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Sustainability key to development of carbon fiber
BUSINESS
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 6 November/December 2015
US companies merge to increase range of parts
BUSINESS
Wisconsin Thermoset Molding Inc (WTM) and Rose Polymer Composites LLC, makers of composite molded parts, have joined forces in a merger. ‘WTM has traditionally been a low volume, high mix molder for small to medium-sized parts,’ said WTM vice president of sales, Andy Stroh. ‘Rose Polymer Composites is one of just a few companies in the industry dedicated to compression molding large parts. The alliance fuses the strengths of both companies and allows us to proactively customize components from concept, prototyping and testing to tooling and production methods.’ The aim is for the companies to be a one-stop-shop solution for small and large
Combining resources
From left to right: Mike Byrne, vice president of operations, and CEO Boyd Miller, join technical director Bob Uhren and vice president of sales Andy Stroh in evaluating a medium-sized composite molded part.
composite molded components for the electrical power, appliance, mass transit, construction and oil industries.
The merger will reportedly mean an increase in the companies’ capital equipment investments, finishing capabilities and new services such as parts assembly. ‘Combining resources gives us the infrastructure we need to support growth and penetrate new markets,’ said Stroh. WTM and Rose Polymer will maintain their separate locations with the goal to consolidate under one roof within the next three to five years. WTM will act as the central contact for customers for both locations. Wisconsin Thermoset Molding Inc; www. withermoset.com Rose Polymer Composites LLC; www. rosepolymer.com
Gurit reports strong sales growth for 2014 Gurit has reported unaudited full year net sales of CHF 335.8 million, representing an increase of 19.4% compared with net sales of CHF 281.1 million for the full year 2013. Net sales in the Composite Materials Business increased by 13% year-on-year from CHF 227.3 million in 2013 to CHF 256.7 million in 2014. In Gurit’s Composite Materials Business, demand in the Wind Energy business increased by 11.8%, boosted by the markedly
recovered Asian market. Ongoing technology change in wind blade production and the related lower demand for glass prepreg products was compensated by stronger core material sales to Wind Energy customers and strong sales of carbon prepreg products to the American market. Material supply to other markets grew by 14.2% essentially due to strong deliveries to the Marine market, particularly in Europe. Gurit‘s Composite Systems and Engineering Business continued to show growth, with
net sales increased by 46.9% from CHF 53.8 million in 2013 to CHF 79.1 million in 2014. Improved output of automotive exterior components as well as higher order intakes in Tooling from the wind energy business uptake in Asia were the main drivers for this significant improvement in 2014. Sales in the Engineered Structures business grew by 28.7% from CHF 6.1 million in 2013 to CHF 7.9 million in 2014, driven by the growth in demand for bus components. Gurit; www.gurit.com
Sustainability key to development of carbon fiber Investing in sustainable technology is key to developing and commercializing carbon fiber, a new report suggests. According to analysts at Frost & Sullivan, the increasing emphasis on reducing fossil fuel consumption and addressing the issue of global warming is underlining the business case for the material. ‘The importance of shifting from conventional forms of energy to clean energy sources, especially in the developing world, will significantly contribute to the
development of carbon fiber for the energy sector,’ said technical insights research analyst Vivek Ninkileri.
Reduce waste To ensure large-scale uptake in more industries, manufacturers must design an ecofriendly and economical recycling method to prevent accumulation of carbon fiber waste, he suggests. Research activities, along with strategic and research partnerships between the
research community and the industry will also be crucial to spearhead the sustainable use of carbon fiber. ‘Manufacturers and technology providers are also concentrating on reducing the specific energy consumption of the manufacturing process,’ Ninkileri added. ‘This will substantially reduce costs and bridge the gap between research and commercialization of carbon fiber.’ Frost & Sullivan; www.frost.com
DSM invests in sustainable resins Royal DSM has upgraded facilities in its Wilmington, Massachusetts plant to produce improved waterborne resins for inks and coatings. 274
‘We believe that, together with our industry partners, we can transform the coatings market towards healthy and environmentally-friendly technologies and solutions,’
said Patrick Niels, president of DSM Resins & Functional Materials. Royal DSM; www.dsm.com
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 6 November/December 2015
US companies merge to increase range of parts
BUSINESS
Wisconsin Thermoset Molding Inc (WTM) and Rose Polymer Composites LLC, makers of composite molded parts, have joined forces in a merger. ‘WTM has traditionally been a low volume, high mix molder for small to medium-sized parts,’ said WTM vice president of sales, Andy Stroh. ‘Rose Polymer Composites is one of just a few companies in the industry dedicated to compression molding large parts. The alliance fuses the strengths of both companies and allows us to proactively customize components from concept, prototyping and testing to tooling and production methods.’ The aim is for the companies to be a one-stop-shop solution for small and large
Combining resources
From left to right: Mike Byrne, vice president of operations, and CEO Boyd Miller, join technical director Bob Uhren and vice president of sales Andy Stroh in evaluating a medium-sized composite molded part.
