Archived News
The news archive has been split into separate PDF files for each year:
2009 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | SPRA President, Les Rose reflects on his two years in office | 2 |
| Company News: Biilion UK has a good year | 3 | |
| SPRA meeting: Polymers in Medicine | 5 | |
| Polymers in Drug Delivery: Controlled Therapeutics | 5 | |
| Choosing industrial polymers for implantable devices | 6 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2009 | 7 | |
| SPRA Fellowship awarded to Colin Hindle | 9 | |
| Fergus Hardie reports on Plastindia 2009 | 9 | |
| Company News: Polaroid Eyewear and Engel UK | 11 | |
| Membership Clinic for Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining | 12 | |
| £5 million Scottish Government grant for plastics recycling | 12 | |
| June | Fergus Hardie installed as SPRA President | 13 |
| Company News: Carclo Technical Plastics | 14 | |
| High Performance Plastics from Ticona | 16 | |
| Scotland’s Rubber and Plastics Heritage | 17 | |
| National Museums of Scotland: Materials Collection | 21 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2009 | 22 | |
| Chemical Sciences Scotland conference | 23 | |
| Colin Hindle elected as IOM3 Regional Councillor for Scotland | 23 | |
| September | Plastics: Performance and Sustainability | 24 |
| Company News: Caledonian Industries | 28 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2009: residential course for teachers | 29 | |
| ‘Fantastic Plastic’: Schools Lecture given by Averil Macdonald | 31 | |
| SPRA Poster Competition at Braes High School | 33 | |
| BPF Climate Change Agreement | 34 | |
| Billion Flying High: Pete Kirkham’s sky dive | 34 | |
| Report: ‘Economic Crisis: impact on the plastics industry | 35 | |
| December | SPRA works visit to Rosti Technical Plastics | 36 |
| Design for Moulding: simulation software for process optimisation | 37 | |
| SPRA meeting: Automotive and Aerospace | 41 | |
| David Osborne explains rubber ageing and tyre failure | 41 | |
| Engineering thermoplastics and fibre reinforced composites | 42 | |
| Advances in Processing: Multi-material injection moulding | 43 | |
| Benchmarking the Chemicals Sector | 46 | |
| P W Hall benefits from Continuous Improvement Programme | 47 | |
| National Occupational Standards for the polymer industry | 48 | |
| School trip to ‘Fantastic Plastic’ lecture and Napier University | 49 |
Download the 2009 News Archive (1.7Mb)
2008 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | SPRA President, Les Rose reflects on his two years in office | 2 |
| SPRA meeting: Mechanical Testing of Plastics and Rubber | 2 | |
| Zwick Testing Machines | 2 | |
| Mechanical Testing at Impact Laboratories | 3 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2008 | 3 | |
| Polymer Employer Network meeting | 4 | |
| Issues affecting the Plastics Industry: Peter Davies (BPF) | 4 | |
| Innovation and Collaboration | 5 | |
| National Museums of Scotland appeal for materials, products and machinery | 5 | |
| BPF 75th Anniversary: SPRA presents an acrylic plaque | 6 | |
| Obituary: John S Wilkie | 6 | |
| Graeme Noble appointed as Business Innovator at Materials KTN | 7 | |
| Zwick Testing Machines become the latest SPRA Corporate Member | 7 | |
| June | ARBURG sponsored meeting: Advances in Injection Moulding | 8 |
| Optimum Energy Usage, Machine Selection and Automation | 8 | |
| Envirowise Seminar: Increasing Profit in a Low Carbon Economy | 10 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2008 | 11 | |
| Plastic Bags Tax Revisited | 11 | |
| Defend Your Industry | 13 | |
| September | Albyn Innovate to Compete | 14 |
| Polymer Study Tour 2008: residential course for teachers | 15 | |
| SPRA meeting: Plastics and Rubber Materials in Sport | 16 | |
| Report on Chinaplas Exhibition from Colin Hindle | 17 | |
| Skills Development in the Polymer Sector | 19 | |
| New Scottish company: Ecopet Extrusion | 19 | |
| Polymer Engineering Education at Napier University | 20 | |
| Congratulations to Napier University Graduates | 20 | |
| Design Innovation in Plastics 2009 Competition | 21 | |
| December | Balmoral Tanks: leading rotational moulding company | 22 |
| Engel UK sponsored meeting: Advances in Injection Moulding | 23 | |
