t’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since we rolled out the updated IAPD Three Pillar Strategy. This framework continues to guide our direction and reflects the three core strategic priorities of our organization:

• Grow and advocate for the performance plastics industry
• Improve the knowledge, performance and capability of IAPD members
• Make the distribution channel the path of choice

When we updated our strategy, we asked company leaders to tell us what mattered most to them. The top priorities were clear: workforce development, sustainability and government relations.

ach year, the IAPD Annual Convention + connecX brings together more members than any other program we offer. It is our largest gathering, our highest-value networking forum and the single most concentrated opportunity for business to get done within the performance plastics industry.

This year, in Chicago, we expect nothing less.

Some come for the meetings. For others, it is the trade show. Some attend to reconnect with long-standing partners, while others use the event to introduce new products, hold strategic supplier meetings or network with industry peers. A few of you manage to sneak in a couple of educational sessions. But nearly everyone shows up for the same reason: this is where relationships are built, and deals are done.

High-performance plastics from Artek Inc.® and GAPI USA® play critical roles in food manufacturing environments, where hygiene, durability and thermal resistance are essential.

In the production of hot dogs, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) from Artek is used throughout processing lines to facilitate efficient, non-stick movement of products. UHMW is well suited to food contact applications due to its low friction coefficient and abrasion resistance. These properties allow it to reduce equipment wear while maintaining clean, contamination-free surfaces during high-speed operation.

The Weld-On® adhesive line is widely used in sign and display manufacturing, offering quick-setting, high-strength bonds for acrylics and other thermoplastics. The company will discontinue sales of the previous formulations after July 18, 2025, marking a transition to safer chemistry alternatives without sacrificing functionality. www.scigripadhesives.com

2024 UN progress report revealed that the world is significantly behind in meeting the SDGs. The COVID-19 pandemic and political instability in many regions have derailed progress. In hindsight, the initiative may have benefited from starting with a single focus area and providing a framework that encouraged broad, actionable commitments from member countries.

One positive development emerging from the SDGs is the increased collaboration between governments and markets on circular economy frameworks. This approach aligns with Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. A closed-loop production system—reducing material use, redesigning products for resource efficiency, and recycling waste into new materials—embodies the principles of “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

The circular economy presents an ideal entry point for collective action, encouraging innovation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diverting waste from landfills.

n the fast-evolving world of medical devices and healthcare technology, materials that combine durability, biocompatibility and resilience under harsh sterilization methods are in high demand. Thermoset polyurethane elastomers (PUEs), often overshadowed by their thermoplastic counterparts, are emerging as a superior class of materials offering exceptional performance under sterilization stress and novel antimicrobial capabilities. Their growing relevance in surgical tools, implantable devices, diagnostic systems and wearable medical technologies is no coincidence.

This article explores the unique sterilization resistance and inherent or engineered antimicrobial performance of thermoset polyurethane elastomers—and why they are quickly becoming indispensable to medical manufacturers seeking longevity, compliance and performance in demanding environments.

These miniature systems operate on the microscale, transporting tiny volumes of liquid through channels only micrometers wide. Ensuring accuracy and sterility in such environments demands materials capable of maintaining purity under mechanical, chemical and thermal stress — and fluoropolymers deliver.

They’re the unsung heroes of everything from targeted drug delivery to advanced diagnostics. Few materials match the synergistic performance of the fluoropolymer family across all these critical parameters.

edical-grade thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films play an essential role in modern healthcare, serving as a critical component in many medical applications. Their unique combination of properties, compliance with regulatory standards and adaptability to emerging applications make engineered polymer films a versatile material within plastic distribution networks.

As healthcare demands evolve, driven by both technological progress and rising standards for patient safety, medical-grade TPU films offer unique performance attributes that traditional plastics and elastomers often cannot match. The technical properties, wide-ranging applications and tangible benefits of medical TPU films allow professionals in the plastics distribution sector to offer the broader medical device supply chain a versatile and useful advanced material.

erformance plastics play a vital role in enhancing many aspects of our daily lives. For me, they have made a significant impact. My mother has lived with type 1 diabetes for thirty years and managing her condition is a constant challenge for our family. The fear of her having a dangerous blood sugar spike or a life-threatening low blood sugar crash consumes us. We are always on edge, knowing that one moment of forgetfulness could lead to a life-threatening emergency. The moment she forgets to take her insulin, takes too much, or fails to bring her medical supplies with her.

As a family of five, living with type 1 diabetes has placed an immense burden on us, financially, mentally and physically. The cost of supplies being over $12,000 a year to keep my mother alive. The emotional toll of constantly worrying about her health. The physical damage to her body. Performance plastics have given us a crucial lifeline. Without these materials, the technology that helps us manage my mom’s diabetes would not be as advanced as it is today. Her insulin pump allows us to more effectively manage her blood sugar levels. The tubing for the pump ensures that the pump system functions efficiently, delivering the right amount of insulin at the right time. This is all because of the advancement in performance plastics.

Vortex Tool Company, Inc. designs and manufactures a wide variety of standard and custom high-performance router and insert cutting tools for the woodworking and plastics industries, and provides retipping and sharpening services for all makes and models. www.vortextool.com, phone (800) 355-7708.