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NPE 2003 showed that not all is bad with the North American plastics industry.

National Plastics Exposition -NPE 2003, the second largest plastics exhibition in the World with about 2000 exhibitors displaying their products on about 1 million square foot of area was held at Chicago from 23rd June 2003 to 27th June 2003. It had more exhibitors as well as larger area compared to NPE 2000. The attendance however was lower - the NPE organizing committee reported almost 25-30% lower attendance compared to 2000. Even some of the major raw material producers like Dow, Exxon Mobil or Eastman were conspicuously absent. The World's leading additive supplier Ciba also stayed away from the exhibition.

Apparently, the weaker industrial climate took its toll. However, all the machinery suppliers not only from North America but also from Europe as well as from Asia were very enthusiastically displaying their products. In fact, all of them seemed to be very happy that they participated in the show because the latest tax benefits given by US government towards higher depreciation up to about 15% would help the US processors to encourage for further investments. What was interesting that some of the small suppliers of primary equipments as well as moulds and accessories from the countries like India not only came to NPE 2003 again but also generated some business.

Some primary equipment suppliers like Rajoo Engineering targeted the South American plastics markets while the ancilliary equipment suppliers like Laxmi Moulds, Sridevi tools and Pratik Heaters could seek business opportunities in the World's largest plastics market of North America by participation in the exposition. Irvin Research had highlighted the thermoforming equipment made at Nasik plant in India by its joint venture.

While Reliance Industries and Sabic were conspicuously absent, the specialty suppliers like Mitsui Chemicals, Kuraray, and Ashai from Japan and Gharda Chemicals from India displayed their specialty products including EVOH and PEEK etc. Mitsui Chemicals emphasised the newer production of PET made from non-Cadmium catalysts like Germanium and Titanium. Interestingly these products had excellent whiteness. Mitsui also claimed to sell these products almost at the same price as that of the conventional PET products.

The most glaring exhibit of GE Plastics illustrated the focus of GE on the use of Lexan PC for newer applications for automotives. GE along with its partner Bayer and the equipment supplier Battenfeld also demonstrated the newer development of PC based windshield after treatment of plasma to achieve excellent resistance to scratches as a replacement of glass. In fact, the GE Plastics pavilion was the most outstanding one at the NPE 2003. Another interesting feature of NPE 2003 was that Thermoplastic Elastomers was presented very extensively by almost all the leading global players. It seems that NPE organizers are planning to expand the role of the exposition in the area of elastomers similar to Kunstoff Fair in Germany.

The leading North American compounders /M/B suppliers like Polyone, Teknor, L&P and Ampacet demonstrated their wide range of products. On the other hand, RTP concentrated on metal compounding/mouldings. Among the equipment suppliers more emphasis was seen on several different types of mouldings compared to the extrusion techniques. Almost all the leading European equipment suppliers had highlighted their equipments/technologies. In fact, the North American processors seemed to concentrate on these pavilions possibly to assess whether they could gainfully invest in them before the business environment improves their present average capacity utilization of about 75% to more respectable levels.