On 19 February 2020, the Chinaplas show organiser Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. officially announced that this year’s event has been rescheduled to 3 – 6 August 2020 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), Hongqiao in Shanghai, China. Adsale issued the following statement, which is quoted here in its original wording:

Ascend Performance Materials has entered into a deal to purchase Poliblend SpA and Esseti Plast GD from D'Ottavio Group for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition includes a manufacturing facility in Mozzate, Italy, the masterbatch portfolio of Esseti Plast and the engineering plastics portfolio of Poliblend, which consists of virgin and recycled grades of polyamide (PA) 66, PA6, polybutylene terephthalate and polyoxymethylene.

A virtual concept shoe made entirely of BASF materials, a 3D printed shoe made from TPU, interesting creations by young designers, this and other product-related innovations were presented by BASF at Simac, the international machine and technology fair for shoes in Milan from 19-21 February 2020.

Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, said 92 % of all non-compliant chemicals in consumer products come from outside the European Union (EU), confirming an "urgent" need for EU member states to "step up" enforcement of REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) in imports.

The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) is announcing a “Call for Nominations” for its 50th annual Automotive Innovation Awards Gala, the oldest and largest recognition event in the automotive and plastics industries, and due dates for the event’s annual Parts Competition. This year’s Awards Gala will be held Thursday, 19 November 2020, at the Burton Manor in Livonia, MI, USA.

Vietnam’s key industries such as textiles, rubber and plastic must take measures to prepare for a shortage of raw materials as a result of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, warned industry leaders and economic experts. Firms may still have some breathing space having stocked up before the Lunar New Year holidays, but things could get tricky soon.

Thanks to an in-depth research and colour-finding project recently completed in partnership with Clariant ColorWorks, the Italian TPE compounder Francesco Franceschetti Elastomeri (FFE), now has an competitive edge in one of its primary markets – ski boots.

Covestro has showcased its latest materials for healthcare applications at MD&M West Conference and Exposition (stand 2221) from 11 – 13 February 2020 in Anaheim, CA, USA.

Additive manufacturing is making giant strides in changing the world of the manufacturing industry. What once was limited to prototypes is today more and more often being used for smaller quantities and spare parts, in particular. Thanks to the relatively straightforward and tool-free equipment of the devices, even sophisticated parts can be printed quickly and in the very place where they are needed. The technology provides enormous potential for significant savings of time, work and costs. 3D printing of soft materials is still a challenge, however market opportunities for 3D printed soft parts are immense.

On 28 January 2020, Lubrizol Engineered Polymers announced the commercial launch of its thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) Estane 3D TPU M95A, which is said to be the only TPU certified for HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 4200 series 3D printing solution.