The Madison Group: Polymer Processing Research Corp. was incorporated in 1993 by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to permit technology transfer from academia to industry. Several simulation packages for the polymer processing industry have been developed to help various industries design plastic parts and solve processing problems. The Madison Group offers a wide range of software solutions from commercially available packages to custom software development and also offers a full range of consulting services to meet the needs of the polymer processing industry.

M-Base has been working with the Madison Group for a long time. We have jointly developed several simulation software packages, like BEMflow and Miniflow and we closely cooperate in the area of compression molding simulation.

www.madisongroup.com

The Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung an der RWTH Aachen (IKV) is a leading and well recognized research institute for all areas of plastics processing. M-Base is member of the institute's association of sponsors and we work very closely with the institute in several areas. One highlight of this cooperation is the compression molding simulation software EXPRESS, which was originally developed by researchers at the IKV. In a joint project M-Base and IKV converted the academic software into a professional design tool which is now marketed exclusively by M-Base.

Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung

The strength of M-Base is the presentation of comparable material data, with CAMPUS being the most successful system that is based on uniform test standards. Uniform tests need uniform test specimens, produced in a high quality mold that fits the relevant ISO standards.

To produce such moulds is a challenge and to our knowledge Axxicon Moulds is the leading international provider of moulds for the production of injection molded test specimens. Many resin suppliers participating in CAMPUS are using Axxicon's AIM Mould System. M-Base and Axxicon Moulds cooperate closely in the promotion of CAMPUS test standards.

For more information about the AIM Mould System, visit

www.axxicon.com

A unique combination of independent and technically highly specialized enterprises is operating in the Aachen region. They concentrate on different areas of interest in the plastics industry. The goal of the INTRA group is to make the special potential of the Aachen region apparent to potentially interested industrial partners. Most INTRA participants are spin-offs of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) and through a continuing cooperation can offer a combination of the scientific competence of the university with their specific know how.

For more information and all participants of INTRA see

www.intra-aachen.de

The Faserinstitut Bremen FIBRE is a scientific organization at the University of Bremen, Germany and performs R&D in the fields of testing and processing of fibers and the development of textile semiproducts and fiber-reinforced composites. The activities are concentrated on the departments Renewable Resources, Quality Testing, Fiber Measurement and Composites. The main objective is to interconnect the single steps of the international, industrial production chain of fiber products.

FIBRE performs fundamental and applied R&D in the fields of fibers, textiles and material science. In the field of fibers FIBRE is specialized on the testing of fibers, and checking, adapting and developing testing methods. One of primary objectives is the international harmonization and standardization of testing methods.

Concerning the project N-FibreBase, there is a close connection between M-Base and the Faserinstitut Bremen. Plans for the future are a series of activities in the range of natural fibers.

www.faserinstitut.de

Plastics Technology, a Gardner Publication, is the leading industry resource for technical information on products and technologies and practical solutions for processing challenges. Plastics Technology serves the North American plastics processing market in print and on the web with a monthly magazine, annual Processing Handbook and Buyers’ Guide and advanced research tools to search PT-Online content including: industry news, supplier information, machinery database, materials specifications, resin pricing, machine hour rates, magazine archives, injection and extrusion business indices and many web exclusive reports.

In May 2008, Plastics Technology and M-Base joined forces and launched a new international materials selection database, PLASPEC Global, www.ptonline.com/plaspec/ which provides the global plastics community with the most sophisticated research tool for obtaining the most up-to-date comparative engineering data on resins and compounds commercially available.