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JACK AVERY Principal, Avery Plastics Consulting Jack Avery, principal of Avery Plastics Consulting worked at GE Plastics (GEP) for 34 years in a variety of areas, including research and development, quality control, manufacturing, marketing and technology prior to retiring Oct. 1, 2004. He is currently doing business and marketing consulting for companies in the plastics industry. He is also contributing periodic columns on materials, process and design for Plastics News China Weekly. Mr. Avery has been active in conversion process technology, including structural foam, blow molding, extrusion, multi-process technology, gas-assist injection molding and thixomolding. In his latest position with GEP, Mr. Avery was responsible for new technology assessment and delivery, which included working with conversion process equipment manufacturers on advanced development programs in GEP's Polymer Processing Development Center. Mr. Avery was responsible for transforming a GE Power Transformer 100,000 square ft assembly and test facility into GE Plastics' Polymer Processing Development Center. This was a multi-million dollar, two-year project, completed in 1988. In 2004, this facility had 21 primary plastic processing pieces of equipment ranging from 110T all-electric injection molding machines to the 5500T Alpha 1 multi-process machine, thermoforming, blow molding, compression molding, profile and multi-layer extrusion equipment, plus a full capability optical media development center, including CD, CD-R, DVD and DV-R capability. The Polymer Process Development Center is GE Plastics' Global Center of Excellence for processing of engineering thermoplastics materials. As a function of the Marketing Organization, the charter of this unit is to support growth by providing plastics processing capabilities to assist GEP's customers in bringing their new products to market in a timely manner. Significant developments during Mr. Avery's tenure included: Large part IMD technology for the application of Lexan(R) SLX, UV resistant multilayer film for "Class A" surface components. Thin-wall injection molding technology for application of high performance engineering materials in applications at less than 1mm. thickness. GM Super Plug(TM) door module, the first commercial gas-assist injection molded engineering thermoplastic component. For three years, Mr. Avery was a Global Technical Leader working with Toyota and Mitsubishi on the development of new applications for their vehicles utilizing GEP's materials. This responsibility involved the coordination of GEP's development and manufacturing activities with Toyota, Mitsubishi and their suppliers globally. Mr. Avery is a member of SPE. He has been active in the Society of Plastics Industry's Structural Plastics Division where he held a number of positions, including Division Chairman from 1994 - 1996. As Division Chairman, he led the outreach effort to develop a strategic partnership with the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). He received the SPI Structural Plastics Division's 1996 Industry Recognition Award that is presented in recognition of significant contributions to the development and growth of the industry. He also served as chairman of the Plastics Molders and Manufacturers Association of The Society of Manufacturing Engineers for 2001 and 2002. Avery authored Injection Molding Alternatives, A Guide for Designers and Product Engineers, published in 1998 by Hanser. He is editor of Gas-Assist Injection Molding, Principals and Practice published May 2001 by Hanser. Both books have been translated into Chinese. He has made over 50 presentations at conferences on process technology and has organized and chaired technical sessions at conferences worldwide. He also has made several presentations on the future of injection molding: "Injection Molding, A Vision of the Future," NPE 2000 "Processor Growth Through Differentiation," NPE 2003 "Plastics Processing, A Changing Environment," ANTEC 2004 "Adding Value Through Process Technology", SPI, Structural Plastics Conf., March, 2005 "Growth Through Innovation", SPE ANTEC, Boston, MA, May 2005 Mr. Avery earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Bloomsburg State College and a masters degree in organic chemistry at John Carroll University. Also see the Interview Published in Plastics News Return to Home Page