COVER STORY Small, Smaller, Smallest New methods for producing “out of sight” micromolded parts By Jan H. Schut Spot Cooling with CO2 Reduce cycle times by up to 50% in injection molding By James R. Stanley and Andreas Praller From SPE Retiring Plastics Leader Dennis L. Hayford Receives Honors from the Polymers Center of Excellence and SPE A Buying Spree for Moldmakers Which technologies are they looking to add? By Jon Evans CONSULTANT’S CORNER Understanding Creep Failure of Plastics By Jeffrey Jansen Continuous stress over long periods leads to creep rupture Ultrasonic Welding for Medical Part Assembly By Astrid Herrmann Joining together microfluidic test chips is a challenge DESIGN NOTES Creating a New Custom Compound—by Design By Robert Grace Collaboration brings a sweet sound to biocomposite guitar bodies Rotational Molding of Polymer Composites Reinforced with Natural Fibers By Fatima Ezzahra Hanana and Denis Rodrigue A review of efforts in making rotomoldings tougher & “greener” GLOBAL LOOK How Did Major Plastics Machinery Markets Perform in 2014? From China Plastic & Rubber Journal Data from global shipments hint at current trends Give That Packaging an Award! By American Chemistry Council The 2015 DuPont packaging awards show sustainable strides INSIDE SPI The Future of Plastics: The Material of Choice for Lightweight, Fuel-Efficient Automobiles …and other news about the state of the plastics industry, from SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association DEPARTMENTS Resin Market Focus By IHS Chemicals Industry News Industry Patents By Dr. Roger Corneliussen Energy-Saving Tip By Dr. Robin Kent Upcoming Industry Events Market Place Advertiser Index About the cover: The “core” concept of micromolding is all about small—with part weights as low as 3.13 micrograms; see our cover story. (Cover designed by SPE.) www.4spe.org