United Plastics Group, Inc. Showcases Microcellular Technology at NDES

WESTMONT, IL - March 5, 2001 - United Plastics Group, Inc. (UPG), a full service manufacturer of plastic products for the electronics, medical, consumer and industrial/automotive markets, is showcasing their microcellular manufacturing capability in booth #6766 during the National Design and Engineering Show (NDES) in Chicago March 5-8, 2001.

"This technology further expands our wide range of capabilities and allows our customers an extremely viable alternative to existing injection molding methods," explains William J. Kriss, president and CEO of United Plastics Group, Inc.

"There are tremendous benefits to this technology such as reduced cycle time and the potential to reduce part weight without compromising structural integrity," says Bob Alvarez, vice president of technology for UPG. "We view it as a significant productivity improvement tool which can reduce costs and improve quality for our customers."

UPG recently molded a surgical skin stapler handle using microcellular technology. "The cycle time was reduced 37% vs. the conventional injection process," continues Alvarez. "In addition, sink marks were eliminated improving the overall product appearance. The end result was a better product at a lower cost which is just what the customer was striving to achieve."

To learn more about UPG's microcelluar manufacturing capability, please visit booth #6766 at the National Design and Engineering Show, March 5-8, 2001 in Chicago.

About Microcellular Foam Technology
Microcellular foam technology, also called MuCell technology, is suitable for a wide range of injection molded products (parts as thin as 0.020 in/0.5 mm), and provides molders with unique opportunities to reduce product costs while enhancing product design and processing. The MuCell process, developed and licensed by Trexel Inc., works by heating and pressurizing a non-flammable gas (usually nitrogen or carbon dioxide) to a "supercritical" state, in which the gas acts like a fluid. The supercritical gas is injected into the machine barrel, where plastic and gas blend into a single-phase solution. Injected into the mold, the gas expands to form highly uniform, closed cells of 50 to 5 microns in diameter. The MuCell process offers controlled product weight reduction of up to 60% and significant processing advantages, including lower injection pressure, lower clamp tonnage, and a reduction of cycle time. Injection molded products produced with the microcellular foam technology exhibit significant retention of desired mechanical properties such as high tensile strength, low permanent set, and impact strength, despite a sizable reduction in material content.

About United Plastics Group, Inc.
United Plastics Group, Inc. headquartered in Westmont, IL, is a full service manufacturer of precision plastics products and value-added services for the medical, electronics, consumer and industrial markets. United Plastics Group operates state-of-the-art facilities in California, Canada, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mexico, Minnesota, Texas, and the United Kingdom. UPG also has a strategic supply agreement with First Engineering Limited in Malaysia and China.

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