There's still time to register for the Plastics & Rubber in Automotive Conference to be held Jan. 14-15 in Novi, Mich.
Plastics & Rubber in Automotive 2019 will take place in the Novi Collection Showplace and is organized by Rubber & Plastics News and sister publication Plastics News. The conference combines two events the publications previously staged separately into a dual-track conference.
Information on the agenda and registration is available at www.rubbernews.com/auto.
The event also features an automotive exhibition with plastics and rubber suppliers and a networking reception on the evening of Jan. 14. The all-day conference runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 15.
"This combined conference is a unique opportunity for attendees to hear about the latest trends and technological developments in their respective industries as well learn about the issues, opportunities and technologies of a similar, yet different, side of the automotive supplier business," said Dave Zielasko, publisher of Rubber & Plastics News.
The conference will kick off with a joint session on tariffs and economic and automotive trends, featuring speakers from Ford Motor Co., the Center for Automotive Research, the Plastics Industry Association and Armada Corporate Intelligence. Speakers include Alper Kiziltas, research scientist for Ford Motor Co's sustainable materials operation and Bernard Swiecki, director of the Automotive Communities Partnership for the Center for Automotive Research.
The event then will break into separate plastics and rubber tracks, held adjacent to each other and allowing attendees to attend sessions in both rooms. The day will end with a presentation on Manufacturing 4.0 trends and issues.
For the rubber sessions, Joe Walker, global technology director for materials & laboratories at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, is returning as conference chairman. He has organized a technical program for rubber product manufacturing attendees centered around the topics of sustainability and E-mobility. Presentations also will delve into textured coatings for automotive weatherseals, a new silicone-based additive to reduce noise squeaks, sustainable chemicals and materials, and test methods used for evaluating rubber properties.
Rubber-track speakers include Paul Tucker, president of Grace Technology and Development; Rick Ziebell, technology fellow, R.D. Abbott Co. Inc.; and Christophe Paulo, industrial and consumer strategic marketer, EMEA, for Dow Performance Chemicals.
Conference sessions for plastics industry attendees include insights into sustainable materials and practices, economic and manufacturing trends facing the automotive industry and innovations in such areas as composite auto bodies, smart interiors, underhood and powertrain applications.
Held during the opening week of the North American International Auto Show, the conference also will offer attendees discounted tickets to attend dinner presentations at the 2019 Automotive News World Congress and complimentary admission to the auto show.