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Calne-based injection moulder and toolmaker PP Injection Mould & Mouldings is the latest company to be acquired by Avon Group Manufacturing of Bedminster near Bristol. Avon has a strategic plan to create a strong local cluster of companies, each of which trades independently, but all of which benefit from the complementary strengths within the group.
Avon was set up in 1979 with a focus on water cutting technology, but in the face of a tough economic climate it decided to expand hrough acquiring allied companies within alternative industry sectors. In December 2004 it bought Precision Cut Rubber of Corsham and in February 2005 the company went on to acquire United Polymers in the Czech Republic. In April 2005 Avon bought P & D Manufacturing, another Wiltshire company, in tooling and plastic injection moulding.
PP Injection Mould & Mouldings was set up in 1977 as a toolmaking and trade moulding company to offer a one-stop service from tool design to final product manufacture.
Companies fined for Stockline blast August 29, 2007
Fines totalling £400,000 have been levied on the two companies who pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches which led to the Stockline blast in Glasgow in 2004. ICL Plastics and ICL Tech have each been fined £200,000: a figure intended not to cripple the companies and cause further local distress through unemployment, but described as 'inadequate' by the Scottish TUC.
The blast resulted from a gas leak from a corroded feed pipe whose condition had not been checked under circumstances of conflicting and health and safety guidance.
Plastics education - Basell ducks the issue August 29, 2007
An educational game intended to inspire students to become 'the Zieglers and Nattas of the future' has been added to the Nobel foundation's web site. Basell is sponsoring the game, 'Heating Plastics', which is designed to educate children 14 years and older about plastics - how they are made, what they are used to produce and the Nobel Prize-awarded chemistry behind their creation.
Heating Plastics has a talking toy duck which guides visitors through the game and illustrates the chemistry used to create various types of plastics. Visitors are presented with a variety of plastic items and are tested on their knowledge of polymer chemistry, judging whether an item is a thermoplastic, or a thermoset. Each correct guess is awarded a 'catalyst', a substance that initiates the polymerisation reaction to form a plastic, and winners who collect enough catalysts can produce their own toy duck.
Bayer plans polycarbonate compounding investments August 28, 2007
A day after it revealed the sale of its share in the Exatec business (see below) and expectations of rapid growth in polycarbonate automotive glazing, Bayer MaterialScience has announced a Eur 20 million investment in polycarbonate compounding in Germany and plans for polycarbonate compounding plants in China and India.
The German investment, at Krefeld-Uerdingen, will bring a new logistics centre for storing, mixing and packing Makrolon and the polycarbonate blends Bayblend and Makroblend. A 130,000 tonnes storage silo will be built for direct filling, enabling gentle mixing, dust removal and packing of granules. The silo will give a high material throughput, which Bayer says benefits both product quality and supply flexibility. The capacity would be expandable to 180,000 tonnes.
As well as the supply logistics, the new facility is intended to improve product quality. Each production line will be assigned to a filling unit, with granules being transported to blending silos using processes that minimise dust build-up in the granules. Mobile filling stations will be used for packing 25 kg bags and bulk containers. The filling procedure is said to be particularly gentle on the product as it works by gravity.
The initial expansion phase in Germany is scheduled to begin at the end of 2008. Earlier in the year Bayer expects to start up a compounding plant for Makrolon and its blends in southern China. A further Asian compounding plant is to be built in New Delhi, India, for start-up at the end of 2008. Bayer is currently doubling the capacity of its 100,000 tonnes polycarbonate plant in China.
Trelleborg plans to close Swedish moulding plant August 28, 2007
Swedish rubber components giant Trelleborg is planning to cease moulding at one of its Swedish plants and move most of the manufacturing there to Estonia.
Components made at the plant, at Mörbylånga, are primarily for heavy trucks. Trelleborg is negotiating with trades unions there to move the work to the Kuressaare plant in Estonia and some other Swedish plants, particularly Forsheda, in stages up to the third quarter of next year.
Trelleborg says the decision 'is part of the process to create a more efficient production structure with fewer and more specialized units, thus ensuring future cost-effectiveness for these operations.'
