The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-17
PLASTIC OUTPUT
SlJRGES FORWARD
32S Per Cent Greater Now
Than In Pre-War Years,
Still Climbing
Hv CHARLES A. BRESKIN
Editor and Publisher
MODERN PLASTICS

~
materials production and OF manu-
featuring facilities Is anticipated
for 1915 to meet the huge pent-up
consumer demand for plastic prod
ucts. While the total volume OF
plastic aid synthetic resins pro-
duced In 1914 increased 325 per-
cent over 1899. an additional
growth of 20 to as percent has been
predicted by industry leaders.
Az reavealed In the January is
sue Of Modern P1astics, producers
will sped 102 million dollars to
increase plant capacity in the next
two years and it expects that over
all the raw materials that can be
tipped by nearly 300 million
pounds, This large-scale increase
OF raw materials is expected to be
readily absorbed by plastics pro-
cessors who already have more
than enough equipment to handle
all the raw materials that ca be
produced for the next year or two,
and in addition, machinery manu-
facturers are endeavoring to de-
liver new machines at hereto
fore unbelievable rate.
Bottlneck
It is possible that there will be
a temporary bottleneck before this
production gets into full swing but
but within six months time full
capacity operations should be well
organized and plastics production
looming at rate that will catch
up with delayed orders. Like every
other industry, the plastics indus
try is being beseiged with custom
ers who demand Immediately far
more than the industry can pro-
vide at present. Once this inflated
demand is met, there should be
ample supplies Of plastics.
Those Miracles
Much Of this Impotence Is due
to eagerness Of the public to try out
the colorful new Miracle ma
terials about which they have
heard so much during the drab
war days. While plastics have
proved themselves during the war
period as materials which will
stand on their own merits and are
not laboratory curiosities, they are
obviously not going to sweep away
all other materials. In the first
place, In terms of overall produc-
ton, the industry can't compete
with the tonnage groups like steel
or aluminium However, plastics
can step into jobs Tor which they
are ideally suited.
When their volume is sufficient
offset coast and supply problems,
their special qualities such as light
ness, permanent and varied color,
strength and durability, water and
chemical resistance, will weight
heavily in their favor In any battle
between materials.
This does not mean that there
will be an all-plastic house, or an
all-plastic car or even an all-plas- !
tic dress or suit next year or the
year following. But there'u be ap-
plications of plastics in all Of these
which will make them more attrac-
tive, more useful, more economi-
cal and more serviceable. The
range of utility is almost limitless,
provided the right plastic material
is selected and the product pro-
perly engineered and designed.
Sales Resistenc
This is the only danger that the
plastics industry face - the fact |
that some poor designs andn war
time make-shifts may have arous-
ed some sales resistance. However,
the industry as the whole is coun-
teracting such resistance by posi-
tive labelling of plastics merchan-
exhibits, pamphlets, press releases
and a sound program for informa-
tive labelig Of plastics merchan-
disc.
Clear Sailing
There is clear sailing ahead for
plastics in 1946. The reconversion
period is well along and outside
of the temporary shortage Of raw
materials and the present bottle
neck in matchmaking, the industry
should be on the way to lusty
peacetime production and ready
for an important role in United
States economy.