Materials

3D printing offers unique opportunities to produce three-dimensional, often complex shaped parts in one single step. While predominantly prototypes and sample parts have been produced in small numbers so far, many industries are increasingly interested in industrial mass production. Silicon Valley based company Carbon has developed Digital Light Synthesis (DLS)…

Additive manufacturing or commonly known as 3D is seeing a spurt of growth with various companies making announcements for new tie-ups and product launches to make the process more commercial for mass production. Collaborations for technologies German chemicals firm BASF’s 3D Printing Solutions unit is to provide its photopolymer additive manufacturing…

China, currently mired in a trade conflict with the US, is betting on development plans of advanced manufacturing and sustainability to keep its clout in the global economic arena. At the recent Chinaplas, held from 21-24 May in Guangzhou, more than 3,500 local and foreign companies showcased their wares, with…

India’s Polyplex, which manufactures biaxially oriented polyester (BOPP) film for packaging, electrical and other industrial applications with facilities in India, Thailand and Turkey, has set up an arm in Indonesia. A new company named PT Polyplex Films Indonesia was set up in 2017 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Polyplex…

Japanese airline JAL’s A350 XWB aircraft, Airbus’s new-generation extra-wide-body midsize jetliner is incorporating chemical firm Teijin’s Tenax TPCL carbon fibre thermoplastic consolidated laminate. The aircraft with primary carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) parts was delivered to JAL recently. As a supplier to Airbus for over 30 years, Teijin says it has…

German materials supplier BASF and automotive parts manufacturer Liyang Shanhu Industry Auto Trim Material Co., have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement to develop lightweight and low-emission polyurethane (PU) system product applications. “There is an increasing demand in China for composite products that make automotive parts lighter for fuel efficiency,…

UK engineering compounds manufacturer Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe is to acquire Turkish plastics group Emas. Part of the deal are three compounding sites with what Sumika says are extensive compounding expertise. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sumika is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Group, with Itochu Corp. and…

German additives maker Baerlocher says it is continuing to invest significantly in its Malaysian subsidiary. The company expanded its Seremban site with an additional production line for metal stearates, a new warehouse and an office facility. With this investment of more than US$10 million, Baerlocher says it is preparing for…

UK chemical firm Inoes has signed an agreement with Saudi Aramco and France’s Total to build three new plants in the Middle East, as part of the Jubail 2 complex in Saudi Arabia. The three world-scale plants will produce the key building blocks for carbon fibre, engineering polymers and synthetic…

China has successfully transformed itself as a producer of run of the mill products to a global factory manufacturer of competitively priced quality products. That said, being cheap no longer sells as consumers are becoming increasingly quality-aware of the products that they use. TPE maker KRAIBURG TPE says it is…