- Email: [email protected]
RP Asia 2000
industry news
SMC prices on the up
Symalit buys Borealis . GMT business EUROPEAN POLYOLEFIN producer Borealis is planning to sell its glass mat reinforced thermoplastic (GMT) business to Symalit AG, Lenzburg, Switzerland. The agreement includes Symalit’s acquisition of Borealis know-how in the manufacturing of GMT specialities such as coloured GMT. The companies will also sign marketing, research and development and supply agreements. Early last year Symalit acquired BASF’s GMT business (Reinforced Plastics, January 1999, page 11). Under the terms of the deal Borealis will make R&D and product development capacities available to Symalit, particularly in the development of polypropylene specialties, polypropylene compounds and new components. The companies will work together to develop and market new applications which use GMT and polypropylene compounds. Borealis will cease production of GMT at its compounding unit in Linz, Austria, during the course of the cooperation but it does not specify when this will happen. The company says it is committed to support-
Automotive
Plastics
and
ing employees whose jobs will be affected by this. GMT compounds are increasingly finding uses in the European automotive industry. Applications for Symalit’s GMT (made from one or more glass mats combined with polyinclude noise propylene) shields, underbody structures, battery trays, dashboards, front ends, hatchback doors and bumper beams. Symalit is a subsidiary of Swiss private equity holding company Quadrant Group. It has sales of CHF80 million and 200 employees. Borealis is Europe’s largest and the world’s fourth largest producer of polyolefin plastics. Turnover for 1998 reached DKK20 418 million. According to Walter Bauman, vice president, Engineering Applications Business Unit, Borealis, this agreement with Symalit will allow Borealis to focus on its core business in engineering applications and will further improve service and supply to its automotive customers. Borealis
AS, tel: +4S-4596-
618.5;
fax:
+45-4.596-6189;
Symalit;
tel:
+41-62-885-81 SO;
fax: +41-62-885-8181.
E1835/US$2878.
Elsevier
Composites Profile Worldwide Markets and Trends Elsevier to 2007 from
Advanced Technology; fax: +44-
Advanced Technology provides a global overview of the industry, markets and suppliers, with market forecasts to 2007. The average weight of plastics per car is set to rise by 12% by 2007, leading to a total value of US$13 billion of plastics. The report costs
Following their acquisiby Zoltek (Reinforced Plastics, January 2000), Engineering Technology Composite (Entec) and Machines Co (CMC) are joining forces to become Entec
10
REINFORCEDplastics
1865-843971; e-mail: [email protected]
s. fos-
AS A RESULT of rising raw materials prices the European Alliance for SMC and the German reinforced plastics AVK-TV predict association price increases of 8-9% for sheet and bulk moulding compound (SMCIBMC) in 2000. Volker Fritz, chairman of the European Alliance for SMC, believes that anhydrides and styrene are mainly to blame for the price rises. Used in unsaturated polyester resins, these raw materials have been subject to continuous price increases since last Spring. There are also indications that bulk purchasers of styrene monomers will have to face large price increases because
(ECM).
February
2000
Machines
Inc
AVK-TF tel: +49-69-250920; fax: +49-69-250919.
Ciba sells polymers MORGAN GRENFELL Private Equity (MGPE) is to buy Ciba PerSpecialty Chemicals’ formance Polymers business for CHF1.845 billion. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2000. Ciba says this move underscores its strategy to focus on rather speciality chemicals than speciality materials. The Performance Polymers division produces epoxy specialities and other high value thermoset resins used in the composites and other industries. The business employs over 3 100 people worldwide and achieved an operating income of CHF62 million in the first half of 1999, up from CHF26 million in the comparable period in 1998.
tion
Composite
the products are not available in sufficient amounts. The same is said to apply to glass fibre. Uwe Bultjer, head of AVKTV, says that demand is exceeding production capacity and will result in price increases of 10% or more. The AVK-TV and SMC Alliance recommend that customers conclude their annual contracts as early as possible. “We are not expecting a shortage but there will definitely be an increase in the delivery times in the industry”, says Fritz. “SMC and BMC producers will have to plan further ahead.”
The Rp Asia canferqtp&itmd September in
The company’s other divion Additives, sions focus Colours, and Consumer Care. Under MGPE the headquarthe Performance ters of Polymers business will be in Basel, Switzerland. “The Performance Polymers division is a high quality branded asset with top line growth potential driven by its leading technological posiGraham tions,” comments Hutton, chief executive of MGPE. “It is one of the world’s top three epoxy resin manufacturers and has strong positions in speciality applications such as advanced tooling, adhesives and photo polymers.” Ciba
Specialty
tel: +41-61-636-1111.
