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Brazilian composites sales fell 15% in 1Q15
BUSINESS
Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland and Great Britain, specifically for use in epoxy resin based applications such as thermosetting laminates, highly resistant floor coatings, corrosion protection varnish and composite materials. The products are used in the construction indus-
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 4 July/August 2015
try as well as in the automotive, marine, aerospace and industrial applications manufacturing. ‘The high-quality curing agent components made by BASF supplement to a great extent our product range of resins, accelerators, flame retardants, fiber and filler
wetting agents not only for the thermosetting industry, but also allows us to keep expanding our strong position in the coating industry,’ said Dirk Grolman, MD and owner of Grolman GmbH & Co. KG. BASF; www.basf.com
Altair acquires Multiscale Design Systems BUSINESS
Altair has completed its acquisition of Multiscale Design Systems, LLC, a developer of products focused on the modeling and testing of composites. The company’s technology integrates modeling, simulation, testing, uncertainty quantification, and improvement of composite materials and structures at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Altair says that MDS will bring important new composites expertise to its Altair HyperWorks range, including multiscale
analysis, stochastic design, fatigue analysis, and multiphysics simulation. ‘We will continue to develop, enhance, and invest in MDS as part of HyperWorks while retaining an open architecture approach with respect to other 3rd party solvers,’ said Uwe Schramm, chief technical officer at Altair. ‘Altair is committed to creating good interfaces and continuing to build partnerships to excel in the domain of composite materials.’
‘We have partnered with a number of significant original equipment manufacturers to analyze state-of-the-art materials for automotive, aerospace, and defense,’ said Dr. Jacob Fish, co-founder of Multiscale Design Systems. ‘Altair’s deep expertise in CAE, coupled with its significant footprint across a variety of industries, will help to extend the reach of our technology and increase its application.’ Altair; www.altairhyperworks.com
US is Composites Europe partner country The United States of America is the partner country of this year’s Composites Europe, which takes place in Stuttgart, Germany, from 22 to 24 September. The US also sponsors the International Composites Congress. Serving as the partner country, the US showcases the expertise of the country’s industry while at the same time calling attention to market opportunities available in the US to companies from Europe. With more than 500,000 workers and annual turnover of $70 billion, the US composites market is the largest in world. ‘Right now, the dynamic growth of the US economy is driving demand for all types of fiber composite materials,’ said Tom Dobbins, president of the American Composites Manufacturers Association
are continuing to recovery from the recession.’
New opportunities
This year’s Composites Europe will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, from 22 to 24 September.
(ACMA). ‘We are seeing especially strong growth in the transportation, aeronautics, automotive, and construction sectors and expect this to continue. Additionally, other market segments such as marine
‘We can best illustrate the potential and the opportunities offered by fibre-reinforced plastics by joining forces internationally. Together with the US, our partner country, we aim to initiate a bilateral dialogue between the composites industry’s strongest markets,’ added Dr. Elmar Witten, a Composites Germany management spokesman. Besides efficient production processes, key topics discussed at the 1st International Composites Congress include cooperation opportunities in industry and research, innovative applications, recycling and market trends. Composites Europe; www.compositeseurope.com
Brazilian composites sales fell 15% in 1Q15 Sales in the Brazilian composites industry were US$240 million in the first quarter of 2015, a 15% drop compared to the same period of the previous year, according to a new survey from the Latin American Composite Materials Association (ALMACO). Compared to the last three months of 2014, the drop corresponded to 14.4%, while in terms of volume of composites
162
processed, the declines were even more pronounced: 18.2% and 16.2%, respectively, totaling 44,000 tons. According to Gilmar Lima, president of ALMACO, in addition to the current economic scenario faced in Brazil, the main factors responsible for such scenario are the cuts and delays in government funding transfers to social programs. ‘The uncertainties and lack
of confidence further aggravates the crisis. On the other hand, there is a conformity in the composites industry, illustrated by the lack of reaction and creativity,’ he said. For the second quarter, however, the survey indicates a 8.1% sales increase, totaling US$ 260 million – in volume of processed material, jumping 7.4%, reaching 47,000 tons.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 4 July/August 2015
BUSINESS
‘Some segments remain stable, such as the water tank and wind segments. It is a moment of calm, but also a period to seek new niches and opportunities that will emerge in this period of instability,’ added Lima. ‘Knowledge, staff training, differentiated business models, innovation and speed in the development of solutions, including products with the use of waste, will be crucial to overcome this crisis.’ Also according to ALMACO’s survey, the Brazilian composite materials industry should close 2015 accounting for a turnover of US$ 1021 billion, or 5.6% lower than last year. In terms of volume, it will correspond to a 7.1% decline (totaling 191,000 tons). ALMACO; www.almaco.org.br
BUSINESS
Period of instability
Gilmar Lima, president of ALMACO, says that there is a lack of creativity in the Brazilian composites industry.
