What Makes a Surprisingly Versatile Story?

PMA is always on the lookout for great stories, industry trends and case studies to use in our marketing efforts.

Your story ideas are vital, so that we can demonstrate the benefits of cast polyurethane in consistent and compelling ways.

We can reach out with these stories to our core industry publications, along with media related to members’ different industry segments—mining, oil and gas, tires and wheels, among others—because if we don’t share these stories, nobody else will.

So what really makes a good story?

Here are a few pointers on the types of stories we’re looking for:

• New urethane material or product announcements
• Examples of replacing parts traditionally made of metal or rubber with cast polyurethane
• How your company is advancing the cast polyurethane industry
• Industry trends you’re experiencing
• New industries you’re breaking into using cast polyurethane products
• Business issues you’re struggling with (i.e. lack of talent in the workforce)
• How you find value in your PMA membership
• Impact of regulations on member companies

By no means is that a full list—just some general guidelines. So if you or someone else at your company has a great story to share, we’re eager to hear it.

Tell us today in the comments. Or contact Brenda Campbell at bcampbell@InsideSH.com 414-270-3521.

End-of-Year Marketing Momentum: A Scholarship, a Survey and More

As the weather gets colder, PMA marketing efforts are heating up. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store for the rest of the year.

Scholarship Competition
We’re happy to launch the second annual Surprisingly Versatile design scholarship competition.

This year, we’ve adjusted the program slightly to encourage more entries. One winner will receive a $4,000 scholarship and $1,000 for travel expenses to the 2011 PMA Annual Meeting and Supplier Showcase.

Please spread the word to engineering students who may be interested in this fantastic opportunity. Read all the scholarship details.

Member Survey
Next month, we’ll be releasing the results from our member survey. We received a strong response from our membership and have a number of key findings to report.

By sharing findings with the media, as well, the report will help generate greater visibility for the association and our industry.

News and Networking
PMA continues to bring members new stories and information through this blog while also promoting content on Facebook and LinkedIn.

We’ll also be looking at speaking and partnership opportunities with similar associations and business groups.

And as always, we’re open to new marketing ideas, so please feel free to share yours with our marketing partner, Scheibel Halaska Inc., contact Brenda Campbell at bcampbell@InsideSH.com 414-270-3521.

Students: Test your design skills for a $4,000 scholarship!

Material science, design, and engineering students are encouraged to participate in the PMA’s Second Annual Surprisingly Versatile Design Competition. The student who exhibits the best, most versatile use of cast polyurethane will be awarded a $4,000 scholarship and receive $1,000 for travel expenses to attend the PMA’s 40th anniversary meeting on April 10-12, 2011 in Amelia Island, Fla. The competition requires a written report, design and finished prototype of a cast polyurethane part that is traditionally made of common metal, rubber or other plastic. The project will help students become more aware of the diverse capabilities of cast polyurethane.

The written report, design and finished prototype must be received by February 15, 2011. The winner will be selected by the PMA Education Panel and notified by mail in March.

For technical requirements, judging criteria and more information, please visit the PMA’s scholarship site at http://www.pmahome.org/scholarship.aspx.

Look for Us in the News

Check out October’s Rubber World and Manufacturing Digital and you’ll recognize a few members.

In the upcoming issue of Rubber World, PMA member Chuck Ruffing, technical director of Rubber Rolls Inc., discusses the benefits of using urethane instead of rubber where possible, including:
 More load-bearing capacity
 Greater tear strength
 Better compression set
 Stronger abrasion resistance
 Higher tolerance to greases, oils and ozone

In Manufacturing Digital, PMA shares the success stories various members have found post recession in capturing new opportunities—setting a great example for other manufacturers in the post-recession era. Several PMA members across the country are highlighted for their company’s efforts in finding new applications and gaining business back.

With advice from Jeff Dietrich, senior analyst of the Institute for Trend Research and speaker at the PMA Annual Meeting 2010, this article provides tips for manufacturers to maintain customers and remain profitable in 2010 and beyond.

As always, we encourage each of you to send us story ideas. You, too, can see your story in print. Until then, take a peek at our upcoming stories.

If you have a story to share, please send an email to Rachel McCormick at rmccormick@insideSH.com

Check Your Inbox for the PMA Membership Survey

To stay on top of the latest knowledge and trends in cast polyurethane, the PMA is rolling out our first member survey. In the next few weeks, all PMA members will be getting an email from us with a link to the survey online.

Please respond to the survey as soon as you can, answering all questions to the best of your knowledge. It should only take a few minutes.

Your feedback will help create benchmarks, allowing you to better understand the cast polyurethane market and where your company stands among other members. We’ll also use what we learn to help us promote the strength and vitality of the cast polyurethane industry in the coming year.

If you have any questions regarding the survey, please feel free to comment on this post or send us an email to the address provided below.

Want to see your story in this blog? Send an email to rmccormick@insidesh.com

Innovative DirectSkinning Process Meets the BMW Test

Technology Enables Plastic Part with a PUR Coating, All in One Mold

Exciting new advantages of PUR have the spotlight in Modern Plastics’ article “Molded parts get PUR coating in a single mold.”

DirectSkinning is a new technology involving multicomponent injection molding into a single mold—with one of the materials being a PUR coating that protects its thermoplastics substrate. First appearing at the K show in 2004, the technology had to develop some thick skin to meet commercial requirements for cost and efficiency.

In production at fischer automotive systems GmbH, a German processor of plastics, the DirectSkinning decorative panel seals off a kinematic drawer on the dashboard, directly above the central console. The panel is produced in five colors and has about a 1.4-mm-thick PUR covering based on plastics supplier Bayer MaterialScience’s Bayflex LS (Light Stable) material. The thickness of the PUR coating can be adjusted to a manufacturer’s need.

PUR surfaces provide additional protection and aesthetic appeal to parts. The stability of the product’s polyurethane surface has been tested through heat aging, hot-light aging, climatic change and solar stimulation showing no surface defects, discoloring or other issues over the service life of the product.

If you have a cast polyurethane success story that needs to be told, let us know! We’d love to hear from you. We are always looking for PMA member stories to share.

Have an idea? Shoot us an email at rmccormick@insideSH.com

PMA Grows Membership by 13 Percent

In an off-year for most manufacturers and suppliers, the value of joining an association becomes clear. Posting a 13 percent gain in membership, the PMA leads the way in promoting cast polyurethane as a critical product component.

Now more than ever, processors and suppliers are turning to the PMA for resources and knowledge regarding:

• The latest technology (see our technical papers and seminars)
• Regulatory practices
• Material science.

Plus, we continue to work vigilantly with members to spread the word on the strength and versatility of cast polyurethane as a material, exposing its advantages to new businesses and diverse markets.

Few companies would be able to dedicate so many resources to the advancement and development of cast polyurethane. As the exclusive organization dedicated to this material, we have a lot to provide our members, helping them win in what continues to be a challenging market.

As we further our mission of advancing cast polyurethane, we’d like to thank our current membership base as well as announce our latest partners. Please welcome the following new members:

- AdvanSource BioMaterials Corp
- American Polymer Products, Inc.
- BASF Corporation
- Bihler Flex
- Hewlett Packard
- Michelin North America
- Novatech
- Pittsburgh Plastics Mfgs, Inc.
- Polycoat Products
- Puma Polymers
- Uni-Eastern Sportswear Mfg, Ltd.

If you know someone interested in joining or if you have a story to share for our blog, please email Rachel Jennings at rjennings@insideSH.com