media release

Date: October 8, 2015
Contact: Liz Novak, Director of Marketing and Communications, +913.345.1005
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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IAPD Congratulates Plastics Application Design Competition Winners

Overland Park, KS — The International Association of Plastics Distribution (IAPD) is pleased to announce the winners of the third annual IAPD Plastics Application Design Competition, selected during IAPD’s celebration of plastics at its 59th Annual Convention and Plastics Showcase in San Diego, CA, USA. Four finalists, three in the Corporate Division and one in the Collegiate Division, were selected to present their applications to convention attendees. After each finalist gave their presentation, the delegates voted for their favorites and the winners were announced.

Corporate Division Finalists

The first place award went to IAPD distributor member ePlastics®, a Ridout Plastics Company, for their “Louvers By Design” project. The project was installed on a custom home located in the quiet suburban town of Point Loma, CA, USA. The home’s design required a custom solution that would diffuse the sunlight coming into the house’s main living area, while offering the second floor residents a clear view of the Pacific Ocean. The project’s complexity comes from the combination of its visual impact on the house and its requirements to be strong, durable, able to withstand varying temperatures and tolerate fluctuations in the weather. LuciteLux® Frost was selected, because of its opacity level and color, which blends nicely with the ocean. The material has a high thermoform tolerance, enabling it to be heated and wrapped around a frame in a controlled an uniform manner, while avoiding kinking and cracking.

The second place award went to IAPD distributor member Curbell Plastics, Inc., for their solution to a bridge construction project. The application consisted of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) slide rails that were used as an element of accelerated bridge construction (ABC) methodology for the Cottonwood Creek Bridge replacement in Yale, OK, USA. The Cottonwood Creek Bridge was originally built in 1961 and had become badly deteriorated. The ABC approach was taken for this project because a road closure would result in a 29-mile detour for the residents of the town. Traditional bridge replacement takes 180 days, but, by building the new bridge on UHMW-PE slide rails adjacent to the old bridge, then moving the new bridge into place, the bridge replacement required only seven days of road closure. This was the first time that “bridge sliding” was used in the state of Oklahoma. The UHMW-PE provided the necessary low friction, compressive strength and toughness that this project required.

The third place award went to IAPD distributor member Cope Plastics, Inc. for a metal-replacement application, a cover for a large barrel used to clean root vegetables in a food processing operation. The barrels spin at a high speed, to wash the mud and dirt from the vegetables. Once the vegetables are clean, the cover is removed from the barrel and the vegetables are sorted. The previous barrel cover had been made from aluminum, but it was difficult to wrap around the large barrels and the workers were cutting themselves on the sharp edges. Tivar® H.O.T. from IAPD manufacturer member Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products was selected as the replacement material because it could withstand the high temperatures reached when the barrel is spinning, plus its chemical resistance properties allows it to stand up to the chemical wash applied between uses. In addition, it is an FDA-compliant material.

Collegiate Division

The first place award in the Collegiate Division went to Art of Mass Production and iNova for their iDive application, a waterproof housing for the iPad. The project began with Professor Michael Berumen, a marine biologist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. He and his students and research associates needed a way to use an iPad underwater to perform data collection in real time, rather than collecting data by hand using a grease pencil and underwater slate and later inputting into a computer system. This process is complex and time-consuming and only a limited amount of data can be collected. By using a digital collection device, these tasks can be much more efficient and the volume of data can be substantially increased. The iDive device also provides functionality for most standard iPad applications, including photography and video. The enclosure also provides a number of standard threaded mounts, allowing the user to customize the unit with lights, sensors or other tools. The development team selected Makrolon 2805 polycarbonate from IAPD manufacturer member Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience LLC) for the main body of the housing due to the excellent corrosion resistance of the material and its cost-effectiveness for this solution.

“I congratulate ePlastics, Curbell Plastics, Inc., Cope Plastics, Inc. and the iDive team and thank them for participating in the IAPD Plastics Application Design Competition,” said IAPD CEO Susan E. Avery, CAE. “Our distributor, manufacturer and fabricator members are involved in many innovative projects, and these entries show four very different ways in which plastics are being used. This competition is a wonderful way to celebrate all the positive aspects of plastics. Plastics have incredible application stories to tell and the competition will help IAPD promote the uses and benefits of plastics to the broader end-using community.”

About the IAPD Plastics Application Design Competition

The IAPD Plastics Application Design Competition was a featured part of the “Celebrating Plastics” theme of the 59th Annual Convention and Plastics Showcase, held in San Diego, California, September 21–24, 2015. The finalists demonstrated their designs at a special luncheon and the delegates were invited to vote on their top choice. The winners’ stories will be featured in IAPD’s publications and marketing campaigns throughout the year.

About IAPD 
The International Association of Plastics Distribution (IAPD), established in 1956, brings together distributors, manufacturers, manufacturers' representatives, fabricators, recyclers and service providers in an environment which encourages a free flow of ideas and information that help members build their businesses. Every program and service we provide is designed with the simple goal of helping our members increase profitability. Membership in IAPD is an affordable business investment. IAPD provides training, connections with customers and suppliers and information about developments that impact the industry. What makes IAPD unique is a commitment to educating customers and other key end-users about plastics. In other words, IAPD works with members to build the demand for plastics. Central to this effort is the reinforcement of the value of distribution.

For more information, visit www.iapd.org.