Rochling gears up for more capacity GASTONIA, N.C. — Rochling Engineered Plastics, which is based in Gastonia, on April 27 broke ground on a $1 million warehouse expansion.
The 28,000-square-foot addition is scheduled to be finished in September. Located on a 10-acre site, the expansion will bring the total size of the facility up to 130,000 square feet.
"The warehouse will free up needed space," Lewis Carter, general manager at Rochling Engineered Plastics, said in a news release. "Our next step is to add additional manufacturing equipment later this year, allowing about a 15 percent growth in total capacity. We're in an industry that is experiencing continued growth, and we're growing to meet the demands of our customers."
Rochling manufactures Polystone ultra high molecular weight polyethylene sheet, rods, tubes and profiles, plus extruded and compression molded high density PE and polypropylene sheet.
Rochling's parent firm is Rochling Haren KG, based in Haren, Germany. The parent firm and its subsidiaries have 900 employees and annual sales of $127 million.
Rexam sees beauty in restructuring
LONDON — Rexam Beauty Packaging, a major global producer of specialized packaging including lipstick, pumps, closures and compacts, announced major changes to its operations in the Americas.
The company joined all five of its North and South American manufacturing and importing companies under the name Rexam Beauty Packaging. Rexam plc, the London-based parent firm says the change will make it easier for customers to access the wide array of products the company offers.
"We purchased companies in the Americas that extend our reach in the beauty packaging industry," Henning Kornbrekke, chief executive officer of Rexam Beauty Packaging in the Americas, said in a news release. "By allowing each company to operate independently we have become a major player in the cosmetic industry. Now, in order to place a greater emphasis on new product development and customer communications, we need to operate as one company."
Now operating under the new name are Sussex Plastics, Sofab USA, Rexam Cosmetic Closures, Rexam Beauty Packaging do Brasil and Rexam Cosmetic Packaging.
Sussex Plastics is a highly automated injection molder specializing in compacts. Sofab molds high-end fragrance pumps, cosmetic pumps, samplers and pharmaceuticals. Rexam Cosmetic Closures molds high-end closures for Gerlain, Givenchy and Chanel. And Rexam Beauty Packaging do Brasil makes compacts and lipstick cases for Avon and Natura. Rexam Cosmetic Packaging focuses on highly automated lipstick case production.
Michael Katz was named vice president of product marketing for the Americas and is now responsible for research and new product development. John Lamie has been named vice president of sales. A new management team has also been established with executives from the five companies.
Rexam Beauty Packaging will open a central office near New York within the next 12 months.
Winners of awards stick with Teflon
WILMINGTON, DEL. — Entegris Inc. of Chaska, Minn., won a top prize in the DuPont Plunkett awards for innovative use of Teflon fluoropolymer resins.
Entegris won first prize in the Americas region for fluid-handling components for pharmaceutical processes. The patented Cynergy fittings are the first nonmetallic products that withstand steam-in-place and clean-in-place operations required in pharmaceutical production.
Another innovation for pharmaceutical manufacturing won second prize for W.L. Gore and Associates Inc. of Elkton, Md. Gore's Sta-Pure tubing for peristaltic pumps offers higher pressure ratings and longer service than conventional rubber tubing, and it virtually eliminates shedding of particles that can contaminate processes. The tubing is a composite structure of silicone rubber reinforced with an fluoropolymer membrane.
An innovative optical fiber won third prize for Lumenyte International Corp. based in Irvine, Calif. The fiber is touted as an alternative to neon for building perimeters, cove lighting, hazardous environments, display cases and signs. The LEF linear emitting fiber has prismatic notches to emit light along its length. The low refractive index of the fluoropolymer cladding plays a key role in preventing the escape of light from areas between the fiber's notches.
For the European and African region, first prize went to Coatresa SL of Barcelona, Spain, for metal automotive shock absorber pistons coated with Teflon. Automotive mufflers with key parts made of Teflon won second prize for Poly-Zaust Ltd. of Germiston, South Africa. Holscot Industrial Linings Ltd. based in Grantham, England, won third place with Teflon-lined rocket fuel tanks.
For the Asia Pacific region, fluoropolymer liquid-level sensor bodies won first prize for Nissei Denki Co. Ltd. in Hamamatsu, Japan. Second place went to Heliro Pty. Ltd. of Warriewood, Australia, for underwater lamp lenses. A Teflon fitting for high-purity chemical transfer systems took third place for Nippon Pillar Packing Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan.
Wilmingon-based DuPont has held the competition for the past seven years. The awards are named for Roy J. Plunkett, a DuPont scientist who developed Teflon fluoropolymers.
