Kerri Jansen
plasticsnews
Detroit, MI, United States
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Past articles by Kerri:
3D printing homes for Mars
A team competing in NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge worked with Techmer PM to develop materials that could one day be used to house human visitors to Mars. Teams of citizen inventors are participating in the competition to innovate technology to support deep space exploration and also advanceTechmer helped the team develop a material that could be processed using Branch Technology's 3D… → Read More
HP out to prove 3D printing is ready for wider production
HP Inc. is predicting open materials development and consistent build times will be the boost 3D printing needs for wider application in automotive and other industries. The HP Jet Fusion 3D 4200 printer, which began shipping last year, is designed for commercial uses such as manufacturing → Read More
Blender makers turn to Tritan to help dampen sound
Chicago — Tritan copolyester is finding new applications in the blender market, lending its sound-damping properties to blender bodies in a market where a transparent form of the material is already a common choice for blender jars. Vita-Mix Corp. was one of the first to switch its blender → Read More
Plastics News Now: Polyurethane stars in interactive art museum exhibit
Atlanta's High Museum of Art has the polyurethane art on display, the investigation into materials at the Grenfell Tower fire continues and plastics leaders from the U.S., Mexico and Canada meet to discuss NAFTA. For a look at M&A news from the first half of the year, click here. → Read More
A fresh take on the iconic Aeron chair
Chicago — More than 20 years after its introduction, Herman Miller Inc.'s iconic Aeron chair has gotten an upgrade. In October, the furniture giant introduced what it's calling a remastered version of the ergonomic office chair, which made its debut in 1994. Applying two decades of technology → Read More
Magna reinvents the headlight with acrylic, injection molding expertise
Injection molded acrylic lenses are the centerpiece of a new generation of automotive headlamps developed by Magna International Inc. Introduced as standard on higher trim levels of the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse, Magna's D-Optic LED headlamps offer the efficiency gains of LEDs along with customizable → Read More
Proper Group making high-end coolers for Otter Products
Otter Products, the Colorado-based maker of OtterBox smartphone cases, is taking on the high-end cooler market with a new line of injection molded coolers. The Venture coolers, which come in three sizes, are manufactured by Proper Polymers in Warren, Mich., a business of Proper Group International → Read More
Ford looks to bamboo to grow its use of sustainable composites
Continuing its effort to develop sustainably sourced materials, Ford Motor Co. is evaluating bamboo fiber-reinforced plastics for use in injection molded interior parts like storage bins or side panels on seats. Fast-growing bamboo offers a renewable alternative to traditional reinforcement → Read More
Plastics News Now: D&M Plastics builds a culture of lean manufacturing
D&M Plastics President Chip Owen discusses its lean strategy and why he invests in retirement for his workers, Keurig pushes its timetable for recyclable cups up, and a plant is built on a former polluted waste site. For more on how to enter yourself or a co-worker for Women Breaking the Mold, → Read More
Big 3, Fuseneo to combine tooling, design expertise
Illinois mold maker Big 3 Precision is partnering with design firm Fuseneo Inc. to blend design and manufacturability in the development of injection blow and injection stretch blow molded products. The firms announced a strategic partnership in May. Under the agreement, Fuseneo will handle the → Read More
Carteaux: Congress 'ready to listen'
Cleveland — In its first months, the new presidential administration has proven more receptive than in past years to concerns of the plastics supply chain, says Bill Carteaux, CEO of Washington-based Plastics Industry Association. → Read More
Blundy announces retirement, again
Industry veteran John Blundy is retiring again — and this time, he says it's going to stick. → Read More
Blundy announces retirement, again
Cleveland — Industry veteran John Blundy is retiring again — and this time, he says it's going to stick. After suspending his retirement in 2015 to take a two-year position leading the newly established North American manufacturing division of HRS-Flow Hot Runner Systems, Blundy → Read More
Westminster Tool recognized for outreach efforts
Westminster Tool Inc. has been named Tooling Trailblazer of the Year by the American Mold Builders Association, while Joe Genc of Graphic Tool Corp. was presented with the Mold Builder of the Year Award. → Read More
Milacron expanding Michigan DME factory
DME Co. LLC, the mold components subsidiary of Milacron Holdings Corp., will invest $5 million to expand the capablities of its Greenville, Mich., manufacturing facility and create 70 new jobs. Milacron had announced March 17 it will close a DME mold base plant in Youngwood, Pa., and consolidate → Read More
Solving the recycling riddle
Mark Richardson was working in academia when he originally joined the Society of Plastics Engineers, on a mission to develop a stronger workforce pipeline for the plastics industry. But it wasn't a matter of simply generating more workforce, said Richardson, now chief technology officer at SeriesWith support he found from the SPE network, Richardson led a program at Kettering University in… → Read More
Known for its glass, Libbey turns to Tritan for new line
Chicago — Known for its glass tableware, Libbey Inc. turned to plastic for its new line of drinkware designed for outdoor and casual environments. The Infinium line of plastic drinkware, injection molded with Eastman Chemical Co.’s Tritan copolyester, is intended as a more upscale → Read More
Auto acoustic specialist Novo rebranding as Sonus under new ownership
Michigan auto supplier Novo Motor Acoustic Systems Inc. will be renamed Sonus Engineered Solutions, reflecting changes made within the company since its acquisition by a private equity firm in 2015. San Jose, Calif.-based 3P Equity Partners added the supplier to its portfolio that also includes → Read More
Berkshire Hathaway affiliate buys Prism Plastics
Precision automotive molder Prism Plastics Inc. has been sold to a subsidiary of Marmon Engineered Components Co., according to an announcement from Altus Capital Partners, the investment firm that had owned Chesterfield, Mich.-headquartered Prism along with its founders since June 2014. Marmon isRod Bricker, president and CEO of Prism Plastics, in a news release credited Altus with providing it… → Read More
Igloo bottles up some new business
Chicago — Long a manufacturer of plastic-intensive coolers and related outdoor products, Igloo Products Corp. is entering a new product category with its launch of personal beverage bottles. Igloo's personal hydration line, launched at the 2017 International Home and Housewares Show in → Read More