Automotive glazing JV partners split August 27, 2007
Bayer MaterialScience is selling its share in the Exatec automotive glazing business to its partner GE Plastics. The two companies set up the 50:50 joint venture in 1998 to develop automotive glazing in polycarbonate.
Exatec has a technical development centre in Wixom, near Detroit in the USA and a European subsidiary in Bergisch Gladbach near Cologne in Germany. Over the years it has developed a number of technologies for using polycarbonate in car windows, including 3D printing, decoration technologies, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition hardcoats.
Both Bayer and GE Plastics have continued their automotive glazing developments alongside Exatec, and GE Plastics, for instance, recently opened an automotive glazing technology centre at Bergen-op-Zoom in the Netherlands, using technologies from Exatec.
Bayer has scored a number of successes with its Makrolon such as the Mercedes GL-Class roof module and the panorama roof of the new smart fortwo and intends to expand its automotive glazing business. Dr Günter Hilken, head of the Polycarbonates Business Unit at Bayer MaterialScience, said that in the next few years, Bayer anticipates fast growth in applications for polycarbonate, particularly in large panorama roofs.
Bayer adds another PU systems operation August 27, 2007
Another polyurethane systems house has been taken over by Bayer MaterialScience for inclusion in its growing network of PU systems businesses. Brahe of the Czech Republic has been bought from the TP Holding group of companies based in Prague and will become BaySystems CentralEurope. Brahe works largely in rigid polyurethane foam applications for the insulation of refrigerating
appliances and water heaters.
Bayer's Europe, Middle East, and Africa region PU systems operations include BaySystems BÜFA in Germany; BaySystems Northern Europe for Scandinavia, the Baltic countries, and the northern part of Eastern Europe; BaySystems Italia for Italy; BaySystems Iberia for the Iberian peninsula; BaySystems Pearl for the Middle East; and a company covering southern Africa.
RPC Hereford faces closure August 23, 2007
RPC Containers is planning to close its 30 years old Hereford plant where it makes injection moulded and thermoformed rigid polypropylene containers for the yellow fats, salads/dairy, ice cream, snacks and wholesale markets. The company has entered a 90 days consultation with the 150 workers at the plant, on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate. A statement from RPC says: 'Despite great efforts on the part of many people throughout the Hereford operation and investment in new business, it has not been possible to bring the Hereford plant into sustainable profit.'
RPC says it would consolidate the injection moulding and thermoforming business into other group sites.
RPC bought the Hereford plant from Rexam in 2004 along with three other plants in France, Belgium and the Czech Republic. In June it bought an injection moulded packaging company in Slovakia.
DuPont expands Korean nylon compounds plant August 23, 2007
Demand in Asia for its Zytel nylons has led to a 20,000 tonnes expansion at DuPont's Ulsan, Korea, compounding plant. DuPont is planning to invest some $200 million in its engineering polymers business over the next three years, and over the past three years has spent more than $200 million, much of it in Asia.
GE Plastics takes control in Japan August 23, 2007
GE Plastics is tidying up its Japanese plastics joint ventures ahead of its imminent takeover by SABIC. It is taking control of GE Plastics Japan and GEM PC, and will shut down GEM PC next year.
In both companies GE is in partnership with Mitsui Chemicals and Nagase & Co. It is buying them out completely in GE Plastics Japan which will continue to operate as before, but with the closure of its Chiba facility within Mitsui's Ichihara works. Nagase will continue as GE Plastics' sales agent in China and South East Asia.
GE Plastics has bought out Nagase's interest in polycarbonate producer GEM PC, raising its stake to 58 per cent, and will continue to run the company with Mitsui until the end of March next year, when GEM PC will be liquidated and GE Plastics Japan will supply polycarbonate from other Lexan production sites around the world.
Windsor takes on JSW electrics August 23, 2007
Windsor Kunststofftechnologie of Germany is now representing Japan Steel Works to sell its electric injection moulding machines in Germany and Eastern Europe. Windsor is the former Cannon Group company sold to Taylor's HPM of the USA along with Sandretto in 2005. Earlier this year Taylor's sold it to US investment company Francis & Associates.
