WPE attendees find latest products and technology.

Returning to the West Coast for the first time since 1995, WPE '98 brought the whole world of plastics to the more than 4,100 attendees who stopped in the Long Beach Convention Center, January 6-8. WPE came into Long Beach this year with an expanded show focus that covered the entire plastics industry. Every market segment, every process, every material and every technology was represented - from capital equipment to molds and tooling to controls and gauges to raw materials and resins to an array of other industry-related products and services.

Whether a first-time WPE rookie or a seasoned industry veteran, plastics professionals came to Long Beach primarily for one reason: to see what's new. New equipment. New technology. New products. New materials. New ideas.

Nick Guest, project engineer for Packard Hughes International, said, "This is the best show to go to see equipment in action and to compare it with other similar machinery. There's a wide variety to compare. And you can get all your questions answered on the spot."

A 30-year industry veteran, Dick Teachman, president of Hunting Beach, CA-based Dick Teachman Sales, said he attends the show out of curiosity...and to see old friends. "I like to keep up on what's new in the industry," Teachman stated. "New equipment, new processes. WPE is the best place on the West Coast to do that."

WPE '98 attendees came from a wide variety of industries: aerospace, electronics, medical, construction, manufacturing, transportation, packaging and others. They included engineering, purchasing and management individuals involved in the design, processing and manufacture of plastics products and components.

A wealth of plastics products, machinery, equipment and technology on display throughout more than 50,000 square feet of the convention center greeted WPE attendees as they entered the convention hall. Exhibitors included manufacturers and distributors of injection molding machinery, extrusion and auxiliary equipment, molds, parts, controls, automation systems, materials and resins and other plastics products and technology.

Bill Reitenbach, director of operations, Molding Corp. of America, came to Long beach looking for new technology. "I found what I was looking for in gas assisted technology. A new method of cleaning screws using a gas operated oven," Reitenbach said.

Upcoming 1998 Plastics Fair regional shows in Cleveland and Atlantic City will continue to expose plastics professionals to the latest products, services and technology from leading vendors throughout the industry, providing knowledge and information they can use immediately in their jobs to answer design, manufacturing and processing challenges.