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Renmar adds Mann + Hummel and Amut agencies February 27, 2007
Re-born machinery business Renmar has added two more agencies, Mann + Hummel and Amut. Renmar, an associate company of Arrowquint, was set up in 2003 to sell the German-made Remak injection moulding robots. The agreement lapsed, but Renmar was revived last year to take on support for MIR injection moulding machines - of which there are many installed in Britain - following the collapse of Dassett Process Engineering. It also added PULS electronics static control systems from Turkey.
Towards the end of last year the company took on a sales agreement for Enaiviv injection machines from Taiwan, of which some 24 have been installed in Britain over the past couple of years. The first Enaiviv to be sold by Renmar, a 400 tonne model, has gone into First Press Mouldings in Balsall Heath, Birmingham.
Now Renmar has expanded with agencies for Mann + Hummel and Amut. German-made Mann + Hummel materials handling equipment was most recently sold and supported by the company directly from its filter cartridge manufacturing facility in Wolverhampton. M + H brands include Mann + Hummel Pro-Tec materials handling equipment, Somos dryers and Volmar dosing and blending equipment.
Amut of Italy makes pipe, profile and sheet extrusion equipment, thermoforming lines and recycling equipment. It had been represented by PL Plastics Machinery, which ceased trading in 2005/2006, and more latterly by former PL director Bob Scott-Oldfield on a caretaker basis.
BASF is emphasising its international status with a plan to restructure itself into a European rather than just a German company. The board is to put a proposal to the annual meeting on April 26 that BASF Aktiengesellschaft becomes BASF Societas Europaea (from BASF AG to BASF SE). The company's headquarters and chief administrative offices would remain in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
According to chairman Dr Jürgen Hambrecht 'The European Company is a modern legal form for a global company whose home market is in Europe. BASF considers this legal form to be an affirmation of an entrepreneurial vision of Europe.'
The change would go a little deeper than just cosmetic. Dr Hambrecht said that the transformation into a European Company is intended to further strengthen corporate governance at BASF and that also BASF is strengthening the participation of European employees in the company 'and thus demonstrates its pioneering role in the European chemical industry'.
In 2006 BASF posted approximately 60 per cent of its sales in Europe and employed around two-thirds of its global workforce of more than 95,000 employees in the region.
Ticona extends Chinese investment plans February 27, 2007
Ticona is planning a series of investments in Asia across its engineering plastics portfolio over the next few years. These investments include monomer, polymer and compounding production for Vectra liquid crystal polymer and Celcon/Hostaform acetal, as well as technical development facilities and resources focused on customer and application development. The company recently announced the site in China of a 20,000 tonnes GUR UHMWPE plant, and is also building a 2,000 tonnes Celstran long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics compounding facility.
Amcor is selling its European PET business February 23, 2007
Australian packaging giant Amcor is selling its European PET packaging business and planning a 'comprehensive restructuring' of its European flexible packaging operations. Moves to sell the PET business have already started. Details of the flexible packaging restructure will not be announced until April, but the company has revealed plans to build a Eur 26 million flexibles plant in Poland, specifically dedicated to a large multinational customer, and a Eur 12 million tobacco packaging plant in the Ukraine.
The decision to sell the European PET business follows a review by Amcor from which it has concluded that while 'there are a number of attractive growth opportunities across the region', the PET industry in Europe 'is poised for rationalisation and consolidation'. Amcor says it is not able to fund its global growth plans and buy companies to stay at the top of the European market as it consolidates. 'Therefore, we have decided to sell part, or all, of the European PET business.' It expects to complete a sale within six months.
Amcor bought the world's biggest PET container manufacturer Schmalbach-Lubeca in 2002. It remains in the PET containers business elsewhere in the world.
Eastman to sell Spanish PET business February 23, 2007
Eastman is to sell its Spanish PET business to La Seda de Barcelona, part of the expanding Portuguese group IMG, which reckons to be the second largest PET producer in Europe. The sale of Eastman Chemical Iberia in San Roque includes Eastman's PET polymers manufacturing assets in Spain and the related polyester resins business, and is expected to be completed during the second quarter of this year.
The move is part of Eastman's strategic review of its non-integrated PET polymers assets outside the USA. The San Roque site had previously been condemned to closure and Eastman says this now 'could change'. But the company is still to shut down its CHDM - 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol - plant at the site. CHDM is a monomer used in the manufacture of Eastman's Spectar and Eastar copolyesters and some Eastapak PETs.
