Frank R. Nissel
Welex Corporation
Inducted 2000
Frank Nissel (1926 – 2016) co-founded the PRODEX Corporation in 1956 and became a leader in building extruders and lines for the sheet extrusion industry. In 1967, Nissel became President of Welex Corporation, the world leader in sheet extrusion equipment under his leadership. His contributions to the extrusion industry have been directly responsible for innovations in the packaging, appliance, and medical markets in over 70 countries.
He built the first commercially successful co-extrusion line, developed vented extrusion processes, and invented the Autoflex™ flat sheet and film die with automated die gap profile control. Nissel held patents in the US and 13 foreign countries, and he authored over 50 technical articles and papers on subjects related to extrusion.
Nissel was a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers and founded the Extrusion PAG, the forerunner of the SPE’s Extrusion Division. In 1992, the division honored him with their Distinguished Service Award. Nissel received the Society’s International Award for Business Management three years later.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastics processing, Plastics Machinery