| ‘6 solutions for 6 applications’ | 23 | |
| SPRA meeting: Designing with Plastics | 26 | |
| The Design Process: Graham Rennie (Berg Design) | 26 | |
| Rotationally moulded chair: Alex Milton (Outgang) | 27 | |
| SPRA meeting: Recycling of Plastics | 27 | |
| Recovinyl project: Axion Recycling | 27 | |
| WRAP Report on recycling mixed plastics packaging | 28 | |
| Products manufactured from recycled plastics | 29 | |
| Skills Development: meeting with Cogent SSC | 30 | |
| News from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining | 30 |
Download the 2008 News Archive (1.5Mb)
2007 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | Vascutek presented with ‘Prince Philip Award’ at Buckingham Palace | 2 |
| Polymers in Electronics: Flexible Circuitry | 3 | |
| SPRA meeting at Ineos Polyolefins: Products and Applications | 4 | |
| Materials Knowledge Transfer Network | 5 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2007 | 6 | |
| Polymer Employer Network: Collaboration | 7 | |
| Company News: Polaroid Eyewear; Polymerhouse.com | 7 | |
| June | Les Rose becomes new SPRA President | 9 |
| Presentation by David Russell: Thermoforming: T-Form and T-Sim | 10 | |
| Polymer Employer Network: Innovation and Skills Development | 11 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2007 | 12 | |
| New Legislation: REACH; WEEE | 13 | |
| Training Day for professional registration in IOM3 | 14 | |
| PVC Conundrum | 14 | |
| September | Hugh Smith retires from SPRA Council | 15 |
| Polymer Study Tour 2007: residential course for teachers | 16 | |
| David Barlow, Lab 901, presentation on Polymers in Life Science | 17 | |
| Happy Birthday Bakelite | 18 | |
| Polymers in Malaysia: report on a visit by Colin Hindle | 19 | |
| Pera becomes the latest SPRA Corporate Member | 20 | |
| New Skills Director in Scotland for Cogent Sector Skills Council | 20 | |
| Polymer Engineering Graduates from Napier University | 20 | |
| December | Ticona Roadshow: engineering thermoplastics and applications | 22 |
| Designing with Plastics: presentations by DDMS and fearsomEngine | 23 | |
| SPRA meeting: Degradable Packaging | 24 | |
| Classification of bioplastics | 24 | |
| ‘Bio Batch’: degradable masterbatch from Begg & Co | 24 | |
| Processing PLA at Polybags | 25 | |
| K 2007: report by Colin Hindle on the International Plastics Fair | 25 | |
| Polymer Employer Network: meeting on Knowledge Transfer | 26 | |
| BPF Seminar in Edinburgh: PVC Sustainability | 27 | |
| Re-launch of Chemical Sciences Scotland | 27 | |
| Horners: Ralph Anderson Lecture: David Oxley and Colin Hindle | 28 | |
| ‘Plasticity’: plastics exhibition in the Science Museum, London | 29 | |
| SPRA and polymer companies feature in ,Enterprising Scotland’ magazine | 29 |
Download the 2007 News Archive (1.4Mb)
2006 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | Fibre Optic Communication System | 2 |
| Waste Tyres: A Valuable resource? | 3 | |
| Microbial Devulcanisation and Recycling of Rubber | 3 | |
| Civil Engineering Applications of Waste Tyres | 4 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2006 | 4 | |
| Opportunities to Work in Scotland | 6 | |
| June | Vascutek win Prince Philip Award (Polymers in the Service of Mankind) | 7 |
| SPRA meeting: Artificial Sports Surfaces | 8 | |
| Ticona Roadshow: engineering thermoplastics and applications | 9 | |
| SPRA contribute to DVD on Workplace Learning | 10 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2006 | 11 | |
| Cogent SSC: Skills Needs Assessment for the polymer sector | 11 | |
| September | Polymer Study Tour 2006: residential course for teachers | 12 |
| History and Design of Plastics | 13 | |
| Faraday Plastics Partnership absorbed into Materials KTN | 14 | |
| Polymer Employer Network: challenges facing the polymer sector | 15 | |
| ‘Radikal’: new initiative to bring SMEs and academia together | 15 | |
| ‘White Magic’: educational resource box from EPS Group at BPF | 16 | |
| Congratulations | 16 | |
| Polymer Engineering Graduates from Napier University | 16 | |
| Apprenticeship in Management awards at Carclo Technical Plastics | 17 | |
| Colin Hindle’s perspective on UK Plastics Trade Shows | 17 | |
| December | SPRA meeting: Plastics in Packaging | 18 |