Klöckner Pentaplast quits flexible film February 23, 2007
Klöckner Pentaplast has pulled out of flexible film after only two years. It has sold the two Finnish packaging film companies it bought early in 2005 which took it into flexible film. Together with a site at Betzigau in Germany, the Avanspack and Nordpak businesses are being bought by Wipak, the packaging division of the Finnish Wihuri Group.
Flexible film only represented 3 per cent of Klöckner Pentaplast's turnover which is mainly in rigid films for pharmaceutical, medical device, food, electronics, and general-purpose thermoformed packaging, as well as printing and specialty applications. According to Joachim Kreuzburg, president and COO/Europe & Asia, 'The flexible films segment can now be better developed in an environment where it is part of the core business.'
Irish bag tax increase is confirmed February 23, 2007
Following calls last year for the Irish tax on supermarket carrier bags to be increased because its effect was wearing off, the Irish Government has confirmed that it is to increase it from Eur 0·15 to Eur 0·22 on July 1. The tax, introduced in 2002, sparked similar action around the world. Before its introduction the annual Irish consumption of plastic bags was calculated at 328 per individual. After its introduction consumption dropped to just 21 per head. Now government data shows consumption has risen to 30 bags per head - still less than a tenth of the pre-tax usage - so the tax is being increased.
Income from the tax since its introduction is put at around Eur 75 million, which goes to fund other environmental protection measures.
New Zealand recycler calls for ban on bioplastics February 23, 2007
The New Zealand government has been told it should ban bioplastics because of their effect on plastics recycling. Chairman of the Recycling Operators of New Zealand, Bruce Gledhill, told a select committee that the government should use provisions in the Waste Minimisation (Solids) Bill to ban PLA and other bioplastics which are about to become widely adopted for the country's packaging. He was quoted after the hearing saying 'Though PLA plastics are made from a renewable resource - corn - they will stuff up the recycling of the existing PET plastics, by contaminating the waste stream'. He said it was difficult for householders to tell PET and PLA apart and that the confusion would contaminate the PET sent for recycling.
How plastics will play a part in the Olympics February 23, 2007
The role played by plastics products in the staging of the 2012 Olympic Games is to be discussed at a meeting between the Olympic Delivery Authority - responsible for making the games happen - the British Plastics Federation and plastics product manufacturers.
Representatives from the BPF attended the first 'Olympic Briefing', and then had a meeting with the ODA at which the BPF was established as the primary contact and source of information on plastics in the UK for the ODA. A 'Plastics Industry Day' is to be held in the next 3 - 4 months at which the ODA and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) will be able to discuss with manufacturers the use of plastics for building products, sports equipment, packaging, signage, etc.
Nova to boost EPS output February 23, 2007
Nova Innovene is aiming for increased EPS production in Europe through greater production efficiencies. It is planning to raise capacity across its three sites - Marl in Germany, Breda in the Netherlands and Ribécourt in France - from 350,000 to 410,000 tonnes during the next 12 months. The company says there is growing demand for EPS, primarily as building insulation.
Leyland Rubber bought out of administration February 23, 2007
Leyland Rubber, of Leyland, near Preston, has been resurrected as Leyland Rubber Components. Leyland Rubber went into liquidation in January with a threat to around 90 jobs. The company has been bought from the administrator by Chris Turner and John Burdett, and re-opened employing 26. Managing director Chris Turner was most latterly with Fenner Dunlop Conveyor Belting Worldwide where he was responsible for managing the company's European operations. John Burdett continues his previous role at Leyland as production director.
The company makes rubber compound, sheeting, mouldings and extrusions for supply to the construction, electronics and oil industries. It is planning to develop a range of new products over the coming months.
Films association merger goes ahead February 23, 2007
A merger between the Flexible Packaging Association and The Packaging and Industrial Films Association planned last May is to go ahead, creating the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA).
PAFA will have four core groups representing converters; thermoformers; film extruders; and flexible packaging converters and printers. In addition there will be specialist groups covering health & safety; technical and environmental; human resources; and retailer and packer filler communications. Associate membership will also be available to businesses such as machinery and raw material suppliers.
The merger was conceived because although the two associations had traditionally represented different sectors of the films business, company mergers and globalisation have brought those sectors together within corporations.
