ORLANDO, FLA. (April 4, 7:40 p.m. ET) — Asahi Kasei Plastics North America Inc. (Booth 33013) is taking its Thermylene-brand materials to Europe through a licensing agreement with Polyplast Compound Werk GmbH.
Eilenberg, Germany-based Polyplast will manufacture and distribute Thermylene – a glass-reinforced polypropylene compound – for Asahi Kasei, which is based in Fowlerville, Mich.
Polyplast operates three compounding plants in Germany – at Eilenberg, Straelen and Bingen am Rhein – producing compounds based on PP, PVC and thermoplastic elastomers.
Asahi Kasei President John Moyer said in a news release that his firm “values partners like Polyplast, who share our philosophy to produce quality products and are committed to delivering a high level of customer satisfaction.”
Polyplast Chief Financial Officer Matthias Hildenbrand said in the release that his firm’s customers “will appreciate the product design flexibility and process enabling benefits Thermylene delivers.”
Recent Thermylene growth has been spurred by new applications in the auto, industrial and pool and spa markets, according to Asahi Kasei commercial operations vice president Ramesh Iyer. The material is finding success as a replacement for nylon and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) in numerous auto use including sun roof frames, door modules and shifter bases.
At NPE 2012, Asahi Kasei also is focusing on new grades of its Xyron-brand polyphenylene ether compounds for solar panel components, Leona-brand nylon compounds for high performance and Tenac-brand acetal compounds, as well as several new grades of Thermylene.
