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Bergmann: compounding to meet all requirements
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Bergmann: compounding to meet all requirements The compounding plant ofTheodor Bergmann is central to the European operations of M.A. Hanna. Mark Holmes visited the Gaggenau site in the Black Forest region of Germany and reports on the latest developments at Bergmann and how the plant fits in with the expanding global Hanna operation. A series of strategic acquisitions during the 1990s has transformed the Cleveland, USA-based M.A. Hanna Company into an international speciality chemicals operation, offering a wide range of plastic compounds, colour and additive concentrates and masterbatch technology. This transformation has been most marked over the past 12 years. For a century M.A. Hanna primarily served the metals mining and shipping industries. By 1985 the decline in the US steel industry and the growth of imported iron and steel prompted the company to look at the direction it was heading and concentrate its strengths on industries where it had the opportunity to diversify. The result was a move out of the metals industry and through acquisition and organic growth the company is now a 100% plastics and rubber compounder and distributor of plastic resins and shapes. Previously predominantly centred on the USA, M.A. Hanna also set an objective to achieve a quarter of sales from outside the US from 11% in 1991. The company is now close to achieving this. Acquired in 1992 the Bergmann compounding plant at Gaggenau is the headquarters of the M.A. Hanna Engineered Materials business in Europe. Like its parent company Th. Bergmann has undergone changes since it was established in 1922. Originally the Rotenfels Sawdust Company, Theodor Bergmann bought the company in 1926 and from the 1930s onwards its products were used for a number of applications, one of which was sawdust as a filler for the
Linoleum and Bakelite industries. Plastics compounding started in 1965.
Polyamides Compounding of polyamide is a core activity for Bergmann. "Bergamid polyamides are certainly some of our most important products," says Steve Duckworth, European marketing & technology director for M.A. Hanna's European Engineered Materials business unit. "Bergmann has 30 years of experience in polyamide compounding. This includes PA6, PA66, as well as blends and filled grades. The Bergamid product range is extensive and we can provide a
wide range of reinforced and modified grades to meet the specific requirements of an application. It can also be modified to provide high impact resistance at temperatures down to -40°C, which we believe to be the highest performing grade in the market. Through customization we have achieved a strong position in the German market for polyamides. In combination with Bergmann's associated operation Polibasa in Spain, we are the largest independent compounder of polyamide in Europe, and when taken into account with the US operation, Hanna is a leader in polyamide compounds in the world." The automotive and electrical industries are core markets for Bergamid PA grades, for such applications as radiator fans and wheel covers on cars and switches and circuit breakers in the electrical industry. Construction materials, including tubing and conduits, as well as sporting goods, such as ski-bindings and skates, are also benefiting from the properties of Bergamid PA.
Wider range
Steve Ducl~wotth, European marketing and technology director for M.A. Hanna European Engineered Materials.
Plastics Additives & Compounding June 1999
26
However, M.A. Hanna Engineered Materials and the Bergmann operation now offer a much wider range of products. Bergadur PBT (polybutylene teraphthalate) was introduced three years ago to the range. Unfilled, reinforced and modified grades are used in a range of automotive and electrical applications. Bergaform POM is an unreinforced acetal copolymer, while Maxxam is a range of reinforced polypropylene compounds provid-
Compounder
profile
tion, which is good for the compounding industry."
Gaggenau
ing cost-effective alternatives to other engineering polymers. Bergaflex thermoplastic elastomers are SEBS/SBS based and have a wide varie.ty of applications in the area of sealing and where tactile qualities are important, for example so~ touch handles - a rapidly growing market. Complementing the Bergmann product range are high performance products from other companies that have joined the Hanna group in recent years, such as Edgetek compounds from CTe in France. These materials can be manufactured to provide lubricated solutions for friction and wear applications. Conductive compounds as well as polymers for high temperature applications can be supplied from the Edgetek range. Edgetek high modulus compounds are reinforced polymers for structural applications.