David Tyson, former chief executive of PIFA, will become chief executive of the new association while Martin Unwin, director of the FPA for the last 21 years, will retire on June 30 but continue to support the association for the rest of the year. Barry Turner, managing director of Britton Group's Security, Retail & Mailing businesses will be chairman of PAFA and David Read, managing director of Printpack, will be vice chairman.
Bourdon and Miller leave Ferromatik Milacron February 23, 2007
Milacron's global head of injection moulding machinery Dr Karlheinz Bourdon is leaving the company and, as we said last month, nearer to home Erwin Miller is leaving the UK subsidiary that he has run since its foundation.
Dr Bourdon will stay on in a consulting capacity for the next few months because of his involvement in some key projects. His caretaker role in charge of European injection moulding production has ceased with the recent appointment of Guy Moilliet to run the plant at Malterdingen in Germany, and his overall responsibility for injection moulding machinery is now handled directly by Bob Simpson who became global president of plastics machinery last November.
Erwin Miller's retirement from the Chesterfield company follows nearly 39 years involvement with plastics, building up not just the Ferromatik Milacron business, but also Colortronic (UK). The existing management team of Paul Crookes, David Lister and Graeme Padfield will continue in their present positions and Clive Scott, who joined the company as a teenager, will take overall responsibility.
Sales changes at Fanuc Roboshot February 23, 2007
Increased effort is being put into European sales of electric injection moulding machines by Fanuc Roboshot Europe. The company has appointed Klaus-Ulrich Schmid as sales manager Europe responsible for the company's direct sales in Britain, France and Germany. He comes from Swiss medical manufacturer Forteq.
At local level in Britain Andy Sargisson, who headed Fanuc Roboshot (UK Division), has left the company to work in Germany for automation specialist Waldorf Technik. He is replaced by Paul Wilkie who moves from hot runner manufacturer Ewikon.
Repsol names Spherizone for new PP plant February 23, 2007
The 300,000 tonnes polypropylene plant being built by Repsol at Sines in Portugal will use Basell Spherizone technology. Start-up is expected in 2010 (not earlier as originally implied in our story about the Azelis agency).
Korean producers fined for price fixing on PP, HDPE February 23, 2007
Ten South Korean petrochemicals companies have been fined by the country's Fair Trade Commission for price fixing on polypropylene and high density polyethylene. Five of them are to face a criminal investigation for their leading role in the cartel.
The price rigging is said to have gone on since 1994. The three largest fines were levied on SK Corporation, Korea Petro Chemical and LG Chemical who between them were fined around $61·8 million of the total $111·8 million.
Ticona names Chinese UHMWPE site February 23, 2007
The new GUR ultra high molecular weight polyethylene plant to be built in China by Ticona will be sited at the Celanese integrated chemical complex in Nanjing. The 20,000 tonnes plant will begin commercial operations in the second half of 2008 when it will increase the company's global GUR UHMWPE capacity to 90,000 tonnes.
Cinpres raises its US profile February 23, 2007
Gas- and water-assisted moulding process specialist Cinpres is expanding in the USA. It has acquired new premises in Whitmore Lake, Michigan, and appointed Lee Pereces, who has long experience in plastics processing and gas assisted applications, to run its US operation.
Trelleborg buys Swedish rubber moulder February 23, 2007
Trelleborg Engineered Systems is to buy Swedish company Gummiteknik GTM which makes rubber components in short and medium runs for the engineering and construction industries among others, by injection moulding, hot extrusion and pressing. The privately-owned company has approximately 30 employees and annual sales of about Eur 3·9 million.
Betol comes back to Britain February 13, 2007
US extrusion equipment group Davis-Standard is moving its European Extrusion systems business back to the UK. It is to be transferred from Erkrath in Germany to the D-S Brookes facility in Birmingham. The Converting Systems business remains in Erkrath.
The former Betol extrusion business was bought from the EIS Group in 1998. The Luton factory was closed and manufacturing moved to the former Er-We-Pa plant in Erkrath in 2001 as part of consolidation moves by Davis-Standard's former parent company Crompton Corporation.
D-S Brookes is a screw and barrel manufacturerer with expertise in surface treatment. Its European marketing director Mark Woodgate - at one time a director of Betol before D-S bought it - has been promoted to Extrusion Systems Europe business director to oversee the sales and marketing for both the D-S Brookes and Davis-Standard pipe and profile product lines throughout Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia.