| Plastics Films from Vitasheet Group | 18 | |
| PET and Glass Bottles: an end user’s perspective | 19 | |
| SPRA meeting: Manufacture in Low Cost Economies | 20 | |
| The Czech Experience: Carclo set up plants in the Czech Republic | 20 | |
| The China Evolution: Hoover’s experiences in setting up in China | 21 | |
| SPRA meeting: Advances in Polymer Processing | 22 | |
| Billion UK: Process Innovation for Efficiency and Profit | 22 | |
| Mitutoyo: Measurement Technology for plastics and tooling | 23 | |
| IOM3 Accreditation for Napier University Polymer Engineering Programmes | 24 | |
| Scottish Parliament drops Plastic Bag Tax | 25 | |
| Report on Euromould Exhibition, Frankfurt | 25 | |
| Cogent’s successful bid to establish a National Skills Academy | 26 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2007 | 26 |
Download the 2006 News Archive (1.3Mb)
2005 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | SPRA President, Colin Hindle reflects on his two years in office | 2 |
| Polymers in Advanced Electronics and Biotechnology Applications | 3 | |
| SPRA Meeting on Healthcare Products | 4 | |
| Sunglasses from Polaroid UK Ltd | 4 | |
| „Sunsure‟: an innovative product from Albyn Ltd | 4 | |
| Cogent SSC: new Sector Skills Council for the Polymers Sector | 5 | |
| Plastech Group become the latest SPRA Corporate Member | 6 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2005 | 6 | |
| Congratulations to SPRA Scholarship winners | 7 | |
| June | New SPRA President, James McSporran | 24 |
| Overall Equipment Effectiveness in the polymer processing industry | 9 | |
| Web Based Control technology for the plastics industry | 10 | |
| Safeglass (Europe) Ltd win Queen‟s Award for Innovation | 10 | |
| SPRA delivers a one-day course for teachers | 11 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2005 | 11 | |
| R & D Tax Credits | 12 | |
| Umbrella Organisation for Engineering Societies in Scotland | 13 | |
| September | Plastics in the Waste Stream | 14 |
| WEEE Directive Update | 14 | |
| Plastic Bag Tax proposal for Scotland | 15 | |
| Fife Council Waste Plan | 16 | |
| MW Plastics: plastics recycling | 16 | |
| Polymers in Special Effects in Film and Television | 17 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2005: residential course for teachers | 18 | |
| Safeglass (Europe) Ltd receive Queen‟s award for Innovation | 18 | |
| Congratulations to Napier University graduates | 19 | |
| December | New SPRA President: Ralph McNeill | 20 |
| Victrex PEEK: “probably the best thermoplastic in the world” | 21 | |
| “Cells that Sell” SPRA meeting on cellular polymer applications | 22 | |
| Honeywell Controls: Operation System | 22 | |
| Magic Tooling Expert: SPRA meeting on software for tooling | 23 | |
| Interplas 2005: Plastics Exhibition | 23 | |
| Congratulations: Polymer Graduates at Napier University | 25 | |
| Plastic Bag Tax Update | 25 | |
| Building a Sustainable Future: A New Strategy for Scotland | 26 |
Download the 2005 News Archive (1.2Mb)
2004 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | SPRA Seminar: “Towards Smarter Manufacture” | 2 |
| Workshop on Lean Manufacture | 4 | |
| Prof James Courtney awarded the Swinburne Medal | 4 | |
| Polymer LEDs in microdisplays | 5 | |
| VTS Royalite host a meeting on PVC stabilisers and thermoplastic sheet | 6 | |
| Workshop: Joining with Adhesives | 7 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2004 | 7 | |
| June | SPRA members vote to make SPRA a legal entity | 9 |
| “Future is Solid”: simulation software for injection moulding from FlowHow | 9 | |
| New Medical Technology wins Plastics Industry Award | 10 | |
| Tragic explosion at ICL Plastics | 11 | |
| Funding for Modern Apprenticeships in Polymer Processing | 11 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2004 | 12 | |
| Congratulations to SPRA Members, Jim McSporran and Dr Eric Boinard | 12 | |
| September | SPRA becomes a „Company Limited by Guarantee‟ | 13 |
| Development of safer beer bottles produced from safeglass | 13 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2004: residential course for teachers | 14 | |
| Caledonian Industries produces biodegradable foam packaging | 15 | |
