A. Schulman Inc. has added a pair of new production lines and a fully automated packaging line at its plant in Kerpen, Germany.
Both of the production lines use twin-screw extruders, officials with Fairlawn, Ohio-based Schulman said in a Feb. 8 news release. The additional compounding capacity “will address continued growth in high-performance compounds,” said Senior Vice President Heinrich Lingnau.
The investment also supports increasing customer demand in the automotive and electrical and electronic markets, added Lingnau, who also serves as general manager of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for Schulman.
“This investment is aligned with the expansion of our product portfolio, and in particular with production of our new range of Ecotran [polyphenylene sulfide] compounds,” he said.
Schulman ranks as a leading compounder and concentrate maker in both North America and Europe, as well as a leading European resin distributor. The firm employs 5,000 worldwide and posted sales of $2.4 billion in it 2015 fiscal year.