As well as the Betol brand returning to Britain, the Brookes plant will be home to the Repiquet extrusion equipment brand and European sales of Davis-Standard branded pipe and profile systems. It will be used for final machine assembly and machine acceptance testing.
Davis-Standard says the Brookes plant is undergoing a lean manufacturing transformation to improve cycle times on barrels and screws. 'Once this is complete, we will do the same for our machine building operation in order to meet customer demands for shorter lead times.'
BASF to double PES capacity February 13, 2007
BASF is doubling the capacity for its Ultrason E polyether sulphone at its Ludwigshafen, Germany, plant to 12,000 tonnes and to support the expansion is building a new plant there to make the feedstock DHDPS (dihydroxy diphenyl sulphone). Until now BASF has been buying DHDPS from outside sources. BASF has been making Ultrason at Ludwigshafen since the early 1990s and says that growth rates have been between 20 and 30 per cent for a number of years. The 6,000 tonnes DHDPS line will come on stream mid-2008.
Bayer to 'sharpen the focus' of its MaterialScience business February 13, 2007
Bayer MaterialScience is to be restructured from March 1. It will be run by a management committee comprising the four members of the current board and the heads of the business units. The aim is to 'sharpen the business focus of the management body and, at the same time, create a leaner hierarchy with shorter decision-making channels'. The new committee will give the business unit heads more responsibility.
Röchling buys again in North America February 13, 2007
Röchling Engineering Plastics of Germany has bought Symplastics of Canada. Symplastics makes semi-finished products and has particular expertise in the processing of ultra high molecular weight PE. Last month Röchling bought Glastic Corporation of the USA, which makes glass fibre reinforced products. The Symplastics acquisition brings Röchling's North American plastics processing subsidiaries up to five, with a turnover of more than $200 million and nearly 1,000 employees.
Repsol names Azelis for PP distribution February 10, 2007
Spanish oil and petrochemicals company Repsol has appointed Azelis Plastics UK to distribute its polypropylene in Britain. A contract was signed at the end of January and distribution will begin on April 1. The deal builds on connections in Italy where Azelis has been supplying Repsol PP for many years. Azelis will continue to distribute polypropylene for Total Petrochemicals in the UK.
Repsol is currently expanding its PP capacity and at Sines in Portugal - the site it bought from Borealis in 2004 - it has a Eur 600 million investment programme which will add a polypropylene plant alongside the polyethylene plants. The cracker is being expanded by 40 per cent to more than 570,000 tonnes, and polyolefins capacity to nearly a million tonnes.
Injection moulded closed cell foam process comes to Britain February 10, 2007
A process for injection moulding a self-skinning closed cell flexible foam has been brought to Britain by Foam and Rubber Products of Wellingborough. The process uses PolyCell, an ethylene-based elastomer which is injected into the mould in pellet form, expands, and produces a self-skinning moulding. The material was developed for use in shoe soles - it forms the basis of the Croc Shoe brand - and the company suggests other typical soft foam applications such as sporting goods, pet toys, baby products, pool and spa accessories, medical products and contract seating.
PolyCell is produced by MDI Products, which last year began expanding its application by creating a sales agency network in the USA. The deal with Foam and Rubber Products brings in European coverage.
Foam and Rubber Products compares the PolyCell process with traditional thermoforming of closed cell foam sheet, but with the added advantages of injection moulding, such as the ability to mould-in undercuts, hollow areas, fastening systems and hinges. The surface can be textured, and can incorporate logos and readable text. The material is resistant to bleach, pool chemicals, household cleaners and anti-bacterial soaps. Being closed cell it will float, and will not absorb liquids.
Medical disposables can be moulded with an SiO2 barrier February 10, 2007
Medical disposables can be moulded with a glass-like barrier coating in a new process from Husky Injection Molding Systems and Nano Scale Surface Systems. It is a plasma coating process which applies an internal layer of silicon dioxide, to compete with parts currently made in glass, such as test tubes and blood vials. Unlike existing processes which generate the plasma with microwaves, the Nano Coatings process uses radio frequency energy, and the company says it has already proven effective not just in medical disposables, but also in improving the barrier of PET and polypropylene bottles. Coating costs are put at less than $6/1,000 bottles.
Husky will be distributing the machinery using its existing network handling equipment for PET preforms and medical products.