The JSW electric machine range spans from 35 to 2,500 tonnes.
Window frame giant sold to Bahrain buy-out firm August 23, 2007
Europe's, and possibly the world's biggest manufacturer of PVC window and door frame profiles, Profine of Germany, has been bought by a buy-out firm based in Bahrain. Arcapita Bank has paid a reported Eur 775 million for the company which has been owned by Carlyle Group and Advent International since being bought from Rütgers in 2004.
Profine employs 3,700 people in 21 countries and generated revenues of Eur 848 million last year.
When Carlyle and Advent bought Profine it was part of HT Troplast, which also included cross-linked polyolefin foam producer Trocellen and Dynos, which makes vulcanised fibres for abrasive discs. Trocellen was subsequently sold to Furukawa Chemical and Otsuka Chemical, and Dynos to M2 Capital Partners.
Biofuel growth yields sales potential as BPI buys Canadian films company August 21, 2007
British Polythene Industries has bought a Canadian film company from Celanese Corporation. It has acquired the AT Films business of AT Plastics Inc (Canada) for $12 million. Celanese is retaining AT Plastics. AT Films makes polyethylene film for the horticultural and agricultural markets, mainly in North America. It has facilities in Edmonton and Westlock, Alberta, Canada and employs 65 people. In the last financial year to 31 December 2006, AT Films sold 12,500 tonnes of polyethylene film products valued at $35 million.
BPI chairman Cameron McLatchie said the acquisition was part of the company's strategy of developing its international agricultural and horticultural films business.
In addition to offering new geographic markets, AT Films brings new products to BPI including a range of large agricultural bags which are used to store silage and grain. The stored grain is subsequently used as animal feed or as raw material in the manufacture of biofuels. 'We believe that there is significant opportunity to expand sales of this product as global demand for biofuels increases.'
Borouge to make automotive PP compounds in China August 21, 2007
Borouge is to build a compounding plant in China to make polypropylene compounds for the automotive and electrical appliance sectors. The 50,000 tonnes facility will be built near Shanghai and will be supplied with PP from the Borouge plant at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi. Borouge will initially target companies such as VW, GM and PSA operating in China, but expects eventually to sell to other Asian markets and companies in the Middle East.
The Ruwais facility is currently being expanded under the Borouge 2 project, which will triple its annual capacity to 2 million tonnes of polyolefins. The Chinese compounding plant will enable the production for the first time of polypropylene matrix materials - compounds with mineral or glass fillers. Borouge 2 and the new Chinese compounding plant are expected to be on stream in 2010.
China is the world's fastest growing automotive market and expects to become the biggest car producer in the world within the next 10 years.
New CEO at Coperion August 21, 2007
New chief executive of the Coperion Group in Germany is Günter Bachmann, who has been a member of the company's board for three years, as chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
New monomer source for PLA August 20, 2007
An alternative route into polylactic acid manufacture is being offered to biopolymer manufacturers not yet making PLA by Purac, a subsidiary of Dutch bakery ingredients company CSM, which says it is global market leader in lactic acid. Purac is planning to add lactides to its product range and introduce a technology enabling lactides to be used as monomers for PLA production.
Purac says that using this technology it is possible to produce bioplastics that withstand temperatures of at least 175 degC, opening potential for products such as hot-fill bottles and microwaveable trays.
The company says that by using lactides as a monomer for PLA production, it can bridge the technology gap that currently restricts acceleration of the PLA market, reducing costs and investments.
Purac is building a lactic acid plant in Thailand with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes which will be operational by January 2008.
Rimplas buys another Hennecke TopLine August 20, 2007
A fourth Hennecke TopLine high pressure metering unit is being added to the polyurethane RIM equipment at RIM Plastics Technology in Basildon. The TopLine 650, supplied by AutoRIM of Whaley Bridge, will operate three MP mix heads with full process diagnostics. One function of the Wintronic parameter control system is to identify potential process problems and reduce the quantity of chemicals lost in scrap production. The machine will also be fitted with an Aeromat GU gas loading unit which delivers precise nucleation of the polyol component.