Major strength "The wide range of polymers, fillers and grades we can offer, combined with the understanding of how to put these materials together is one of our major strengths," explains Steve Duckworth. "The service we can provide is one that a polymer producer is unable or unwilling
to. From a wide selection of base resins and materials we can provide unbiased advice to recommend a tailor-made product to meet the customer's exact requirements of the application, both technically and economically. Expertise in filler loading is also extremely important. "We also work at being fast and flexible, which is essential in today's market," he adds. "Bergmann has a five day response time and we are continuing to reduce this, compared with lead times of up to six weeks for some polymer suppliers. The diversification of our business means that the Hanna group is operating in a number of different markets and lead times vary. For example, for certain parts of the footwear industry, response times can be as little as 24 hours. We try to understand our markets and have a commitment to exceed whatever the market requirement is." The future is certainly looking good for compounders that can meet the changing conditions in the plastics industry, according to Steve Duckworth. He adds: "An increasing number of material options for the processor, shorter production runs, reductions in time-to-market and the growing need for technical solutions are all driving mass customiza-
The Gaggenau site ofTh. Bergmann has an annual capacity of around 25,000 tonnes. Eighty percent of its business is, on average, in 2-3 tonne lots. The factory operates mixers from Lausmann feeding ten compounding lines. The extruders are exclusively from Krupp Werner & Pfleiderer, with which it says it has a good working relationship. There are five ZSK 70 extruders in operation, along with three further ZSKs, one of which is specialized for processing TPEs. Bergmann has also recently increased its capacity by installing two new MegaCompounders from Krupp Werner & Pfleiderer. Additional cooling facilities have also been required to cope with the higher throughput. New production facilities are also being added at Polibasa in Spain, Bergmann's associate site in the Hanna Engineered Materials business in Europe. Operators use computerized formulation sheets to ensure accurate control of the blend to tight tolerances. Materials are added in the mixers or in the extruders, depending on the product and the process. Control systems monitor all aspects of the process and data recorded as part of the quality control system. Cooling of the extruded product is by water and air, prior to granulation. Typically, a three tonne lot will take 4-5 hours to process. Bergmann says that it generally provides customers with product in 25kg foil lined polyethylene bags to prevent water adsorption, but can deliver into silos, if required.
Technical support Bergmann counts its quality control procedures and technical support for customers as additional strengths. The extensive laboratory facilities at Gaggenau can carry out a wide range of tests for monitoring product quality to agreed standards or for new product development. The facilities include a laboratory Berstorff ZE25 twin screw extruder. Quick response in the laborato-
Plastics Additives &
27
CompoundingJune 1999
tqH,i
Compounder
profile
ry as well as on the factory floor is also a priority. "We endeavour to work alongside our customers to find optimum solutions," adds Dr Werner Haas, chief chemist at the Bergmann laboratories. "The service we can offer in the laboratory is another way in which we can provide added-value for the customer. Being able to offer a trial run on the laboratory extruder is proving extremely popular with customers. "Colour matching is notoriously difficult for polyamide. Bergmann has around 5000 colour matches with around 1000 of these being currently active. As well as having the right equipment to help achieve the right colour match, we also have a lot of expertise and experience in this area."
Acquisitions Bergmann and Polibasa are core elements of the Hanna Engineered Materials business unit in Europe. Polibasa also has a polymerization capability, although this is not a route down which Hanna intends to progress any further, believing that its strengths lie in the middle of the production chain. Based in St. Etienne in France, CTe is also part of the group and added particular expertise in filled polycarbonate to the overall product portfolio when it was acquired.
The latest acqmsition for Hanna Engineered Materials in Europe was the Italian company So.EteR in January. The joint venture fulfilled Hanna's two major requirements for an alliance: increased presence in a market and an expansion of the product portfolio. "Italy is the second largest market for engineered materials in Europe and So.EteR will improve our presence there," adds Steve Duckworth. "The company is a leading producer of thermoplastic elastomers and engineered plastics materials for the
wire and cable, automotive, electrical and electronic and footwear markets, and will provide an excellent fit with the rest of the group. The integration is already progressing well and we are very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead." UK company Victor was acquired in 1996 and added experience in filled polypropylene, as well as a masterbatch and colour concentrate operation that is now part of Wilson Color, M.A. Hanna's masterbatch business that has seven locations throughout Europe. The other part of Hanna's European operation is the Wire and Cable Polymer Systems group, which has manufacturing sites in Belguim, Germany and Norway.
