Nepcon and Interplas 2002 will have design as its theme

Design is the theme of Interplas 2002. This year’s largest international plastics and rubber exhibition is acknowledging that design is the driving force behind the continuing development of the industry and that its non-stop flow of success demands increased emphasis on how the versatility of polymers can be utilised to advantage in today’s global markets.

Materials, process machinery and moulds and dies are important, but they cannot survive in isolation. It is design that brings them together successfully by creating new and innovative means of satisfying specifiers in market sectors such as transportation, telecommunications, medical and scientific, sport and leisure, construction and packaging.

Reed Exhibitions is creating a dynamic design forum at Interplas 2002 targeted specifically at design engineers with a range of initiatives designed to provide advice, inspiration, learning and solutions.

In the forefront of the design feature will be the

 Designing in Plastics technical centre. Sponsored by Eureka, this will provide a showcase for sponsoring companies to highlight the creative thinking that has gone into the design of many products and components that would not have been possible without exploiting successfully the versatility of plastics materials. Daily seminars, workshops and clinics form part of a full programme of events over the five days of Interplas 2002.

 A polymer tactile area where engineers can look-and-feel a vast array of polymer materials. It is designed to provide inspiration, particularly for product designers, when the tactile characteristics of a component will be important in its everyday usage.

Other features will include:

 An inventors’ corner that will provide an opportunity for inventors and designers to seek solutions to problems with which they are not familiar, but where plastics could supply the answer;

 A software centre, organised by BP&R magazine, catering for the needs of engineers working with plastics and rubber.

Interplas 2002 is taking place in Halls 3, 3A, 4 and 5 at the NEC in Birmingham over the five days from 30th September - 4th October. Alongside for the three days of 1st, 2nd and 3rd of October, in Halls 1 and 2, will be Nepcon 2002, the UK's leading electronics manufacturing exhibition. Reed Exhibitions will be encouraging design engineers to visit both shows.

As a result of this interaction, a Designing in Electronics centre within Nepcon will complement the Designing in Plastics technical centre in Interplas 2002. But the two exhibitions will come even closer together with a composite production line, sponsored by PRW magazine and located between the two shows, will be making a prototype component using manufacturing technology from both polymer and electronics engineering.

The design theme at Interplas 2002 provides product design engineers access to the knowledge and skills of the polymer industry, but the sponsoring companies will gain an increased understanding of the needs of designers, and their concerns. The benefits gained on both sides should be of long-term benefit to the whole polymer industry.

Reader enquiries

Reed Exhibitions
Oriel House, 26 The Quadrant
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1DL

United Kingdom

+44 208 910 7947

www.reedexpo.com