Wound thermoplastic tank manufacturer links with German company August 20, 2007
Chemical Process Solutions of Seaham in County Durham has formed a joint venture with Schwaben Kunststoff of Germany and says it is now one of the largest UK manufacturers of helically wound thermoplastic vessels. The joint venture covers the manufacture of vessels up to 80 m³ and 3·5 m in diameter. The techniques and procedures transferred from Schwaben will result in products approved to EU standards far exceeding those of current UK BSEN12573, says CPS.
CPS says it plans 'significant capital investment' and increased employment.
Stockline blast - ICL pleads guilty August 20, 2007
Two Glasgow plastics companies, ICL Plastics and ICL Tech, have pleaded guilty to violations of health and safety regulations which resulted in the Stockline Plastics blast in 2004. Nine people died and 40 more were injured in the explosion, caused by a failure to a gas pipe. Reports of the explosion referred to it as occurring at Stockline Plastics because that was the most readily identifiable name of the three sister companies at the scene, although Stockline was in adjacent premises.
The prosecution opened in the High Court in Glasgow last Friday. Prosecutors have decided to act against the company and not against any individuals. Sentencing will be at an unspecified later date.
Sumitomo to buy Asahi Kasei PP compounds plant in Havant August 18, 2007
As part of a bid to expand sales of polypropylene compounds in the Western automotive industry Sumitomo Chemical of Japan is to acquire the Asahi Kasei Chemicals PP compounding plant at Havant near Portsmouth, currently trading as AK & N (UK). The 40,000 tonnes plant is owned 65 per cent by Asahi Kasei and 35 per cent by Planesa, a Belgium-based holding company which coordinates the plastics operations of four Nichimen Group companies in Europe. AK & N has a 20,000 tonnes plant in Marseilles, France, which will also be included in the acquisition.
Sumitomo will rename the business Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe. It will be a joint venture between itself (50 per cent) and the Itochu Group and Toyo Ink Group, which will each hold 25 per cent. Sumitomo is also linking with Toyo Ink to set up a compounding business in the USA. This will be called Sumika Polymer Compounds America and will run separately from its other US PP business, the Phillips Sumika Polypropylene Company 50:50 joint venture it has with Chevron Phillips Chemical Co making Marlex brand polypropylenes.
The new company will build a 26,000 tonnes compounding plant for start up in early 2009 and will be based near Atlanta in Georgia. It will be owned 55 per cent by Sumitomo and 45 per cent by Toyo Ink.
Last year Sumitomo set up Zhuhai Sumika Polymer Compounds Co in China with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes of PP compounds, and is studying plans for further expansion.
Polypropylene is one of Sumitomo Chemical's core petrochemical businesses. It has a capacity of around 2 million tonnes from four plants - in Japan, the USA and Singapore with the fourth due on stream at its petrochemicals joint venture with The Saudi Arabian Oil Company in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, towards the end of 2008.
Nylacast Materials faces the future with a new name and strategy August 18, 2007
Semi-finished materials producer Nylacast Materials, which specialises in cast polyamide and extruded PA, POM and PET, is rebranding and undergoing a £multi-million investment programme. Nylacast Materials was part of Nylacast Ltd, which split earlier this year when the engineered components was bought out by its management. The components business retained the name Nylacast Ltd.
On September 1 Nylacast Materials will change its name to Global EPP and at K2007 it will introduce a new sales and distribution strategy, oriented towards supply chain management.
Over the past five years the company has invested 'millions of pounds' in production machinery for casting and extruding together with support equipment to give a global manufacturing capacity in excess of 20,000 tonnes. The investment programme, which is now coming to its end, has also brought recycling facilities enabling the company to reuse all its waste materials.
Extrusion Dies sets up European office in Britain August 18, 2007
American extrusion die specialist Extrusion Dies Inc has set up a European sales office in Sandhurst (telephone 07704 325432). It will serve customers throughout Europe (including Russia) and the Middle East, working alongside EDI's existing agents in these regions and with the company's German subsidiary. European sales manager is Andrei Stapinoiu who has joined EDI from EGS Gauging - formerly Eurotherm.
