Daikin plans to add more ETFE capacity
DECATUR, ALA. — Daikin America Inc. plans to double its ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer production capacity by expanding its Decatur facility.
The company made the announcement in a Sept. 30 news release, saying that as part of cooperative effort with the Decatur Industrial Development Board, it will invest more than $66 million to boost its domestic manufacturing of ETFE. It will add at least 25 more jobs.
ETFE is a resin used in wire and cable, for chemical and low vapor permeation and in light, transparent protective film applications. Its resistance capabilities make it attractive for use in wire insulation for airframe, military and down-hole oil field applications. It also is used in film for photovoltaic cell protection, as well as mass-transit cabling and some automotive uses.
Daikin said demand has been steadily increasing and the expansion will help feed growing consumption in the U.S. It also said the expansion will help provide space for the development of new ETFE grades.
Engineering for the new unit has begun and construction will be completed by the first quarter of 2010.
Daikin built the facility in the early 1990s and expanded it in 1995 and 2000.
Daikin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. of Osaka, Japan. Its parent is Japan's largest manufacturer of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, as well as its largest producer of fluorochemical products.
Husky is increasing work in Latin America
BOLTON, ONTARIO — Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. is expanding its local presence in Latin America, where the company has enjoyed a double-digit increase in sales this year thanks to strong growth in PET preform molds and injection molding machines.
At the Mexico technical center, Husky is boosting mold refurbishing services and preform prototyping capabilities, as well as Spanish-language machine training for customers. In Brazil, Husky will increase capacity at its technical center for PET mold refurbishing and hot-runner manufacturing, by adding a machining center and the assembly of hot-runner temperature controllers.
Husky, based in Bolton, Ontario, also is hiring more service technicians in Mexico and Brazil.
Georg Fischer to buy JRG Gunzenhauser
SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND —Georg Fischer AG, which makes pipe systems in Schaffhausen, will acquire another Swiss company, JRG Gunzenhauser of Sissach, a provider of drinking water and hot water supply systems in Europe.
The price was not disclosed.
JRG's product lines include Saniplex Classic and Saniplex MT, including mountings and valves.
Macro buys building to expand production
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO — Film equipment supplier Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. has increased its area by 50 percent.
The Mississauga firm has begun occupying an adjacent building to expand production.
``The main reason for the expansion was to create additional floor space to assemble and test our extrusion lines,'' Macro operations manager John Shimmell said in a news release.
The freed-up space in Macro's main building will allow faster production of retrofit components such as dies and air rings, Shimmell added.
Macro is experiencing broad-based international growth, said spokesman Andrew Erskine. Russia and India, where Macro has landed orders for nine-layer blown film lines, are among its fast-growing markets, he noted in a telephone interview.
The company also said its air-ring production is up 300 percent from previous years but declined to give specific sales data. The closely held company also declined to give more details of its floor space expansion.
EWI integrates lab's plastic welding lasers
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Edison Welding Institute in Columbus has fully integrated its laboratory that has lasers used for plastic welding applications.
``Increasingly, member companies across many industries are exploring through-transmission infrared laser welding,'' said EWI engineer Sean Flowers. ``Without question, the growth of broadband infrared light sources for plastic welding is driving laser welding [research and development].''
EWI offers contract research projects and consulting. Members also have access to EWI's technical inquiry service.
EWI serves the aerospace, automotive, government, energy and chemical, heavy manufacturing, medical and electronics industries.
Investors boosting X-Rite with $155M
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Investors have pumped $155 million into X-Rite Inc., the Grand Rapids-based maker of color measuring and matching products — a move that will reduce X-Rite's debt and increase the number of shares of the Nasdaq-traded company.
X-Rite announced the financial news on Aug. 20.
New equity investor One Equity Partners will invest $100 million in about 29 million shares of newly issued common stock, at $3.50 per share. That equals 37.3 percent of outstanding shares.
The investment of One Equity Partners One was complemented by incremental investments from two existing institutional shareholders, Sagard Capital Partners LP and Tinicum Capital Partners II LP. Sagard and Tinicum will invest $27.2 million and $27.8 million, respectively, in newly issued common stock priced at $3 per share.
X-Rite has increased the shares of common stock from 29.6 million to 76.5 million shares.
One Equity Partners is entitled to nominate three members to X-Rite's nine-member board of directors. Sagard is entitled to name one member.
The transaction allows X-Rite to cut its debt from $411 million to about $267 million. The board of directors unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
X-Rite generated 2007 sales of $249 million.
X-Rite also said it has reached a forbearance agreement with its first- and second-lien lender groups, giving the company access up to $10 million in its existing revolving loan.
Krah and Fränkische create partnership
SCHUTZBACH, GERMANY — Krah AG, a Schutzbach-based supplier of production lines to make spiral-wound, large-diameter pipe, has formed a partnership with Fränkische Rohrwerke Gebr. Kirchner GmbH & Co. KG, a maker of corrugators based in Königsberg, Germany.
Both companies will work closely to sell complete pipe production lines. Krah will expand its business to include the international sale of Fränkische corrugators.
Officials of the two companies said they offer a one-stop solution to pipe-making customers.
Krah has established a worldwide distribution network over the last few years, with offices in Kuwait; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Beijing; and Greenwood, S.C.
Agr International Inc. and Sipa strike deal
BUTLER, PA. — Agr International Inc. has struck a distribution agreement with Italian blow molding machinery maker Sipa SpA of Veneto, Italy.
Butler-based Agr will supply its newest product, the PETWall Profiler wall thickness monitoring systems to Sipa, which will integrate it into its blow molding machines at Sipa's factory in Veneto.
Sipa also will gain distribute Agr's complete line of laboratory products to its worldwide customer base.
The agreement enables Sipa to supply turnkey packages that include blow molding machinery integrated with material distribution monitoring, as well as laboratory products.
SRS offering service for Nissui granulator
EAST LANSING, MICH. — Size Reduction Specialists Corp. of East Lansing is now providing U.S. customers with parts and service of Nissui S-Cutter screenless, low-speed granulators, said Don Maynard, president and chief executive officer of SRS.
SRS signed an agreement with UNSI Tech, effective July 1. Under the agreement, SRS also will employ a UNSI/Nissui parts and service technician to assist customers.
Optex's new facility has lab, warehouse
FULTON, N.Y. — Optex Process Solutions, which makes feed screws and does extrusion consulting, has moved to a larger facility in Fulton with 6,400 square feet of space.
The building includes laboratory space and a warehouse.
Optex also does rebuilds small extruders. As part of relocation, Optex is rebuilding and installing a small extrusion coating lab line, which should begin operations in the first quarter of 2009.
Briefly...
Xaloy Inc., the screw and barrel maker in New Castle, Pa., has named ABC Plastics Technology LLC of Alpharetta, Ga., to handle injection molding product sales in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee... Onsrud Cutter LP, of Libertyville, Ill., a supplier of tooling for computer-numerically controlled routers, has introduced a full line of saw blades for plastic, wood and non-ferrous metals... Jemmco LLC, which makes roll sleeves and other supplies for the extrusion and web converting industries, has expanded its manufacturing, warehouse and distribution operations at a new facility in Mequon, Wis.