reach of Orlando,” said Gene Sanders, SPI senior vice president of trade shows and conferences. “At the same time, the economic advantages of Orlando, combined with recovery in the U.S. economy, have ensured the return of our longtime exhibitors and visitors, including those that didn’t come to NPE2009 because of the Great Recession.”
 
‘The Return of the Machines’ and focus on bioplastics
 
Visitors to the NPE2012 trade show are expected to witness the sheer dynamism of the exhibit floor, as plastics processing machines are demonstrated in full-scale operation, manufacturing film, sheet, bottles, and injection-molded parts. Described by SPI as “The Return of the Machines,” the upsurge in the number of equipment systems that suppliers have brought to the show is attributable to the recovering economy and the cost savings and streamlined logistics available to exhibitors in the new Orlando venue. Among the most elaborate equipment demonstrations are those of complete production cells—in effect, turnkey plastics processing plants that incorporate parts handling, decoration, assembly, and other functions.
 
Among machinery exhibitors there is widespread emphasis on energy efficiency, increased productivity, and scrap reduction. Specialized technologies include micro-molding, multi-material processing, and in-mold labeling and assembly. Systems for producing medical devices, automotive components, and high-volume packaging are also prominent at the show.
 
Along with the “return of the machines,” another important highlight of the show covers the advances in technology for bioplastics. Dozens of exhibitors are involved, ranging from manufacturers of new bio-based resins, compounds, and additives to equipment suppliers that have developed systems specifically for processing these materials. Sessions of all three educational programs co-located with the show will also focus on bioplastics.
 
Bioplastics suppliers asNi?os