The european marketleader in special application cables Leoni AG, Germany has taken over 51 per cent of Protec Kabel Produktion GmbH, Germany. Protec is a leading manufacturer of complete cable systems for automation technology and employs approx. 90 people at its two plants.
Additive manufacturer Akcros Chemicals has moved its mixing and granulating plant “Akropak-one-pack” from Roermont in the Netherlands to Greiz in Germany. The company intends to implement new structures and has invested approx. Euro 1,9 for this purpose and the movement. In Greiz there is already a plant for the production of polymer additives in operation.
Orbita Film, Germany will invest Euro 23 million including four new extrusion lines to expand its existing production facility in Germany. The total capacity will rise to 100.000 jato. The new extrusion lines are mainly thought for the production of technical films. Orbita has a turnover of approx. Euro 82 million, 345 employees and 52 existing extrusion lines.
The global profile extruder Veka, USA has invested US$ 15 million to expand its operation by adding a new production facility to its headquarter in Fombell, USA. Veka will manufacture composite deckings and vinyl fencings to cover the huge market demand especially in North America.
Exxon Mobil, Belgium has introduced a new bimodal propylene-elastomere. Main properties of “Vistalon 8700″ are a very smooth surface and excellent sealability. It is suitable for different kinds of seals in the automotive industry.
The Shanghai-based pipe machinery manufacturer Inteck-ZWCC has developed a new extrusion line for both crosslinked polyethylne and PPR or PPB. The PE-X making is of so called one step silane crosslinking. The line has a mode switch changing the system setup both PE-X and PP. The present line can make pipes up to 63 OD and will be reach to 125 OD very soon.
Japan Polychem Corp. has recently made the first commercial-scale test run of very low-melting, metallocene random-copolymer PP. According to the company this metallocene RCP (mRCP) is superior in strength and transparency to convential RCP. Due to the very low melting point of 125 C (257 F) it is very suitable for heat-sealable films which reportedly can be sealed at a 10-degree C lower temperature than commerciallly available materials. JPC plans to commercialize mRCP by end of the year.
Pipe Coiling Technology, UK has been developed and patented a pipe coiling system which is able to produce finished length-marked coils of PE pipe. This system consist of a single head coiler with cutting and marking device. Meter marking from zero at the begining of each coil and straps applied to intermediate layers and the whole coil are main features of this technology. It can be operated fully automatically at speeds up to 8 m/min.
According to Freedonia Group Inc.’s „World Plastic Pipe” report the plastic pipe will account 39% per cent of the global pipe demand by 2003. Therefore plastics will become more popular in the world-wide pipe market. Exception will be North America where the plastic pipe demand will drop.
Cooley Group Inc, USA will invest EURO 20 million in a coated-fabric plant in Richburg. The 75.000-square-foot facility will include a number of new extrusion coating machinery and is planed to start-up operation early in 2001. Cooley has a turnover of EURO 100 million.
