(prw) -- The German Foamed Plastics and Polyurethane Industry Association (FSK) has chosen KraussMaffei Technologies and Lasselsberger Engineering as joint winners of its Innovation Award 2010 in its Design category (corporate).
The winning project uses a novel concept to produce structural components for prefabricated homes using polyurethane sandwich panels.
Floor, wall and roofing elements are produced continuously on an industrial scale. Drastically reducing the number of elements to a few large components with standardised connectors has reduced the many steps necessary to erect the house on-site, claims KraussMaffei, keeping the cost of on-site construction as low as possible.
(plastemart) -- Umeco plc, an international provider of supply chain services and advanced composite materials primarily to the aerospace & defence industries, announced that its Process Materials business has entered into a joint venture with its Chinese distributor Shanghai Leadgo Technology Co., Ltd.. The joint venture agreement is subject to approval from Chinese authorities, and is expected to be granted within the next two months. Umeco will have a 51% stake in the joint venture company - Shanghai Umeco Composites Co. Ltd., while Leadgo will have a 49% stake. The JV will establish a facility in Shanghai to manufacture vacuum bagging films for the rapidly growing Chinese wind energy market. The new facility should be fully operational by the end of 2011. Umeco estimates its total investment in the JV will be RMB28 mln (US$4.1 mln) comprising a cash investment of US$2.4 mln for its equity stake in the company and a US$1.7 mln shareholder loan facility. Leadgo will also make a similar investment and provide a similar loan.
(plastemart) -- A planned maintenance outage of Sasol's ethylene unit to commence on September 24 will last through the middle of November. The outage is to allow for a large-scale turnaround, that will result in increased traffic in Westlake as well as some flaring during the beginning and end of the turnaround. Flaring is necessary to provide a safe means for clearing the unit. Following the turnaround, flaring will be necessary to bring the unit back to production capability. To minimize impact to the community, Sasol has scheduled the heaviest flaring during the daytime hours and will utilize a ground-flare, which significantly reduces noise and light impact.
ROTTERDAM (LyondellBasell) -- With growing customer requirements for high-performance, specialty polypropylene (PP) products, LyondellBasell announced today that it plans to extend production and technology capabilities at its Spherizone PP process technology plant in Brindisi, Italy.
Scheduled for completion in 2012, an upgraded process design and capacity expansion will include the use of additional co-monomers such as hexene to manufacture products with the properties required by pipe, sophisticated film and healthcare applications. Plant capacity is expected to be increased by 50 KT, extending total capacity to 235 KT per year.
According to Anton de Vries, LyondellBasell's senior vice president, Olefins and Polyolefins, Europe, Asia and International, ⌠This project will enable LyondellBasell to better support the growing demand for higher-value, specialty PP grades.
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