Design in the spotlight at PDM10

Major names from across the plastics design and moulding community will be exhibiting at the Plastics Design & Moulding (PDM10) conference and exhibition taking place at the Telford International Centre from 18 to 20 May 2010. Big name manufacturers of machinery equipment taking a stand at the show include Engel and Krauss Maffei, while polymer suppliers confirming their presence include Distrupol, Ultra Polymers, Bayer UK, 4Plas, Luxus and ICO Polymers and many more. "This year's PDM event is being supported by some of the country's biggest names in plastics manufacture with a wealth of innovative technologies and techniques to unveil," said Steve Crowhurst, event director. "Our theme of New Knowledge, New Business is evident in the strength of our exhibitor line-up and the depth of our three-day conference programme. The event is already set to deliver invaluable insights and business opportunities to all the design and moulding professionals visiting between 18th and 20th May." Representatives from every part of the UK plastics design and moulding sector will be at at PDM10. Exhibitors include suppliers of injection moulding machinery, rotational moulding machinery, blow moulding machinery and ancillary equipment as well as automation companies, mouldmakers, polymer producers, compounders, polymer distributors, masterbatch and additive suppliers, software companies, materials testing specialists, moulders, rapid prototyping companies, design companies and other industry services. In addition, the exhibition will feature a strong conference programme addressing topics including 'Plastic Electronics', 'Process Optimisation', 'Plastics in Medical Devices' and 'Advanced Processing'. The conference programme will also include a debate on each day of the conference. Covering the subjects 'Moulding Business', 'Design' and 'Technology and Innovation', these debates will each be preceded by a keynote address from a senior industry figure. Sir Richard Needham, international and commercial director at Dyson will open the conference on Tuesday 18th May with his keynote to the event's Moulding Business Debate. His address will offer ideas about how to compete effectively in a global market, drawing on his extensive experience at Dyson, where he headed up the company's move to manufacture in China. Professor Martin Darbyshire, CEO of the internationally renowned design consultancy Tangerine will lead the debate on Sustainable Product Design on Wednesday 19th May. He will highlight the growing importance of sustainability and how its integration into the product design process offers increased opportunities for plastics designers. He will also examine the crucial role sustainable product design will have in shaping the behaviour of tomorrow's consumer s to live in a more resource-friendly manner. Lord Bhattacharyya, founder and director of the internationally renowned WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group), is to be keynote speaker at the Innovations Debate on the event's final day, Thursday 20th May. Drawing on his worldwide experiences, he will advocate that continuous change and innovation is essential for UK plastics design and manufacture to maintain competitiveness on a global stage. He will use the technological successes of Warwick Manufacturing Group by way of illustration.