May 2010

Don't Miss Speck on CSI: Miami!

Thermoforming just got so much cooler.

The Monday, May 3 episode of CSI: Miami (airing at 10:00 p.m. EDT) will feature an Aspex SEM, with an outer shell made right here at Speck Plastics.

The appearance marks the second time Aspex has been on CSI, but it's an exciting first for Speck.

Producers from the show approached Aspex while they were exhibiting at a recent trade event in Florida.

"We were on previously, so it was a repeat-customer sort of thing," says Joe Karpinski, senior mechanical engineer for the Delmont, PA-based manufacturer. "They really liked the look of the new machine."

With the deal in place, Aspex prepared a sample machine in just one week, and the company's Director of Marketing, Tom Powers, chaperoned it to Miami for filming.

Karpinski says the instrument will be shown in a trace evidence laboratory performing GSR (Gun Shot Residue) analysis. The technician in the scene will place a sample in the chamber of the Aspex PSEM Express, use the LCD screen to begin the analysis, and the LEDs will indicate that the system is ready.

Karpinski goes on to say that although Speck currently makes only the system's side panels, Aspex is working to approve a design change that would add a thermoformed center section as well.

"We had another vendor doing some work for us [when I started at Aspex], but the relationship didn't work, and I was told to go elsewhere," says Karpinski. "We sent a dozen or so quotes to suppliers around the state, and I narrowed that list to five or six. Speck came in with a competitive tooling price, so I went down to meet them.

He was impressed by what he found.

"They're small like us," he continues. "A lot of people wouldn't touch my parts because they're low-volume, but Speck obviously wanted to develop a business relationship with us. We wanted to replace some metal parts with plastic, because once you invest in tooling, the price is much less expensive than sheet metal."

Speck's contribution also included helping to streamline the overall shell design, cutting the number of parts from 16 down to four per system.

"The segments connect more easily," says Suzann Speck. "Aspex tells us that the changes have enabled faster assembly without sacrificing cosmetics."

Karpinski says that he is very happy with the way the relationship has developed, as well.

"Suzann, Walt, and Gary, with all of their input and experience, made the transition very smooth," he says. "We have the same kind of understanding of the whole business. They said they would mold 20 parts or 200 parts. That was a game maker for me."

Asked to sum up his overall satisfaction with the relationship, Karpinski doesn't mince words.

"I see us having a long relationship together developing products."

So set your TiVos and DVRs now—Monday evening is your chance to see the fruits of this developing relationship come to life on the small screen!

*****

Tanner at the Bat

When she's not building relationships with clients or overseeing daily management and sales here at Speck Plastics, President Suzann Speck grabs some Cracker Jack and roots for the home team. Not the Philadelphia or Reading Phillies, but the City Line Mariners, the Bethlehem Little League team her stepson Tanner Anthony plays for.

Although he's versatile in the infield—he's equally likely to be found pitching, playing shortstop, or manning third base—twelve-year-old Tanner feels most comfortable at home plate with a bat in his hands.

"I prefer batting because I am not a good fielder, and hitting is my favorite part of baseball," says Tanner, a sixth-grader at East Hills Middle School in Bethlehem.

With eight years of experience on the diamond thus far, Tanner has earned a reputation as a consistent hitter. In the first five games this season, he has hit 9 for 11, including a home run, two triples, and a double.

With those kinds of stats, this Little Leaguer just might be on his way to matching the skills of his favorite big-leaguer, New York Yankee Derek Jeter.

*****

Thanks for reading this month’s installment of the Speck InFORMer. Please feel free to browse our site or contact us to learn more about how Speck can put more than a half century of experience to work for you.