| Polymer graduates at Napier University | 16 | |
| December | IOM3 Swinburne Award 2004: Prof James Courtney | 18 |
| Swinburne Address 2004: Polymers in Medical Applications | 19 | |
| Ticona Roadshow: engineering thermoplastics and applications | 22 |
Download the 2004 News Archive (0.9Mb)
2003 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | Hugh Smith is awarder the first SPRA Fellowship | 2 |
| Energy Efficiency Partnership for the polymer sector | 2 | |
| Polymers in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacture | 3 | |
| Donald Hardie explains the new Stretchform process for thermoforming | 4 | |
| SPRA produce a Scottish Polymer Community Directory | 5 | |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2003 | 5 | |
| SPRA awards for Napier University students | 5 | |
| SPRA runs a one-day course for technical teachers | 6 | |
| Polymer Employer Network | 6 | |
| Meeting on skills development and breakfast meetings | ||
| Report on Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP) conference | 7 | |
| Scottish Industrial Symbiosis Programme launch | 7 | |
| Polymer Technology classmates from Napier University reunited in USA | 8 | |
| June | Hugh Smith reflects on his three years as SPRA President | 9 |
| Hugh Smith is presented with an engraved silver quaich | 10 | |
| Thixotropic Injection Moulding of metals | 11 | |
| Meeting on Ancillary Techniques | 12 | |
| Ultrasonic gauging from Zumbach | 12 | |
| Vision inspection from Barcovision | 12 | |
| Mould coatings from WS2 Coatings | 13 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2003 | 13 | |
| Scottish Polymer Employer Network | 13 | |
| Manufacturing Performance Improvement (PICME) | 13 | |
| Modern Apprenticeship Programme | 14 | |
| Report on BPF conference “The Industry Tomorrow” | 15 | |
| September | New President, Colin Hindle, outlines his objectives | 16 |
| „Polymers in Music and Music in Polymers‟ lecture by John McLaughlin | 17 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2003: residential course for teachers | 18 | |
| Ticona Roadshow: engineering thermoplastics and applications | 19 | |
| Polymers in microdisplays | 20 | |
| Scottish Polymer Employer Network: maintaining competitieveness | 21 | |
| Visit to Hoover; Innovation Relay; interfacing with Government | ||
| Netregs: environmental regulations | 22 | |
| December | Polymer Sector Development project | 23 |
| One day seminar: “WEEE – Threat or Opportunity?” | 24 | |
| Acrylic Composites: visit to Carron Phoenix | 25 | |
| SPRA meeting on rotational moulding and energy benchmarking | 25 | |
| Polymer Employer Network meeting at Caledonian Ferguson Timpson | 26 | |
Download the 2003 News Archive (1.0Mb)
2002 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| March | International Rubber Study Group meeting in Glasgow | 2 |
| Battenfeld lecture on Plastics Micromoulding | 4 | |
| Understanding an Industrial Energy Survey | 5 | |
| Plade Fabricate Success | 6 | |
| Workforce Development Plan on Skills Needs | 6 | |
| Schools Project to assist teaching of polymers in schools | 7 | |
| SPRA Corporate Members Forum | 7 | |
| French student on development project with Safeglass | 7 | |
| June | SPRA Seminar: Improving Profitability in the Global Market | 8 |
| SPRA Dinner Dance 2002 | 9 | |
| Ticona Roadshow: Engineering Thermoplastics and Applications | 9 | |
| Profitable Programmes to Boost Your Business | 10 | |
| Les Rose receives Outstanding Service Award from Institute of Materials | 11 | |
| SPRA Polymer Course for Fife School Teachers | 11 | |
| SPRA sponsorship for Polymer Study Tour 2002 | 12 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2002 | 12 | |
| SPRA Corporate Membership | 13 | |
| September | Polymer Study Tour 2002: residential course for teachers | 14 |
| Conducting Polymers for Electrical and Optoelectronic Applications | 15 | |
| Sustainable Waste Management conference report | 16 | |
| Waste minimisation meeting report | 17 | |
| Community Recycling Network seminar | 18 | |
| December | Krauss Maffei sponsor SPRA meeting: Innovation in Plastics Processing | 21 |
| Rapid Prototyping Technology | 22 | |
| Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive workshop | 23 | |
| Polycarbonate Recyclate | 24 | |