Owens Corning names new senior VP Glass fiber giant Owens Corning has announced the appointment of Ava Harter as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Harter currently serves as general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary of Taleris America LLC, a joint venture
between GE Aviation and Accenture. She had previously served as general counsel of General Electric’s avionics business. She has held senior legal positions at The Dow Chemical Company, as well as serving in private practice at Jones Day and Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland, Ohio.
Harter will succeed John Christy and serve as the company’s chief legal advisor, overseeing all aspects of law, compliance and securities compliance for Owens Corning. Owens Corning; www.owenscorning.com
Composites seminar subject revealed The Latin American Composite Materials Association (ALMACO) has revealed details about the International Seminar on Composites, held in parallel to Compocity 2015 which takes place from 4 to 7 November, in Sa˜o Paulo, Brazil. The seminar will cover three main themes: transportation, construction and industry/ energy. ‘These are the main areas of operation of composites, hence the importance to bring to the audience the most important in terms of innovations and trends,’ said Gilmar Lima, president of ALMACO. Compocity was created by ALMACO, in partnership with JEC, to show the versatility of composites. By building an entire city with the material, the association showed that this type of material can be transformed into solutions for all segments, from infrastructure and energy to transportation, housing and leisure. The first Compocity generated a turnover of US$600 million in business. ‘Despite the economic difficulties faced by Brazil, the expectation with this year’s event is to gen-
Compocity was created by ALMACO to show the versatility of composites.
erate a result next to US$ 800 million,’ estimated Lima.
Compocity; compocity2015
www.almaco.org.br/
163
Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland and Great Britain, specifically for use in epoxy resin based applications such as thermosetting laminates, highly resistant floor coatings, corrosion protection varnish and composite materials. The products are used in the construction indus-
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 4 July/August 2015
try as well as in the automotive, marine, aerospace and industrial applications manufacturing. ‘The high-quality curing agent components made by BASF supplement to a great extent our product range of resins, accelerators, flame retardants, fiber and filler
wetting agents not only for the thermosetting industry, but also allows us to keep expanding our strong position in the coating industry,’ said Dirk Grolman, MD and owner of Grolman GmbH & Co. KG. BASF; www.basf.com
Altair acquires Multiscale Design Systems BUSINESS
Altair has completed its acquisition of Multiscale Design Systems, LLC, a developer of products focused on the modeling and testing of composites. The company’s technology integrates modeling, simulation, testing, uncertainty quantification, and improvement of composite materials and structures at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Altair says that MDS will bring important new composites expertise to its Altair HyperWorks range, including multiscale
analysis, stochastic design, fatigue analysis, and multiphysics simulation. ‘We will continue to develop, enhance, and invest in MDS as part of HyperWorks while retaining an open architecture approach with respect to other 3rd party solvers,’ said Uwe Schramm, chief technical officer at Altair. ‘Altair is committed to creating good interfaces and continuing to build partnerships to excel in the domain of composite materials.’
‘We have partnered with a number of significant original equipment manufacturers to analyze state-of-the-art materials for automotive, aerospace, and defense,’ said Dr. Jacob Fish, co-founder of Multiscale Design Systems. ‘Altair’s deep expertise in CAE, coupled with its significant footprint across a variety of industries, will help to extend the reach of our technology and increase its application.’ Altair; www.altairhyperworks.com
US is Composites Europe partner country The United States of America is the partner country of this year’s Composites Europe, which takes place in Stuttgart, Germany, from 22 to 24 September. The US also sponsors the International Composites Congress. Serving as the partner country, the US showcases the expertise of the country’s industry while at the same time calling attention to market opportunities available in the US to companies from Europe. With more than 500,000 workers and annual turnover of $70 billion, the US composites market is the largest in world. ‘Right now, the dynamic growth of the US economy is driving demand for all types of fiber composite materials,’ said Tom Dobbins, president of the American Composites Manufacturers Association
are continuing to recovery from the recession.’
