"We are plastics. We are the most potent symbol of man’s determination to bend nature herself to his will. We are always seeking that which lies just out of reach, just around the next bend. That’s why plastics are at the core of humanity’s endeavours,” claims the website of PlastIndia Exhibitions.

True to this claim, PlastIndia 2018, the 10th International Plastics Exhibition, Conference and Convention, to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 7 to 12 February 2017, promises to showcase what plastics can do in today’s world.

PlastIndia 2018 will showcase two distinct and critical facets — the future of the plastics industry and the future of humankind itself. According to the organisers of the event, the growth segments like automobiles, healthcare, packaging, infrastructure, agriculture, telecom, new and renewable energy and the emerging segments like plastic composites, sports, 3D printing will drive the future growth and all of these will be represented at the show.

Around 600 overseas exhibitors from 40 countries are expected to showcase their expertise in 125,000 sq/mtrs exhibition area. In total, around 2000 plastics businesses are expected to exhibit during the show, whereas the organisers are expecting a footfall of 200,000 visitors during PlastIndia 2018.

PlastIndia International Conference

Concurrently, PlastIndia 2017 will host an International Conference on 8-9 February 2018. The past years left the world grappling with the aftermath of an economic slowdown and its domino effect. Now with the economy recovering, organisations are optimistic about new business opportunities. True to the spirit of rejoicing the recovery, the PlastIndia International Conference will embark on an interesting voyage to discover the drivers empowering sustainable and profitable growth.

Countries are rebuilding their economic muscles and businesses are looking at re-invigorating investment cycles. India is taking giant strides with special focus on going digital. The leadership and vision sessions of the conference will converge the energies on agility and profitability with the focus on enhancing the use of plastics in automotives, healthcare, composites, 3D printing, sports and recycling.

While plastics have been used in cars since the 1950s, it is the latest innovations that are changing the industry for the better. Engineered polymers and plastics continue to replace aluminium and other metals in automobiles, with the average car interior now being made up of over 50% plastics and its aesthetic appeal, comfort, durability and ergonomic layout having a significant impact on a consumer’s purchase decision. The conference will help find out how plastics continue to play a vital role in the ongoing innovation that drives the automotive industry towards higher performance, safety, and sustainability levels in 2020 and beyond.

Modern healthcare would not be possible without the use of plastic materials. From the casing of an open MRI machine to the smallest tubing, plastics have made healthcare simpler. Disposable syringes, intravenous blood bags and heart valves are now made of plastic. Exceptional barrier properties, light weight, low cost, and durability of plastics are ideal for medical applications.

The conference will also focus on how plastics have revolutionised sports in recent years. From tracks on which athletes pursue new records to shoes, clothing, safety equipment like helmets, kneepads and stadium construction, modern sports rely on plastics. Football, for instance, has become faster and more technical than ever before as the latest ball production concept — thermal bonding using a high-solid polyurethane layer on a seamless glued surface — results is an excellent responsiveness and ball contact sensitivity, a predictable trajectory, substantially reduced water uptake and maximum abrasion resistance.

While there are countless segments that are benefitting from the use of plastics, using it with a revolutionising technology like 3D Printing has opened up a whole new world of horizons. Today, 3D printers allow creating anything, using a variety of materials, from metal and ceramic to sugar and Styrofoam. Of course, plastic is the substance that first made 3D printing of any kind possible, and plastic remains one of the most common materials used in 3D printing. At an expected growth of USD 692.2 million by 2020, at a CAGR of 25.7% from 2015 to 2020, 3D Printing plastic is one of the fastest growing markets.

According to Composites Manufacturing Magazine, the demand for composites has been steadily growing, with the expected annual sales of USD 12 billion by 2020. The top three markets for composite materials are transportation, aerospace, and construction. The penetration level of composites in each application differs according to performance requirements, functional requirements and other factors thereby expanding the manufacturing possibilities of virtually every industry.

With an increased use of plastics, it is important to ensure that plastics are reused and recycled intelligently. While plastics have been recycled since the 1970s, the quantities that are recycled vary geographically, according to plastic type and application. Recycling of packaging materials has seen rapid expansion over the last two decades. It is reported that 62 million tonnes of waste is generated annually in the country and out of that, around 5.6 million is plastic waste. Advances in technologies and systems for the collection, sorting and reprocessing of recyclable plastics are creating new opportunities for recycling. There has been going on in the field and by 2025, the aim is that less than 1% of the plastic waste goes to the landfill. There is a huge business opportunity in recycling as the plastic consumption of India is set to cross 20 millions by 2020.  

PlastIndia 2018 app

To navigate the exhibitor and visitor influx, PlastIndia has introduced a mobile app, PlastIndia 2018 app, to enable a visitor plan better. This will help a visitor plan the booths he wishes to visit and also help him bookmark them so that while he is at the exhibition venue he can refer to the app and use that as navigation tool. The app will also allow a visitor to schedule and request appointments/ visits with the exhibitors.