| Formation of Impact Laboratories in Grangemouth | 25 | |
| Report from SPRA Academic Liaison Officer | 25 | |
| SPRA party visits Interplas 2002 | 26 | |
| Network meeting: Threat of Overseas Competition | 26 | |
| Faraday Plastics Partnership: R&D Funding Road Map | 27 | |
| MSc (with Distinction) from Plastics Moulding Technology course | 28 | |
| Student placements sought for Polymer Engineering students | 29 |
Download the 2002 News Archive (0.8Mb)
2001 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| April | The Annual SPRA Dinner Dance at Hilton Hotel, Glasgow | 2 |
| Branson Ultrasonics explain assembly of plastics components by ultrasonic welding | 3 | |
| Moldflow Plastics Xpert (MPX) software for moulding simulation | 4 | |
| Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Tooling for plastics moulding | 6 | |
| Setting up an Employer Learning Network for the Polymer Sector in Scotland | 7 | |
| SPRA Corporate Membership | 8 | |
| August | SPRA President, Hugh Smith, reviews his first year in office | 9 |
| Debate on Managing Polymer Waste | 10 | |
| ‘Closing the Gaps’ – Approach to Quality in the Polymer Industry | 11 | |
| Employer Learning Network discusses Training Needs Analysis (TNA) | 12 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2001 - residential course for teachers | 13 | |
| Scottish Materials Exchange II | 14 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2001 | 14 | |
| Schools competition winners – model yacht | 15 | |
| Congratulations | 15 | |
| SPRA Corporate Membership | 15 | |
| December | ‘Hard Times’ - a tough year for the plastics and rubber industry in Scotland | 17 |
| Tie-barless Injection Moulding Machines – lecture from Billion UK | 17 | |
| Robotics for injection moulding – presentation by Sepro | 18 | |
| Fire Performance Development: testing, additives, base polymer | 19 | |
| Laser welding of plastics by Herfurth | 20 | |
| Real time monitoring of polymer processes by Mattec | 20 | |
| K 2001: report on the International Plastics Exhibition 21 Employer Learning Network: Managing Change | 22 | |
| Scottish Materials Exchange III: Biomaterials | 23 | |
| Expanded Polystyrene Recycling | 23 | |
| SPRA becomes and Affiliate of the British Plastics Federation | 23 | |
| Congratulations | 24 | |
| School groups visit Napier University polymer facilities | 24 |
Download the 2001 News Archive (0.7Mb)
2000 News Archive
| Title | Page | |
|---|---|---|
| March | SPRA Steve Learney sets out SPRA’s role | 2 |
| Disposal of plastics waste in Scotland | 2 | |
| Scottish Environmental Agency publishes National Waste Strategy | 3 | |
| Compliance through Valpak | 4 | |
| RECOUP on Recycling of plastic bottles | 5 | |
| Polymer Cracking: chemical recycling of waste plastics packaging | 6 | |
| UCP handles plastics process waste | 6 | |
| Novel scheme for recycling waste farm film | 7 | |
| Dumfries Plastics Recycling: recycling farm film | 8 | |
| Hannay reinvestment for plastics collection and recycling | 9 | |
| Company News | ||
| April | SPRA Dinner Dance 2000 | 10 |
| Colormax adopts Dyson dual cyclone technology for hopper feeder | 11 | |
| Waste Plastics | 11 | |
| Waste Tyres statistics | 12 | |
| Use of recycled rubber crumb in roads | 12 | |
| Tyre Derived Fuel for cement kilns | 13 | |
| Company News | 14 | |
| August | New SPRA President, Hugh Smith, sets out his objectives | 15 |
| e-plastics seminar | 16 | |
| Ian Morgan, Optimat on ICT in business | 16 | |
| John Wilcox on benchmarking ICT in the plastics sector | 16 | |
| Jim Hamill on company websites | 17 | |
| Mark Gaddes, Rapra, on knowledge based systems | 17 | |
| Ian Montgomery (GE Plastics) on interactive websites | 18 | |
| Seminar: Value added markets | 20 | |
| SPRA Annual General Meeting 2000 | 21 | |
| Polymer Study Tour 2000: residential course for teachers | 21 | |
| December | Arburg Lecture on two material moulding | 22 |
| Lecture on non-core costs | 24 | |
| Report on Plastics Recycling Conference organised by RECOUP | 25 | |
| Seminar: Saving the cost of waste in plastics processing | 26 | |
| Congratulations | 27 | |
| Extrusion Education proposals | 27 | |
| Employer Learning Network formed | 27 |
Download the 2000 News Archive (0.9Mb)