Trelleborg to close another British plant February 10, 2007
Another Trelleborg plant in Britain is to close. Last November the company announced plans to close its Anti-Vibration Systems plant in Trowbridge. Now it is to shut the Fluid & Acoustic Solutions factory in West Thurrock. The plant makes vehicle parts such as noise-absorbing components.
Production in West Thurrock is expected to continue until the end of this year as most of its production is transferred to other of the business unit's plants in Europe. There are plans to retain a local sales office.
There are approximately 170 employees at the plant, with around 150 likely to be made redundant.
EuPC adopts composites producers February 10, 2007
A group representing the interests of European composites producers has been set up as part of EuPC, the organisation representing European plastics converters.
The European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA) will focus on industrial growth, legislation and regulation, and education.
Lanxess plasticiser gets FDA approval February 10, 2007
US Food and Drug Administration approval has been given to Lanxess plasticiser Mesamoll II for use in contact with aqueous-based foodstuffs. Mesamoll II is an alkylsulfonic phenyl ester suitable for polymers such as polyurethane, NBR rubber and PVC, and the FDA approval clears it for use in products such as toys.
BASF raises acetal capacity February 10, 2007
Capacity for Ultraform acetal is to be increased by around a third at BASF's Ludwigshafen, Germany, plant, reaching 55,000 tonnes by the first quarter of next year. BASF estimates annual growth in demand for acetal at about 4 per cent in Europe and 6 per cent in Asia.
General scores metalliser first in South America February 10, 2007
Bobst Group's General Vacuum Equipment division in Heywood, near Manchester, has sold a K5000 2,850 mm wide vacuum metalliser for BOPP film to OPP Film of Lima, Peru. It is the first K5000 to be installed in South America.
Bayer to adopt new TDI technology increase Chinese plant capacity February 10, 2007
The new technology for TDI production developed by Bayer MaterialScience is to be used at the plant it is building at Caojing near Shanghai in China to increase its capacity from the planned 160,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes. The gas phase phosgenation process reduces investment costs by 20 per cent and energy costs by 40 per cent. It also increases safety and reduces the use of solvents.
Wavin buys telecom cable duct maker February 10, 2007
Dutch pipe maker Wavin has bought Polyfemos, a Norwegian supplier of cable duct systems for telecom access networks. Wavin already has a dedicated plant in France for micro duct related systems and is a major operator in the European market for cable duct systems for 'Last Mile Telecom'.
LinPac expands with French buy February 2, 2007
Box, crate and tray manufacturer LinPac Group has bought a French company with similar interests. It has completed the purchase - begun last October - of Allibert-Buckhorn from the Myers Industries group. Allibert-Buckhorn makes reusable plastic containers and storage tanks. Initially the two companies will trade separately, but the intention is to combine their operations as soon as possible, with headquarters in Nantere, in France.
Plastics exhibitions shuffle for position February 2, 2007
The Polymer Machinery Distributors Association has again lent its name in support of Interplas, adopting it as its members' exhibition of choice in 2008. Part of the decision to support Interplas is that it is held at the NEC in Birmingham.
Reed Exhibitions, which organises Interplas, is planning to broaden the scope of the show, with a greater emphasis on bringing in plastics processors and sub contractors as exhibitors and also adding industrial finance houses and services companies. The exhibition will already have a broader base through being staged concurrently with the PPMA (processing and packaging machinery) and Packaging Innovation shows.
Reed plans to run clinics and seminars on global trading issues and the commercial pressures on British companies; to hold a plastics design competition; to stage environmental and plastics recycling features; and to look into the future with a '2020 plastics production line'.
Getting PMMDA endorsement is important to the Interplas organisers as they face competition for exhibitors from an increasing number of other exhibition companies. Notably, publishing group Emap has gone head-on with Interplas with its Plastics Design and Moulding exhibition which is held every 18 months while Interplas is held every three years, but the timing of PDM makes it fall in the same year as Interplas. Emap - whose publications Plastics & Rubber Weekly and European Plastics News were once sponsors of Interplas with involvement in the organisation of the show - is focusing PDM on injection moulding. But this is the cream sector for plastics exhibitions and competition here, along with the allied materials and ancillary equipment sectors, can make life uncomfortable in the Interplas offices. The importance of the injection moulding and allied sectors can perhaps be demonstrated by the increase in floor space at the second PDM exhibition, while attempts by Emap to stage similar shows for the extrusion and compounding sectors had to be abandoned for lack of exhibitors.
