SEKISUI DOUBLES PVB OUTPUT
[BIZ: Geleen, March 4] Sekisui Chemical is expanding production and sales of interlayer film for laminated glass on a global scale and, for interlayer film for automobiles in particular. It has the world's top share of 42%. Background At the present time, Sekisui Chemical's sound insulating film is used one out of every six new automobiles sold throughout the world, showing a steady year-on-year rate of expansion. To meet these demands, Sekisui Chemical has enhanced the functionality of interlayer film in recent years with the aim of strengthening production capacity and has decided to add a high-performance interlayer film-dedicated line and a raw material resin production line at its Shiga Minakuchi Plant and a film production line at its plant in China. To meet market needs, Sekisui Chemical has developed new products for front glass for automobiles, based on interlayer film technology. With the addition of a Raw Material Resin Production Line at Plant on Chemelot, Sekisui Chemical's interlayer film production plants are continuing full production against a background of growing demand for high-performance interlayer film and heightened demand arising from an increase in models using high-performance interlayer film forecast in the future. A new line will help to meet this demand. The addition of this line will result in an increase in production of 15 million units of PVB (polyvinyl butyral) per year when the line goes into operation in July 2010. The production facility is operated by Sekisui S-Lec, a division of Sekisui Chemical. The first line was established in January 2007. Sekisui S-Lec’s ER-100 plant, which was established at Chemelot in January 2007, produces the resin used as a base material for the PVB film, which was previously supplied from Japan. Thanks to its location at Chemelot, the company is making huge savings on transport costs, and exchange-rate risks are a thing of the past. Chemelot Chemelot offers raw materials, utilities, facilities, and an innovative campus. With these, Chemelot facilitates new investments in research activities as well as innovative start-up companies and chemical installations. Some of the firms on Chemelot rank high on the list in their business worldwide. The firms on Chemelot profit from operational synergy.
Sekisui Chemical will be adding a new line to its production plant for interlayer film raw materials resin for laminated glass on the Chemelot Industrial Park at Geleen (the Netherlands). This line will be it’s second production facility in Europe. The investment of approximately EUR 85m will establish an additional raw material resin production line, the second production facility at its plant in the Netherlands that serves as the raw materials supply base for Europe.
Sekisui Chemical's interlayer film business is expanding due to increased production volume to meet the needs of increased automobile production levels in emerging countries, particularly in Asia, and enlargement of the area of glass used in a single automobile. Additionally, demand for Sekisui Chemical's high-performance interlayer film for sound insulation, solar control and sound and solar control is on the increase to meet the needs of enhanced levels of onboard comfort in developed countries such as Japan, Europe and the Americas.
In the field of material sciences and life sciences the chemical industrial site Chemelot, in Geleen in the South of the Netherlands, is an important business partner in Western Europe. Chemelot comprises the Industrial Park and the Campus. The location has an excellent infrastructure and perfect logistics via water, rail and road.
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