International According to Dr. Hans-Jtirgen Ott, managing director of Hanna Engineered Materials Europe, the acquisition trail and expansion of M.A. Hanna in Europe has brought one other important benefit to Bergmann and the other parts of the group. "We are a truly international company now," he asserts. "Personnel are transferring between companies in the Hanna group and there is a cross-fertilization of ideas between sites in different countries that is extremely healthy and M.A. Hanna is now reaping excellent rewards from this." • Plastics Additives &
CompoundingJune 1999
28
ii!i
Bergmann: compounding to meet all requirements The compounding plant ofTheodor Bergmann is central to the European operations of M.A. Hanna. Mark Holmes visited the Gaggenau site in the Black Forest region of Germany and reports on the latest developments at Bergmann and how the plant fits in with the expanding global Hanna operation. A series of strategic acquisitions during the 1990s has transformed the Cleveland, USA-based M.A. Hanna Company into an international speciality chemicals operation, offering a wide range of plastic compounds, colour and additive concentrates and masterbatch technology. This transformation has been most marked over the past 12 years. For a century M.A. Hanna primarily served the metals mining and shipping industries. By 1985 the decline in the US steel industry and the growth of imported iron and steel prompted the company to look at the direction it was heading and concentrate its strengths on industries where it had the opportunity to diversify. The result was a move out of the metals industry and through acquisition and organic growth the company is now a 100% plastics and rubber compounder and distributor of plastic resins and shapes. Previously predominantly centred on the USA, M.A. Hanna also set an objective to achieve a quarter of sales from outside the US from 11% in 1991. The company is now close to achieving this. Acquired in 1992 the Bergmann compounding plant at Gaggenau is the headquarters of the M.A. Hanna Engineered Materials business in Europe. Like its parent company Th. Bergmann has undergone changes since it was established in 1922. Originally the Rotenfels Sawdust Company, Theodor Bergmann bought the company in 1926 and from the 1930s onwards its products were used for a number of applications, one of which was sawdust as a filler for the
Linoleum and Bakelite industries. Plastics compounding started in 1965.
Polyamides Compounding of polyamide is a core activity for Bergmann. "Bergamid polyamides are certainly some of our most important products," says Steve Duckworth, European marketing & technology director for M.A. Hanna's European Engineered Materials business unit. "Bergmann has 30 years of experience in polyamide compounding. This includes PA6, PA66, as well as blends and filled grades. The Bergamid product range is extensive and we can provide a
wide range of reinforced and modified grades to meet the specific requirements of an application. It can also be modified to provide high impact resistance at temperatures down to -40°C, which we believe to be the highest performing grade in the market. Through customization we have achieved a strong position in the German market for polyamides. In combination with Bergmann's associated operation Polibasa in Spain, we are the largest independent compounder of polyamide in Europe, and when taken into account with the US operation, Hanna is a leader in polyamide compounds in the world." The automotive and electrical industries are core markets for Bergamid PA grades, for such applications as radiator fans and wheel covers on cars and switches and circuit breakers in the electrical industry. Construction materials, including tubing and conduits, as well as sporting goods, such as ski-bindings and skates, are also benefiting from the properties of Bergamid PA.
Wider range
Steve Ducl~wotth, European marketing and technology director for M.A. Hanna European Engineered Materials.
Plastics Additives & Compounding June 1999
26
However, M.A. Hanna Engineered Materials and the Bergmann operation now offer a much wider range of products. Bergadur PBT (polybutylene teraphthalate) was introduced three years ago to the range. Unfilled, reinforced and modified grades are used in a range of automotive and electrical applications. Bergaform POM is an unreinforced acetal copolymer, while Maxxam is a range of reinforced polypropylene compounds provid-
Compounder
profile
tion, which is good for the compounding industry."
Gaggenau
ing cost-effective alternatives to other engineering polymers. Bergaflex thermoplastic elastomers are SEBS/SBS based and have a wide varie.ty of applications in the area of sealing and where tactile qualities are important, for example so~ touch handles - a rapidly growing market. Complementing the Bergmann product range are high performance products from other companies that have joined the Hanna group in recent years, such as Edgetek compounds from CTe in France. These materials can be manufactured to provide lubricated solutions for friction and wear applications. Conductive compounds as well as polymers for high temperature applications can be supplied from the Edgetek range. Edgetek high modulus compounds are reinforced polymers for structural applications.