Training options from Polymer Training have been extended through a new cooperation with RJG of the USA - which now incorporates training specialist Routsis Associates. PTL expects to expand its portfolio of learning products and access new markets, while RJG gets deeper penetration of the European and Asian markets.
The first offering through the PTL and RJG partnership will be a Systematic Molding I course being taught at the PTL facility in Telford from October 16 to 18. RJG has provided an eDART System and cavity pressure sensors to instrument moulds at PTL.
PVC recycling could double in volume this year August 18, 2007
The volume of post-consumer rigid PVC recycled in Britain this year under the Recovinyl scheme passed 15,000 tonnes in June: the total for the whole of 2006 was 16,836 tonnes. Recovinyl's UK agent Axion Recycling anticipates beating the 2007 target of 30,000 tonnes.
Axion attributes the rapid growth in PVC recycling to major investments in plant and equipment by Recovinyl member companies, particularly in the reclaiming of used window frames.
Axion says there is now greater interest in recycling plasticised PVC with increased volumes coming from cables, flooring and signage.
BASF adds PPSU to its Ultrason series August 18, 2007
A third sulphone polymer has been introduced by BASF and is available for customer trials. The new Ultrason P 3010 is a polyphenylsulphone and adds to BASF's existing Ultrason S polysulphone and Ultrason E polyethersulphone.
The new material combines the high melting temperature of Ultrason E with the low water absorption of Ultrason S, while also displaying high chemical resistance. It has good notched-impact resistance, unlike most amorphous high-performance plastics which are notch-sensitive and can break at notches under impact stress, says BASF. This property extends into Charpy notched impact strength: Ultrason P achieves a value that is almost ten times greater than that of other amorphous high-temperature materials.
BASF says Ultrason P is also more resistant to sterilisation with hot steam than other plastics of this class. It withstands up to 2000 hot steam cycles when exposed to a combination of strong cleansers and disinfectants as well as high heat. The material is also inherently fire resistant.
Applications anticipated for Ultrason P include pipe connectors and valves in plumbing; aerospace components such as seat and lamp covers, ventilation valves, overhead luggage lockers and in-flight food containers; and for transparent parts of milking systems. Approval is being sought for food and drinking water contact.
Ultrason P is produced at BASF's Ultrason plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where capacity is currently being expanded from 6,000 to 12,000 tonnes. In addition to a transparent grade, a white and a black Ultrason P 3010 will also be added.
3i investment will fuel Mold-Masters expansion August 18, 2007
Capital investment firm 3i is taking a 'significant' stake in Canadian hot runner specialist Mold-Masters. The investment will give Mold-Masters the resource to accelerate its expansion in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America and consider acquisition opportunities both in the hot runner segment and beyond. 3i will take over chairmanship of the company, through Hamdi Conger who has chaired several of 3i's portfolio companies, while Mold-Masters' Jonathon Fisher remains chief executive.
French office continues overseas growth for Regloplas August 18, 2007
Swiss fluid temperature controller manufacturer Regloplas is expanding its overseas presence by opening an office in France, following the establishment last year of a company in China. Since 1970 Regloplas has been represented in France by Netstal, and the split has been made to enable both companies to concentrate on their own products.
In China Regloplas had been represented by Seiko Engineering, but this arrangement was limited to sales to overseas companies. By setting up its own subsidiary Regloplas has been able to sell to the domestic Chinese market.
Billion opens up in Germany August 18, 2007
French injection moulding machine manufacturer Billion is pitching for 10 per cent of its sales to come from Germany in the next 2 - 3 years, and has set up a subsidiary in Offenburg to support German moulders. Billion says that during the Fakuma Show in 2006 there was interest from German moulders in its three-component machine, and it will also be pushing for business in thin wall packaging and liquid silicone.
GE/SABIC deal gets European green light August 3, 2007
The European Commission today approved the sale of GE Plastics to SABIC, concluding that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area or a substantial part of it. The Commission found that the product portfolios of both companies are largely complementary, Sabic focusing on raw materials and commodity plastics, and GE Plastics specialising in engineering plastics. 'Accordingly, the proposed transaction would not lead to significant overlaps in any market.'
