Contact: Walt Bishop
(202)974-5230

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Release Thursday, June 22, 5 p.m. CDT

SPI, EUROMAP Release Final Data Exchange Interface

Washington (June 22, 2000) — The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) and EUROMAP today released the final version of their jointly developed Data Exchange Interface, an innovative program that enables computers and plastics processing machinery to "talk" to each other electronically.

The communications protocol links injection molding machines to a central host computer using a remote file network that can run on standard office and factory software.

"This program represents a significant technological advance that can improve plant productivity and safety," said Walt Bishop, executive director of SPI's Machinery Division, which with EUROMAP, the association for European plastics machinery manufacturers, has worked to develop and test the standard over the last several years. "This was a true team effort by numerous companies in the United States and Europe to develop a quality product," Bishop noted.

"Not only does the protocol streamline plant operations, but it also is an important step towards more international standardization of plastics processing machinery and equipment," added Joachim Vettkotter, technical director, VDMA/Euromap.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc is the trade association representing one of the fastest-growing manufacturing industries in the United States. SPI's 1,700 members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw material suppliers. The U.S. plastics industry employs 1.5 million workers and provides $304 billion in annual shipments.

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