11:20 - 11:50| The industry face to the challenges of the future

Overview of the current challenges and opportunities of the Advanced Materials & Plastics industry.
Sergio Gimenez, Business Director, AIMPLAS

15:10 - 15:40| Think green! Recycled thermoplastics in durable goods

The use of recycled engineering resins in the automotive, commercial vehicle and appliance sectors is a reality today. Why is it important to think green? In what applications can we use post-industrial and post-consumer resins?
Join this discussion to learn about alternative recycled grades and understand how you can incorporate them into your processes.
Mayra Santillán, Business Development Leader, ENTEC RESINS MEXICO

15:45 - 16:15| Adaptability of the plastic sector to the Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is the digitalization of production processes in factories to make them more productive and efficient. Greater digitalization implies a greater degree of automation and connectivity, allowing manufacturing processes and supply chains to focus on a variable and increasingly personalized demand for products. In this talk, the technologies that enable and enhance the development of Industry 4.0 are presented, and the implementation challenges and opportunities in the plastics sector are discussed.
Dr. Fernando Martell Chávez, Head of the Consolidation and Development of New
Technologies, CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN ÓPTICA, A.C.

11:20 - 11:50| Plastronics

The integration of electronic functionality on the surface of plastic parts allows for an increase of their added value. With plastronics, this integration can be carried out via the combination of several coordinated manufacturing processes such as the electronical printing on polymeric substrates, the hybridization of SMD components using Pick & Place machines, the thermoforming and the injection moulding. Plastronics reduces the weight and thickness of such plastic parts and its cost, also shortening the time needed to assemble them. The electronics contained ion such plastic parts remain conveniently protected and therefore last longer, showing reduced maintenance vs traditional plastic parts containing electronics. EURECAT has built the first Plastronics pilot plant in southern Europe for the research and development of this technology. In these facilities, research on new materials and industrial solutions for companies active on the subject are developed. The presentation shows the current progresses achieved by EURECAT on the subject.
Ing. Carlos Saez, Senior Researcher Plastic Processes Unit, EURECAT

11:55 - 12:25| The COVID-19 impact on the plastics industry

How do you expect the growth of the plastics industry to behave after this pandemic? The consequences of the pandemic on the plastics processing sector and the challenges faced by the industry.
Mónica Conde Ortiz, General Manager, AMBIENTE PLÁSTICO

15:10 - 15:40| An Engineer’s Guide to Selecting the Right Thermoplastic

Valuable insight into the thought process materials engineers use to select the correct thermoplastic for diverse applications. Explanation of how knowing a few key properties can guide you to an appropriate material, including: Resin Morphology, Cost Comparison, Temperature Resistance, Additive Property Enhancements.
Dr. Joel Bell, International Developmnet Manager, RTP COMPANY MÉXICO/

11:20 - 11:50| Hybrid structural processes

One of the main driving forces of research in the automotive sector is the need for lighter solutions for its structural components. New vehicles require an increased autonomy and a reduction of its environmental impact. Nevertheless the requirement of cost containment limits the lightweight technologies that are economically feasible. At EURECAT, two techniques have been developed that combine different materials and processes to make parts with structural requirements for the automotive sector. On the one hand, a process of thermoforming and over-molding of sheets with continuous fiberglass fabric has been developed in which both the thermoforming process and the over-molding is carried out in the same injection molding machine. On the other hand, the extrusion suction blown process is combined with the injection process in a single step, with a single tooling, to provide the pieces with combined functionality or pieces with reinforcements.
Dr. Ing Enric Fontdecaba, Plastic Processes Unit Director, EURECAT

11:55 - 12:25| Advanced materials for 3D printing

Development of materials for Additive Manufacturing, focusing on the development of filaments with advanced properties currently demanded by the industry: electrical conductive materials, for thermal dissipation, water-soluble support materials, biocompatible materials and similes for surgical planning.
Cristina Domínguez, Engineering Cell Technician, AIMPLAS

15:10 - 15:40| The plastics industry a circular economy

How to create a new ecological strategy for the plastic industry using new technologies that will be part of the circular economy.
Ing. Eduardo Legorreta Flores, General Manager, GEA BIODEGRADABLES