If you're reading this magazine it means you've probably crawled out from your Y2K-proof bunker and are ready to take on the secondary plastics industry in the 21st century. What lies ahead for plastics fabricators and machine shops is largely up to their own creativity and business savvy. Until recently secondary plastics processing was an arcane niche that was overlooked by many and disregarded by others. Nevertheless, secondary plastics processing is an industry that is coming into its own and is attracting more and more attention from the mainstream of the plastics industry.

So where can a plastics fabricator go in 2000 to find out who's who, what's new, and how to? Enter the 2nd Plastics Machining & Fabricating Conference to be held October 18-20 in Chicago. Sponsored by this magazine, the conference will feature comprehensive seminars and tabletop exhibits. Last year's event attracted more than 100 participants and 22 tabletop exhibitors.

Based on the reaction of those who participated, we expect the 2000 event to increase in size dramatically. The 1999 conference drew a wide range of attendees from store fixture manufacturers to contractors to medical parts suppliers. The need to better understand the intricacies of plastics machining and fabricating was the common thread amongst this diversified group.

The event will focus on many of the topics covered in last year's conference and will explore many new areas.

Among the topics tentatively to be addressed include:

• Plastics fundamentals

• Developments in engineered plastics

• Acrylics & polycarbonates

• PET & PETG

• Thermoforming

• Cutting tool technology

• Routing and trimming

• Laser technology

• Bonding

• Finishing

A limited number of tabletop exhibits will be available for industry suppliers, allowing them to display their wares and mingle with attendees. The table-top exhibits will be open during morning and evening social activities.

At this stage we are still accepting ideas for presentations. If you'd like to submit a paper on one of the above topics or on another area of secondary plastics processing, we'd love to hear from you. Or, if you're interested in attending or exhibiting, a brochure describing the event will be available soon. Please call me, or Karen Koenig, at (800) 343-2016 or fax (847) 634-4347. Also, watch for more details on the conference here and on our Web site, www.plasticsmachining.com.

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Plastics Machining & Fabricating
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