composite molded components for the electrical power, appliance, mass transit, construction and oil industries.
The merger will reportedly mean an increase in the companies’ capital equipment investments, finishing capabilities and new services such as parts assembly. ‘Combining resources gives us the infrastructure we need to support growth and penetrate new markets,’ said Stroh. WTM and Rose Polymer will maintain their separate locations with the goal to consolidate under one roof within the next three to five years. WTM will act as the central contact for customers for both locations. Wisconsin Thermoset Molding Inc; www. withermoset.com Rose Polymer Composites LLC; www. rosepolymer.com
Gurit reports strong sales growth for 2014 Gurit has reported unaudited full year net sales of CHF 335.8 million, representing an increase of 19.4% compared with net sales of CHF 281.1 million for the full year 2013. Net sales in the Composite Materials Business increased by 13% year-on-year from CHF 227.3 million in 2013 to CHF 256.7 million in 2014. In Gurit’s Composite Materials Business, demand in the Wind Energy business increased by 11.8%, boosted by the markedly
recovered Asian market. Ongoing technology change in wind blade production and the related lower demand for glass prepreg products was compensated by stronger core material sales to Wind Energy customers and strong sales of carbon prepreg products to the American market. Material supply to other markets grew by 14.2% essentially due to strong deliveries to the Marine market, particularly in Europe. Gurit‘s Composite Systems and Engineering Business continued to show growth, with
net sales increased by 46.9% from CHF 53.8 million in 2013 to CHF 79.1 million in 2014. Improved output of automotive exterior components as well as higher order intakes in Tooling from the wind energy business uptake in Asia were the main drivers for this significant improvement in 2014. Sales in the Engineered Structures business grew by 28.7% from CHF 6.1 million in 2013 to CHF 7.9 million in 2014, driven by the growth in demand for bus components. Gurit; www.gurit.com
Sustainability key to development of carbon fiber Investing in sustainable technology is key to developing and commercializing carbon fiber, a new report suggests. According to analysts at Frost & Sullivan, the increasing emphasis on reducing fossil fuel consumption and addressing the issue of global warming is underlining the business case for the material. ‘The importance of shifting from conventional forms of energy to clean energy sources, especially in the developing world, will significantly contribute to the
development of carbon fiber for the energy sector,’ said technical insights research analyst Vivek Ninkileri.
Reduce waste To ensure large-scale uptake in more industries, manufacturers must design an ecofriendly and economical recycling method to prevent accumulation of carbon fiber waste, he suggests. Research activities, along with strategic and research partnerships between the
research community and the industry will also be crucial to spearhead the sustainable use of carbon fiber. ‘Manufacturers and technology providers are also concentrating on reducing the specific energy consumption of the manufacturing process,’ Ninkileri added. ‘This will substantially reduce costs and bridge the gap between research and commercialization of carbon fiber.’ Frost & Sullivan; www.frost.com
DSM invests in sustainable resins Royal DSM has upgraded facilities in its Wilmington, Massachusetts plant to produce improved waterborne resins for inks and coatings. 274
‘We believe that, together with our industry partners, we can transform the coatings market towards healthy and environmentally-friendly technologies and solutions,’
said Patrick Niels, president of DSM Resins & Functional Materials. Royal DSM; www.dsm.com