New opportunities
This year’s Composites Europe will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, from 22 to 24 September.
(ACMA). ‘We are seeing especially strong growth in the transportation, aeronautics, automotive, and construction sectors and expect this to continue. Additionally, other market segments such as marine
‘We can best illustrate the potential and the opportunities offered by fibre-reinforced plastics by joining forces internationally. Together with the US, our partner country, we aim to initiate a bilateral dialogue between the composites industry’s strongest markets,’ added Dr. Elmar Witten, a Composites Germany management spokesman. Besides efficient production processes, key topics discussed at the 1st International Composites Congress include cooperation opportunities in industry and research, innovative applications, recycling and market trends. Composites Europe; www.compositeseurope.com
Brazilian composites sales fell 15% in 1Q15 Sales in the Brazilian composites industry were US$240 million in the first quarter of 2015, a 15% drop compared to the same period of the previous year, according to a new survey from the Latin American Composite Materials Association (ALMACO). Compared to the last three months of 2014, the drop corresponded to 14.4%, while in terms of volume of composites
162
processed, the declines were even more pronounced: 18.2% and 16.2%, respectively, totaling 44,000 tons. According to Gilmar Lima, president of ALMACO, in addition to the current economic scenario faced in Brazil, the main factors responsible for such scenario are the cuts and delays in government funding transfers to social programs. ‘The uncertainties and lack
of confidence further aggravates the crisis. On the other hand, there is a conformity in the composites industry, illustrated by the lack of reaction and creativity,’ he said. For the second quarter, however, the survey indicates a 8.1% sales increase, totaling US$ 260 million – in volume of processed material, jumping 7.4%, reaching 47,000 tons.
Reinforced Plastics Volume 59, Number 4 July/August 2015
BUSINESS
‘Some segments remain stable, such as the water tank and wind segments. It is a moment of calm, but also a period to seek new niches and opportunities that will emerge in this period of instability,’ added Lima. ‘Knowledge, staff training, differentiated business models, innovation and speed in the development of solutions, including products with the use of waste, will be crucial to overcome this crisis.’ Also according to ALMACO’s survey, the Brazilian composite materials industry should close 2015 accounting for a turnover of US$ 1021 billion, or 5.6% lower than last year. In terms of volume, it will correspond to a 7.1% decline (totaling 191,000 tons). ALMACO; www.almaco.org.br
BUSINESS
Period of instability
Gilmar Lima, president of ALMACO, says that there is a lack of creativity in the Brazilian composites industry.
Owens Corning names new senior VP Glass fiber giant Owens Corning has announced the appointment of Ava Harter as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Harter currently serves as general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary of Taleris America LLC, a joint venture
between GE Aviation and Accenture. She had previously served as general counsel of General Electric’s avionics business. She has held senior legal positions at The Dow Chemical Company, as well as serving in private practice at Jones Day and Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland, Ohio.
Harter will succeed John Christy and serve as the company’s chief legal advisor, overseeing all aspects of law, compliance and securities compliance for Owens Corning. Owens Corning; www.owenscorning.com
Composites seminar subject revealed The Latin American Composite Materials Association (ALMACO) has revealed details about the International Seminar on Composites, held in parallel to Compocity 2015 which takes place from 4 to 7 November, in Sa˜o Paulo, Brazil. The seminar will cover three main themes: transportation, construction and industry/ energy. ‘These are the main areas of operation of composites, hence the importance to bring to the audience the most important in terms of innovations and trends,’ said Gilmar Lima, president of ALMACO. Compocity was created by ALMACO, in partnership with JEC, to show the versatility of composites. By building an entire city with the material, the association showed that this type of material can be transformed into solutions for all segments, from infrastructure and energy to transportation, housing and leisure. The first Compocity generated a turnover of US$600 million in business. ‘Despite the economic difficulties faced by Brazil, the expectation with this year’s event is to gen-
Compocity was created by ALMACO to show the versatility of composites.
erate a result next to US$ 800 million,’ estimated Lima.
Compocity; compocity2015
www.almaco.org.br/
163