PMMDA support for an exhibition implies that the organisation's members will toe the party line, but as the exhibitor list at the two PDM shows so far testifies, individual PMMDA members have simply followed their own commercial judgement. Alongside the PMMDA the British Plastics Federation has also been a traditional supporter of Interplas, but it added its name to the list of organisations endorsing the most recent PDM show.
Both PDM and Interplas will be held next in 2008, both exhibition companies skirting this year's K exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany - an expedient move as machinery and materials companies exhaust their promotional budgets on the biggest show on earth. Not expressing the same expediency is the newcomer to the exhibition circuit Easy Fairs, which is staging its Plastics Innovations exhibition for the first time this spring. Easy Fairs is actually not quite as green in the plastics market as appears. It has run plastics exhibitions in Belgium and Sweden in its trademark format of keep it small, keep it simple, keep it cheap. Plastics Innovations was announced towards the end of last year with a target of 80 exhibitors and its current exhibitor list stretches to 82 - although that does have the usual overstatement from shared stands and double counting of misspelled names.
Interplas; September 23 - 25, 2008; National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham PDM; April 15 - 17, 2008; Telford International Centre Plastics Innovations; May 23 - 24, 2007; Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Private equity firms tipped to buy GE Plastics February 2, 2007
The anticipated sell-off of General Electric's plastics division is keeping the financial rumour-mongers busy. Despite GE still only saying it is 'considering the disposition of the plastics business' pretty well every large scale chemical corporation around the world has been tipped as a potential buyer. But it seems now from the latest 'sources' quoted by Reuters News Agency that the new owner is unlikely to be an existing plastics producer. A report this week says that with 'no corporate bidder yet in sight', bids are being prepared by four private equity firms - Apollo Management, Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group, and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
An interesting aside to the reportage is Reuters' comment that buy-out specialists, like the four it puts in the frame as bidders, typically go for poorly run companies where they can cut costs and jack up profits, but as a General Electric business GE Plastics is unlikely to offer much scope for improved efficiencies.
DuPont and DSM to build research labs in Asia February 2, 2007
DuPont and DSM are investing in research - including research into polymers - in Asia: DuPont in India and DSM in China.
DuPont is to put $22·5 million into the DuPont Knowledge Center in Hyderabad which is expected to accommodate more than 300 scientists and other employees and will focus on discovery research as well as applications development - initially molecular biology, bio-informatics and polymer synthesis. It will be built on 15 acres at the ICICI Knowledge Park with construction starting in March and full operation in early 2008.
DSM is to build a DSM China Campus in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai. It will incorporate DSM (China) Holding's Shanghai offices and the company's R & D laboratories in China. The DSM China Campus will initially house about 400 people with the possibility to expand, and will be ready by mid 2008. Zhangjiang is decribed as the leading innovation hub in China for bio-technology, nutritional products and advanced materials - which DSM says are its own key future strategic growth areas.
German machinery sales rally and look good for this year February 2, 2007
German plastics and rubber machinery builders are anticipating a 3 per cent growth in sales during this year, continuing an unexpected improvement in the second half of 2006. Trade association the VDMA says that 2006 turned out better than had been forecast after the first half-year. Domestic investment revived and the growth in new orders - up by 15 per cent as the year ended - came equally from Germany and abroad, although demand from Europe lagged behind.
By the end of the third quarter output in the sector had risen by 4·9 per cent. For 2006 as a whole, the VDMA estimates that output will have exceeded Eur 4·8 billion compared with Eur 4·6 billion in 2005.
Overseas deliveries began to recover only late in the summer and by the end of October exports were up by 1·8 per cent. Overseas sales were up in Europe, North and Latin America and in the Near and Middle East but deliveries to Asia are still below the previous year's levels.
Pera sets up at PTL to help with innovation February 2, 2007
Consulting and training group Pera has set up a materials practice in the offices of Polymer Training in Telford to help businesses become more innovative, with the aid of Department of Trade and Industry and European Union funding. It has access to PTL's processing equipment to provide support to businesses throughout the UK wishing to develop their products, services or process ideas.
Pera has a not-for-profit status and a policy to not keep intellectual property rights from projects.