The Commission also analysed the effects of the vertical integration - SABIC being a supplier of materials that could be used by GE Plastics in its own production - and found no risk to other producers.
So with a European approval in the bag, and therefore presumably US approval also, the way is clear for a third quarter conclusion to the deal and the creation of what Plastics News in the USA reports will be 'Sabic Innovative Plastics'.
Azelis expands in the Alps and in the UK August 3, 2007
Chemicals and plastics distributor Azelis has increased its European coverage with the acquisition of two Swiss companies, Heinz Schlegel and Meister, and their formation into a new operating division, Azelis Alpine. Azelis says the new company will enable it to start operating in Switzerland and Austria.
Schlegel and Meister were sister companies, with Meister making a range of additives under its own name which Azelis will now sell elsewhere in Europe. Their combined sales in 2006 were Eur 15 million, with eight staff.
In Britain Azelis subsidiary Chance & Hunt is to buy Kemira Growhow's Process Chemicals business based at Ince in Cheshire. Included in the Process Chemicals portfolio are rubber processing chemicals.
Märtl leaves K-M, Reichel heads injection machinery pro tem August 3, 2007
Chairman of the board of Krauss-Maffei, Josef Märtl, has left the company. No reason has been given for his departure at the end of July, and a company statement says it was 'by mutual agreement'.
Mr Märtel had been with Krauss-Maffei since joining as a trainee in 1973, and most recently was in charge of the injection moulding division. He is replaced temporarily in this role by Manfred Reichel, who is head of the extrusion division.
Cinpres and BASF research water injection together August 3, 2007
Cinpres Gas Injection has teamed up with BASF Engineering Plastics in the USA to research cooling time improvements with water injection technology. The improvements in cooling that can be brought by coring out mouldings with a jet of water are well known, but according to Cinpres the technique has had a reputation for leaks and unreliability. Cinpres has developed nozzles and injection systems and claims to have solved the water-related problems. The joint operation with BASF, with whom an experimental unit has been set up at BASF's New Jersey facility, is intended to improve on the 50 per cent reductions in cooling time already achievable with water injection.
Compression moulded preforms for PET bottles August 2, 2007
A process for making PET bottle preforms with compression rather than injection moulding has been developed by SACMI of Italy. The company has built a prototype 48 cavity machine that is running at 27,000 preforms/hour, moulding 23 g CSD preforms with a 28PCO neck finish.
SACMI - which is a specialist in cap compression moulding systems, and also makes machines and tooling for PET preform injection moulding - says compression moulding offers a number of advantages over injection moulding. The PET is processed at a lower temperature, saving energy, and SACMI says there are further energy savings in the blowing stage because the orientation in the preforms means they require less heating for blowing. The greater homogeneity claimed for compression moulded preforms is reflected in a better bottle performance. And as there is no injection gate in the bottom there is more scope for stretching the bottom of the bottle.
SACMI will be introducing its PAM - Preform Advanced Moulding - system at K2007.
Reclaimed-content HDPE milk bottle to go into general production August 2, 2007
The trials earlier this year of closed loop HDPE milk bottle recycling have led to Nampak Plastics Europe putting a commercial process into operation next year. From next summer Nampak will be moulding a milk bottle containing rHDPE supplied by Closed Loop London at up to 6,000 tonnes a year. The bottles will initially contain 10 per cent rHDPE but Nampak expacts to raise this to 30 per cent in 2009.
The reclaim will come from a new production facility at Closed Loop London's £13 m plastics recycling and reprocessing plant in Dagenham.
The new Nampak bottle will be the first widely available in Britain to contain rHDPE. Following the trials earlier this year the company is supplying Marks & Spencer with a 10 per cent rHDPE bottle for its organic milk range.
Closed Loop London's managing director Chris Dow commented: 'We hope that the creation of an environmentally sound end market opportunity for recycled HDPE will actively encourage full Government support for consistent milk bottle collection across all kerbside collection schemes - making it the sensible and simple solution for all consumers wanting to recycle their used milk bottles.'