Chemicals;
SMC prices on the up
Symalit buys Borealis . GMT business EUROPEAN POLYOLEFIN producer Borealis is planning to sell its glass mat reinforced thermoplastic (GMT) business to Symalit AG, Lenzburg, Switzerland. The agreement includes Symalit’s acquisition of Borealis know-how in the manufacturing of GMT specialities such as coloured GMT. The companies will also sign marketing, research and development and supply agreements. Early last year Symalit acquired BASF’s GMT business (Reinforced Plastics, January 1999, page 11). Under the terms of the deal Borealis will make R&D and product development capacities available to Symalit, particularly in the development of polypropylene specialties, polypropylene compounds and new components. The companies will work together to develop and market new applications which use GMT and polypropylene compounds. Borealis will cease production of GMT at its compounding unit in Linz, Austria, during the course of the cooperation but it does not specify when this will happen. The company says it is committed to support-
Automotive
Plastics
and
ing employees whose jobs will be affected by this. GMT compounds are increasingly finding uses in the European automotive industry. Applications for Symalit’s GMT (made from one or more glass mats combined with polyinclude noise propylene) shields, underbody structures, battery trays, dashboards, front ends, hatchback doors and bumper beams. Symalit is a subsidiary of Swiss private equity holding company Quadrant Group. It has sales of CHF80 million and 200 employees. Borealis is Europe’s largest and the world’s fourth largest producer of polyolefin plastics. Turnover for 1998 reached DKK20 418 million. According to Walter Bauman, vice president, Engineering Applications Business Unit, Borealis, this agreement with Symalit will allow Borealis to focus on its core business in engineering applications and will further improve service and supply to its automotive customers. Borealis
AS, tel: +4S-4596-
618.5;
fax:
+45-4.596-6189;
Symalit;
tel:
+41-62-885-81 SO;
fax: +41-62-885-8181.
E1835/US$2878.
Elsevier
Composites Profile Worldwide Markets and Trends Elsevier to 2007 from
Advanced Technology; fax: +44-
Advanced Technology provides a global overview of the industry, markets and suppliers, with market forecasts to 2007. The average weight of plastics per car is set to rise by 12% by 2007, leading to a total value of US$13 billion of plastics. The report costs
Following their acquisiby Zoltek (Reinforced Plastics, January 2000), Engineering Technology Composite (Entec) and Machines Co (CMC) are joining forces to become Entec
10
REINFORCEDplastics
1865-843971; e-mail: [email protected]
s. fos-
AS A RESULT of rising raw materials prices the European Alliance for SMC and the German reinforced plastics AVK-TV predict association price increases of 8-9% for sheet and bulk moulding compound (SMCIBMC) in 2000. Volker Fritz, chairman of the European Alliance for SMC, believes that anhydrides and styrene are mainly to blame for the price rises. Used in unsaturated polyester resins, these raw materials have been subject to continuous price increases since last Spring. There are also indications that bulk purchasers of styrene monomers will have to face large price increases because
(ECM).
February
2000
Machines
Inc
AVK-TF tel: +49-69-250920; fax: +49-69-250919.
Ciba sells polymers MORGAN GRENFELL Private Equity (MGPE) is to buy Ciba PerSpecialty Chemicals’ formance Polymers business for CHF1.845 billion. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2000. Ciba says this move underscores its strategy to focus on rather speciality chemicals than speciality materials. The Performance Polymers division produces epoxy specialities and other high value thermoset resins used in the composites and other industries. The business employs over 3 100 people worldwide and achieved an operating income of CHF62 million in the first half of 1999, up from CHF26 million in the comparable period in 1998.
tion
Composite
the products are not available in sufficient amounts. The same is said to apply to glass fibre. Uwe Bultjer, head of AVKTV, says that demand is exceeding production capacity and will result in price increases of 10% or more. The AVK-TV and SMC Alliance recommend that customers conclude their annual contracts as early as possible. “We are not expecting a shortage but there will definitely be an increase in the delivery times in the industry”, says Fritz. “SMC and BMC producers will have to plan further ahead.”
The Rp Asia canferqtp&itmd September in
The company’s other divion Additives, sions focus Colours, and Consumer Care. Under MGPE the headquarthe Performance ters of Polymers business will be in Basel, Switzerland. “The Performance Polymers division is a high quality branded asset with top line growth potential driven by its leading technological posiGraham tions,” comments Hutton, chief executive of MGPE. “It is one of the world’s top three epoxy resin manufacturers and has strong positions in speciality applications such as advanced tooling, adhesives and photo polymers.” Ciba
Specialty
tel: +41-61-636-1111.
Chemicals;