All Videos

Tri-Meridien's Thomas Michaels on the changing face of injectable drug delivery systems
Plastics in Medical Devices - (June 23, 2010)
Over 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Thomas Michaels Jr. has worked for Becton-Dickinson, Owens-Illinois, West Co. and Comar. Now president of Tri-Meridien Partners and a partner in Highland Pharma Devices LLC, he is uniquely positioned to discuss changes as they happen in injectable drug delivery devices. Michaels here speaks at PN's recent Plastics In Medical Devices conference in Westlake, Ohio.

Material Insights : June 21, 2010
Material Insights - (June 21, 2010)
In this week's episode of Material Insights, Dow Chemical Co. has won almost $62 million in damages from Nova Chemicals Corp. in a lawsuit over polyethylene technology. Color concentrates maker Prime Colorants Inc. will increase production and hire more employees by the end of the year. Also, South Korea's SK Chemicals believes the key to surviving is to become much more efficient with existing fossil-fuel feedstocks and develop non-fossil fuel alternatives -- like making plastics from carbon dioxide. Plastics News senior reporter Frank Esposito leads you through this week in materials news.

New green cars are coming to North America
Breaking News & Features - (June 21, 2010)
Norway's Think and Japan's Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. are launching all-electric cars in the U.S. this year. BMW is not far behind. Electrics and hybrids are becoming increasingly popular -- and profitable. PN Detroit bureau chief Rhoda Miel produced this video essay June 16 at Automotive News’ Green Car Conference in Novi, Mich.

J&J's Veronica Manuel-Gilbert on adding diversity to the MD&D supply chain
Plastics in Medical Devices - (June 16, 2010)
Supplier engagement is a big issue facing medical device and diagnostics managers, At PN's recent Plastics in Medical Devices conference, Victoria Manuel-Gilbert discussed bringing diversity into the equation with companies owned by women and minorities. She is corporate manager of supplier diversity for New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson.

General Films Inc.: an extended-family affair
Breaking News & Features - (June 16, 2010)
At age 96, Roy Weikert is still attracted to plastic film. The founder of General Films Inc. in Covington, Ohio, and his nephew Tim, have developed new films for downgauging applications, for higher barrier, better performance and better sealants. They've added thermoforming films to our barrier line and done a lot of work with peel seals General Films makes coextruded films of three-, five- and nine-layer thicknesses for various applications of polyethylene, nylon and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymers. It also manufactures bag-in-box systems and modified-atmosphere packaging for food and dairy applications, as well as converter films, custom bags and industrial packaging such as box and barrel liners, pallet covers and shrink-bundling films.

Material Insights: June 14, 2010
Material Insights - (June 14, 2010)
In this week's episode of Material Insights, PN senior reporter Frank Esposito discusses Techmer's purchase of BASF Irgasurf HL business, Chinese anticipation of a flood of imported resins from the Middle East and Arkema's role in a Sony-sponsored soccer ball giveaway in Africa that is timed to coincide with 2010 World Cup.

Panel of experts talks sustainable design
Plastics in Medical Devices - (June 9, 2010)
Designers are looking for sustainable opportunities in medical markets. Five experts participated in a roundtable at PN's April 2010 Plastics in Medical Devices conference in Westlake, Ohio: Bridge Design's Bill Evans; Nypro Healthcare's Mike Fritschy; US Endoscopy's Chris Kaye; Balance Product Development's Rene Polin; and Mathieu Turpault of Bresslergroup. Panelists discussed materials selection, as well as consumers' perceptions of sustainability as it relates to medicine.

Material Insights: June 7, 2010
Material Insights - (June 7, 2010)
Plastics News senior reporter Frank Esposito explains why polyethylene prices were down in May in this week's episode of Material Insights. Esposito also covers Lanxess' move to settle a legal challenge from an Ohio school district over its operating practices, and color supplier Royce Associates changes with the times.

Benesch's Jenny Sheaffer on patent law issues
Plastics in Medical Devices - (June 3, 2010)
Intellectual property rights are an important consideration in medical manufacturing, as revealed at PN's recent Plastics in Medical Devices conference in Westlake, Ohio. Jenny Sheaffer, a lawyer with Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP in Cleveland, explains the different types of intellectual property and why it's important to protect your work in the highly competitive medical devices arena.

Toolmaker FPM reinvents self, offers production cells
Breaking News & Features - (June 2, 2010)
Fremont Plastic Molds recently renamed itself FPM Tooling & Automation. The Fremont, Ohio, firm in 2007 bought the assets of a robotics company, whose employees taught FPM how to add robotics to manufacturing cells. Meanwhile, FPM’s journeymen toolmakers added their experience and knowledge of what happens on the manufacturing floor during industrial blow molding.

Material Insights: June 1, 2010
Material Insights - (June 1, 2010)
U.S. PP and PVC prices take a tumble in this week's Material Insights. PN senior reporter Frank Esposito explains how feedstocks and housing starts played a roll in May's price decreases. He also details two new plastics futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and reveals plans by Lubrizol Corp. to add capacity at a plant that produces its Carbopol line of polymers.