Dow plans further rise in MDI capacity February 2, 2007
Dow Chemical to increase its MDI capacity further to meet the estimated 6 - 8 per cent annual rise in global demand. In October it announced it is to expand MDI production at Estarreja in Portugal, and now has outlined plans to expand production at its Freeport, Texas, USA site by half over the next three years, adding around 110,000 tonnes of capacity.
Dow also makes MDI at La Porte in Texas, and at Yeosu, South Korea; Yokkaichi/Kinu Ura, Japan; Stade, Germany; and at Delfzijl in The Netherlands.
Ineos to upgrade and expand European polyolefin plants February 2, 2007
Ineos Polyolefins is to invest Eur 150 million over the next three years to upgrade and expand some of its plants for polypropylene and low and high density polyethylene by 450,000 tonnes.
Polypropylene capacity will be expanded at Geel in Belgium and Grangemouth in Scotland. A 220,000 tonnes expansion of the Innovene P gas phase polypropylene unit will increase the Geel unit's capacity to 500,000 and making it into one of the largest in the world. The smaller slurry/dry flash polypropylene plant at Geel will close later this year. At Grangemouth the 250,000 tonnes liquid pool polypropylene unit will undergo a 30,000 tonnes debottlenecking operation raising its capacity to 280,000 tonnes, with a further 30,000 tonnes improvement to be implemented when market demand permits.
High density polyethylene capacity expansions will take place at the Lillo site in Belgium, increasing the capacity of the bi-modal slurry phase unit by 200,000 tonnes to 630,000 tonnes. The new capacity, which will be in place by 2009, will also make this one of the largest such plants in the world. The smaller and older of the two Grangemouth gas phase plants - an HDPE unit - will close at the end of this year provided there are no significant changes in market conditions.
In addition these improvements to existing plants, Ineos is also 'committing significant funds' to accelerate the development and commercialisation of advanced linear low density polyethylene products made with its proprietary metallocene catalyst technology.
Lanxess raises nylon 6 output February 2, 2007
An extra 20,000 tonnes of nylon 6 capacity has been added at Lanxess Semi-Crystalline Products' Uerdingen plant in Germany by extending an existing production line. At Uerdingen Lanxess makes the base polymer, and also compounds it into Durethan. The expansion is to the base polymer line.
Huntsman joins in Russian PU venture February 2, 2007
A polyurethane systems joint venture has been set up in Russia by Huntsman Corporation of the US - which bought the ICI Polyurethanes business in 1999 - and a major Russian polyurethanes supplier NMG. The new ZAO Huntsman - NMG company will make and sell polyurethane systems to the adhesives, coatings, elastomers and insulation markets in Russia and other areas in the former Soviet Union.
NMG and Huntsman have been linked commercially for nearly 10 years.
Veka plans Russian profile plant February 2, 2007
Veka of Germany, which makes PVC window and door frames, is to build a plant in Russia. It is to invest around Eur 14 million over the next three years in a plant in the Kiev region.
Rhein Chemie builds rubber chemicals plant in India February 2, 2007
Increased demand from Indian rubber processors has led to Lanxess subsidiary Rhein Chemie Rheinau building a plant for its Rhenogran polymer-bound rubber chemicals at the Lanxess plant at Madurai in Southern India. This is the second Rhenogran investment in Asia in a year. The company invested Eur 2·8 million to double its production of Rhenogran in China last year.
PP plant planned for Egypt February 2, 2007
A 350,000 tonnes polypropylene plant is to be built in Egypt for 2009 start-up. The Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company plant at Port Said will use Basell Spheripol technology and the project will also include a new 350,000 tonnes STAR technology propane dehydrogenation plant licensed by Uhde. Egyptian Propylene and Polypropylene Company is a joint venture owned by Oriental Petrochemical Company, Oriental Weavers and ECHEM.
Tessenderlo sets greater emphasis on pipe systems February 2, 2007
Belgium's Tessenderlo PVC group is to strengthen the pipe operations of its Plastics Converting business sector. It is to build up its operations in Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK with greater synergy between locations, and to introduce new products to complete its range of pipe systems. Operations in Central Europe will be accelerated using the existing plants in Poland and the Czech Republic. As part of the greater emphasis on pipe systems, the name will change from Plastic Pipes & Fittings to Plastic Pipe Systems, and Hans Telgen, director of the Dutch subsidiary Dyka, will move in as managing director from April 1.
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