Huhtamaki introduces rPET containers August 2, 2007
Huhtamaki has started making thermoformed packaging using recycled PET in Britain. Its new salad packs contain between 40 and 70 per cent rPET. The adoption of recycled PET has come as a result of improved collection of waste plastics, and the company's general manager sales, Consumer Goods UK, Andrew Lea said that Huhtamaki would be using it further to replace virgin PET: 'As households in the UK increasingly have access to local bottle collection services and additional reprocessing capacity has come on stream we believe we can start shifting more and more products to sustainable RPET'.
Exxon improves the productivity of butyl rubber production August 2, 2007
A new technology for making butyl rubber has been implemented at ExxonMobil Chemical's Notre Dame de Gravenchon plant in France which the company is describing as 'possibly the biggest breakthrough in butyl process technology since the invention of halobutyl'. It is the result of a
multi-million dollar, multi-year programme and brings a 'significant' increase to the yield from existing plants together with energy savings from reducing the temperature of the polymerisation process.
Exxon plans to introduce the technology at its other butyl plants worldwide and while no specific detail is given of the timing or the productivity improvements likely, the company says that overall production increase would be 'equivalent to a world scale plant'.
Basell to buy oil refinery to cover its back August 2, 2007
Basell is planning to protect its French polyolefins plants by making a bid for Shell's oil refinery at the Berre l'Etang petrochemical complex. Its polypropylene and polyethylene plants, a steam cracker and butadiene extraction unit at the same site and a polyethylene plant at nearby Fos sur Mer, together are currently the largest customer of the Shell refinery. Last year, to strengthen its ethylene and propylene integration, Basell acquired the remaining 50 per cent interest in the Berre steam cracker from Shell.
Basell chief executive Volker Trautz commented: 'The refinery is of strategic importance to Basell because it provides a further backward integration of our activities at the Berre site, one of our core European sites. Its products play an important role in support of our Polyolefins Europe business and through the acquisition we will be able to simplify existing interfaces and operate even more effectively.'
A purchase price of $700 million has been agreed and the transaction is expected to close early next year.
CTS to increase TPE capacity August 2, 2007
Capacity for Tessenderlo's Téfabloc TPE materials is to be increased by 40 per cent. The Compounding Technology Services plant in Tiffauges, France, is being extended to more than 25,000 tonnes in a Eur 3·5 million investment which includes the installation of Maris compounder, the biggest in the range, with an 8,000 tonnes annual capacity. Téfabloc TPEs are mainly SBS-based, but the series includes hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers for automotive sealing applications.
Arburg sets up Indonesian subsidiary August 2, 2007
Arburg has added again to its worldwide network of subsidiaries by taking over its Indonesian representative and establishing it as an independent subsidiary, becoming 'the first major European injection moulding machine manufacturer to have its own subsidiary in Indonesia'. A few weeks ago the company broke more ground in Asia by appointing representatives in both North and South Vietnam.
Bubble wrap is Compost-a-Bubble August 2, 2007
A compostable bubble wrap film has been developed by PH Flexible Packaging of Swadlincote using polyethylene film from BPI Films. The company already has a degradable (Degrade-a-Bubble) product but its new Compost-a-Bubble goes further, meeting the tough EN 13432 standard. This requires 90 per cent biodegradation within 90 days: ASTM, ISO and DIN standards call for 60 per cent biodegradation within 180 days. PH says that Compost-a-Bubble is effective in industrial composting facilities, and is particularly suitable for wrapping items such as fruit, vegetables or flowers, enabling retailers to dispose of any unsold product and packaging as a single item.
Gammaflux offers support for Husky hot runner controllers August 2, 2007
The purchase by Husky of Moldflow's Manufacturing Solutions hardware business, which includes the MSI hot runner temperature controllers, put an end to the badge engineering of Gammaflux hot runner temperature controllers, which were sold under the Husky name.
Now Gammaflux is promoting a support service for users of its Husky-badged controllers.
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