Five members of WMU’s student chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineering (SPE) attended the society’s Annual Technical Conference (ANTEC) in Cincinnati, OH, in May. WMU Engineering Graphics and Design Technology (EGR) seniors Josh Leyrer, Jim Gabriel, Courtney Rawlings, Lauren Lambert, and Jim Vlieg were accompanied by IME Department Chair Paul Engelmann and Jay Shoemaker, IME adjunct professor and Moldflow, Inc., employee.
ANTEC, the world’s largest plastics conference, included four days of technical presentations covering all concentrations of the plastics engineering field. “I’m really interested in plastics, and this conference was THE conference for plastics,” Lambert said. “We learned about plastics from many perspectives.”
Presentation topics included process optimization methods, overcoating improvements, bioplastics, shear-thickening fluids, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and nanotechnology. Presenters included university professors, research and industrial professionals from all over the world.
Vlieg enjoyed the “especially interesting” presentation on bioplastics. “With oil prices rising, plastics derived from other sources could be the future of the industry,” he said. Lambert was “wowed” by the presentation on nanocomposities. “I would really like to learn more about them and their potential,” she said.
Five WMU students attended ANTEC student activities night, which included two hours of games. At right, WMU students (from left) Jim Gabriel, Jim Vlieg and Lauren Lambert. enjoy virtual bowling. “We had two hours of any game we wanted to play,” Lambert said. In addition Gabriel won a pair of Oakley sunglasses in a raffle.
Students learned about the latest technologies and developments in plastics at Plastics Encounter, an exhibition set up by plastics companies.
WMU SPE group enjoy an ANTEC networking social. From left, clockwise: Dr. Paul Engelmann, Lauren Lambert, Josh Leyrer, Jay Shoemaker, Courtney Rawlings, Jim Vlieg, and Jim Gabriel.
Evenings included several social events. Formal and informal socials gave the students and professors opportunities to form networking connections with others in the industry. One evening also included a Moldflow-sponsored student activities night at a local gaming center.
Students were selected for the trip based on individual application essays. They wrote formal proposals for travel support to the conference as well as trip reports on their ANTEC activities and professional development upon their return.
"I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to go to this event to further my learning in the plastics field," Rawlings said.
The trip was sponsored in full by a grant for support of lifelong learning and supplied to the school by the Alcoa Foundation, through EPC/Alcoa in Mattawan. The grant supports the professional development and global awareness of students in engineering technology programs.
Dr. Betsy Aller, IME associate professor, is principal investigator of the grant.
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