Major strength "The wide range of polymers, fillers and grades we can offer, combined with the understanding of how to put these materials together is one of our major strengths," explains Steve Duckworth. "The service we can provide is one that a polymer producer is unable or unwilling
to. From a wide selection of base resins and materials we can provide unbiased advice to recommend a tailor-made product to meet the customer's exact requirements of the application, both technically and economically. Expertise in filler loading is also extremely important. "We also work at being fast and flexible, which is essential in today's market," he adds. "Bergmann has a five day response time and we are continuing to reduce this, compared with lead times of up to six weeks for some polymer suppliers. The diversification of our business means that the Hanna group is operating in a number of different markets and lead times vary. For example, for certain parts of the footwear industry, response times can be as little as 24 hours. We try to understand our markets and have a commitment to exceed whatever the market requirement is." The future is certainly looking good for compounders that can meet the changing conditions in the plastics industry, according to Steve Duckworth. He adds: "An increasing number of material options for the processor, shorter production runs, reductions in time-to-market and the growing need for technical solutions are all driving mass customiza-
The Gaggenau site ofTh. Bergmann has an annual capacity of around 25,000 tonnes. Eighty percent of its business is, on average, in 2-3 tonne lots. The factory operates mixers from Lausmann feeding ten compounding lines. The extruders are exclusively from Krupp Werner & Pfleiderer, with which it says it has a good working relationship. There are five ZSK 70 extruders in operation, along with three further ZSKs, one of which is specialized for processing TPEs. Bergmann has also recently increased its capacity by installing two new MegaCompounders from Krupp Werner & Pfleiderer. Additional cooling facilities have also been required to cope with the higher throughput. New production facilities are also being added at Polibasa in Spain, Bergmann's associate site in the Hanna Engineered Materials business in Europe. Operators use computerized formulation sheets to ensure accurate control of the blend to tight tolerances. Materials are added in the mixers or in the extruders, depending on the product and the process. Control systems monitor all aspects of the process and data recorded as part of the quality control system. Cooling of the extruded product is by water and air, prior to granulation. Typically, a three tonne lot will take 4-5 hours to process. Bergmann says that it generally provides customers with product in 25kg foil lined polyethylene bags to prevent water adsorption, but can deliver into silos, if required.
Technical support Bergmann counts its quality control procedures and technical support for customers as additional strengths. The extensive laboratory facilities at Gaggenau can carry out a wide range of tests for monitoring product quality to agreed standards or for new product development. The facilities include a laboratory Berstorff ZE25 twin screw extruder. Quick response in the laborato-
Plastics Additives &
27
CompoundingJune 1999
tqH,i
Compounder
profile
ry as well as on the factory floor is also a priority. "We endeavour to work alongside our customers to find optimum solutions," adds Dr Werner Haas, chief chemist at the Bergmann laboratories. "The service we can offer in the laboratory is another way in which we can provide added-value for the customer. Being able to offer a trial run on the laboratory extruder is proving extremely popular with customers. "Colour matching is notoriously difficult for polyamide. Bergmann has around 5000 colour matches with around 1000 of these being currently active. As well as having the right equipment to help achieve the right colour match, we also have a lot of expertise and experience in this area."
Acquisitions Bergmann and Polibasa are core elements of the Hanna Engineered Materials business unit in Europe. Polibasa also has a polymerization capability, although this is not a route down which Hanna intends to progress any further, believing that its strengths lie in the middle of the production chain. Based in St. Etienne in France, CTe is also part of the group and added particular expertise in filled polycarbonate to the overall product portfolio when it was acquired.
The latest acqmsition for Hanna Engineered Materials in Europe was the Italian company So.EteR in January. The joint venture fulfilled Hanna's two major requirements for an alliance: increased presence in a market and an expansion of the product portfolio. "Italy is the second largest market for engineered materials in Europe and So.EteR will improve our presence there," adds Steve Duckworth. "The company is a leading producer of thermoplastic elastomers and engineered plastics materials for the
wire and cable, automotive, electrical and electronic and footwear markets, and will provide an excellent fit with the rest of the group. The integration is already progressing well and we are very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead." UK company Victor was acquired in 1996 and added experience in filled polypropylene, as well as a masterbatch and colour concentrate operation that is now part of Wilson Color, M.A. Hanna's masterbatch business that has seven locations throughout Europe. The other part of Hanna's European operation is the Wire and Cable Polymer Systems group, which has manufacturing sites in Belguim, Germany and Norway.
International According to Dr. Hans-Jtirgen Ott, managing director of Hanna Engineered Materials Europe, the acquisition trail and expansion of M.A. Hanna in Europe has brought one other important benefit to Bergmann and the other parts of the group. "We are a truly international company now," he asserts. "Personnel are transferring between companies in the Hanna group and there is a cross-fertilization of ideas between sites in different countries that is extremely healthy and M.A. Hanna is now reaping excellent rewards from this." • Plastics Additives &
CompoundingJune 1999
28