Two suppliers to carbon brake manufacturers are planning expansions. Zoltek Cos. Inc., a St. Louis supplier of oxidized polyacrylonitrile fiber used in carbon brakes, is preparing a stock offering of 1.8 million shares to raise funds to buy a Hungarian textile acrylic fiber producer.
Zoltek, which went public in 1992, plans to purchase Magyar Viscosa Reszventarsusag, which translates as Hungarian Rayon Inc. Magyar is based near Budapest, said Zsolt Rumy, 53, Zoltek founder, chairman and chief executive officer.
Zoltek employs 90 and report-ed sales of $12.7 million and profit of $2 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
Also expanding is RK International Ltd. of Muir of Ord, Scotland. Like Zoltek, RK supplies oxidized PAN fiber, a thermoset nonfusible textile product that must be carbonized to create carbon fiber.
``We are in the process of installing our second continuous carbon fiber line,'' said Novis Smith, president of RK Carbon Fibers Inc., the company's U.S. subsidiary in Philadelphia.
``By the end of next year, we also plan to add an additional 1.4 million pounds'' of capacity for Panox preoxidized material. RK International projects 1995 sales of about $12 million and ``expects growth to be over 15 percent next year.''
RK has annual capacity to produce 2.2 million pounds of Panox and 750,000 pounds from a separate continuous carbon fiber line.
