Craig Carson, CEO of Jeco Plastic Products, will speak in Washington, DC, on June 29, 2012, at a briefing  discussing research and development activities and competitiveness in US industry.  The meeting—sponsored by the Council on Competitiveness, Deere & Co., GE Energy, and Proctor & Gamble—will brief US Congressional Representatives and their staff members concerned about the ability of US companies to compete in worldwide markets.  Carson was selected because of his work with Purdue University and the National Digital Engineering and Manufacturing Consortium—a public-private partnership encouraging the transfer of advanced manufacturing techniques and processes that leverage computational power, simulation, and cutting-edge modeling techniques to smaller US manufacturers.  Jeco recently participated in the program to analyze stresses and strengths in a plastic pallet being developed for a European manufacturer.

Commenting on the briefing, Jeco Plastic Products Craig Carson said: “Our work with Purdue University and NDEMC puts powerful tools in our hands and enables Jeco, a relatively small company, to differentiate ourselves and demonstrate that our plastic products are in many cases superior to those made of metal.  Jeco plastic pallets are stronger and last significantly longer than wooden pallets.  They are much lighter in weight than metal pallets, and can be designed to hold much larger loads that would seem possible.  The calculations we can do through participation in this program enable us to develop plastic structures for a wide variety of applications.  The failure effects analysis capabilities available through Purdue and NDEMC, together with Jeco state-of-the-art pressure forming equipment, enable us to design products using the latest materials technology.  The materials we employ include layered thermoplastic and thermoset plastics with internal reinforcement and different properties in the X, Y, and Z axes, as well as complex honeycomb structures.  Applications using these unusual plastics include aerospace, radio frequency shielding, thermal and flame barriers, ballistic protection, and blast mitigation.  We are pleased to be able to discuss how this program benefitted Jeco.”

Jeco Plastic Products designs and manufactures extremely durable pallets and containers for the worldwide printing and automotive industries, as well as other industries handling heavy product which must be protected from damage.  Other capabilities include the ability to produce complex plastic structural components made to exacting tolerances.  Jeco production facilities include rotational plastic molding and thermoforming capabilities unique in North America.  Jeco designers employ complex plastic compounds to impart dimensional stability and structural integrity to their products.  Jeco Plastic Products is located in Plainfield, Indiana, and may be reached at 317-839-4943 or www.jecoplastics.com.