Engel names Michael Traxler as head of its mold technology division

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Austria-based injection molding machine maker Engel Group has appointed Michael Traxler as head of its mold technology division, said Canplastics.

In a statement, Engel noted that Traxler has more than 30 years of experience in precision tool making and injection molding. He joined Engel in 2015 and previously headed the company’s packaging business unit in North America.

Traxler replaces outgoing leader of the technology division Udo Stahlschmidt, who is retiring.

“We would like to thank Udo Stahlschmidt for his many years of great commitment. With his sound expertise and keen sense of the specific requirements of the markets, he has very well positioned Engel’s mold technology department internationally,” Dr. Christoph Steger, CSO of the Engel Group, said in the statement. “With Michael Traxler, we are delighted to have found a successor who has already a lot of experience in this area and who will continue the work without skipping a beat. With Mr. Traxler, we will continue to advance the decentralised development of the mold technology know-how”.

As MRC informed earlier, in March 2019, Engel has opened its second location in Mexico.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Borealis and the EREMA Group have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the purpose of deepening their cooperation in the field of mechanical recycling, as per PackagingEurope.

The shared goal is to advance mechanical recycling technologies in order to accelerate the transition to a circular economy of plastics. The companies also aim to enhance recycling processes in order to satisfy increasing market demand for higher-quality recyclate used in high-end applications.

Leveraging respective areas of expertise to accelerate technology development

While the ultimate aim of the stepped-up cooperation is to effect the more rapid transformation to a circular economy, Borealis and EREMA will collaborate most specifically on:

- Developing improved technologies and processes in mechanical recycling by leveraging each company’s respective area of expertise: Borealis in polymers, and EREMA in engineering; to this end, there will be joint tests, trial runs and pilot projects;
- Using knowledge exchange and best practices to design and implement new and practical technical solutions;
- Such recyclate should be available in greater amounts, exhibit improved mechanical properties, be suitable for high-end applications and commercialized at a faster rate;
- Standardizing and harmonizing input feedstock and recyclate output (pellets) in order to enable the broader use of recycled solutions for individual end-use applications, and in particular for everyday consumer products;
- Upscaling the mechanical recycling industry: exploring the potential of increasing plant size and total production volumes in order to ensure secure and reliable market availability;
- Working in tandem to acquire more sophisticated market intelligence in order to deliver sufficient quantities of those specific types of materials demanded by customers.

With headquarters in Ansfelden, Austria, the EREMA Group has more than just a geographical proximity to Borealis’ Austrian operations: the two companies share a deep commitment to leading the way to a more circular economy of plastics.

Since its founding 36 years ago, the EREMA Group has been described as a global market leader in the development and production of plastics recycling systems and their components. Over 6000 EREMA systems are now in operation around the globe, producing a total of over 14.5 million tonnes of plastic pellets annually. As an innovation leader with more than 1000 patents in 111 patent families, the EREMA Group continually strives to promote and implement the principles of the circular economy in practice. Cultivating close relationships with value chain partners has been an effective way to help close the plastic cycle loop: profound understanding of the different kinds of challenges faced by different players along the value chain is a necessary prerequisite for offering the right solutions.

Borealis says it has taken the industry lead in redefining the nature of polyolefins products and applications. Its track record in Value Creation through Innovation enables it to develop and implement novel polyolefins-based solutions in the circular economy sphere, for example in the form of high-end compounds used in the automotive industry, and post-consumer recyclate grades used in consumer packaging. Importantly, Borealis seeks to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated in the first place by promoting design for recyclability and the increased uptake of re-use packaging models. Borealis has also launched the dedicated communication platform EverMinds.

In recent years, Borealis has expanded its sphere of activity beyond virgin polyolefins by entering the field of mechanical plastics recycling. It acquired leading German mechanical plastics recycler mtm plastics in 2016 and leading Austrian recycler Ecoplast in 2018. Now, as part of the Borealis Group, both companies also have long-established ties to the EREMA Group.

As MRC reported earlier, in April 2016, Borealis AG and PAO Gazprom, the world's gas major, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The document reflects the parties' interest in evaluating opportunities to develop joint gas chemical projects in Russia.

Borealis is a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers. With headquarters in Vienna, Austria, Borealis currently employs around 6,500 and operates in over 120 countries. It generated EUR 8.3 billion in sales revenue in 2014.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oil prices remain steady, supported by worries over conflict between Iran and the United States but pressured by concerns about a potential decline in demand for crude, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Benchmark Brent crude futures were up 3 cents at USD64.89 a barrel by 0034 GMT. They fell 0.5% on Monday.

US crude futures were down 3 cents at USD57.87 a barrel. The US benchmark rose 0.8% in the previous session.

Brent rose 5% last week and U.S. crude surged 10% after Iran shot down a U.S. drone on Thursday in the Gulf, adding to tensions stoked by attacks on oil tankers in the area in May and June. Washington has blamed the tanker attacks on Iran, which denies having any role.

US President Donald Trump targeted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials with sanctions on Monday, taking an unprecedented step to increase pressure on Iran after Tehran's downing of the drone.

Trump also said on Twitter that other countries should protect their own oil shipping in the Middle East rather than have the United States protect them.

But some said the threat of immediate military conflict had eased slightly.

"Traders have lessened their odds for an immediate US-Iran escalation in this forever smoldering hot spot," said Stephen Innes, managing partner at Vanguard Markets in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, hopes are waning for progress in Sino-US trade talks at this week's G20 meeting as investors await a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Weak manufacturing data released on Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas added to worries about slipping demand for crude oil.

Supply is expected to remain relatively tight, as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia, an alliance known as OPEC+, appear likely to extend a deal on curbing output when they meet on July 1-2 in Vienna, analysts said.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday that international cooperation on crude production had helped stabilize oil markets and was more important than ever. He also voiced concerns about demand.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Czech oil refiner Unipetrol, a unit of Poland’s PKN Orlen, has stopped taking oil from the Druzhba pipeline from Russia due to chloride contamination, reported Reuters with reference to the chief of Czech state strategic reserves' statement on Twitter on Monday.

"Unipetrol has stopped taking oil from the Druzhba pipeline due to detected contamination by chlorides. Further tests of samples are underway," Pavel Svagr said.

A spokesman for Unipetrol was not immediately available for comment.

News agency CTK earlier quoted Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek as saying an increased level of contamination had been measured in the Druzhba pipeline’s southern branch.

As MRC wrote earlier, in April 2019, Unipetrol trusted its engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract to McDermott International for its Litvinov refinery in Czech Republic. Under the contract, McDermott will be responsible to provide EPCM services for the upgrade of a hydrocracking unit at the Litvinov refinery.

Unipetrol , a.s. is a group of companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005 Unipetrol became a part of the PKN ORLEN Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe. The UNIPETROL Group is oriented mostly towards oil processing, fuel distribution and petrochemical production. In all of these business areas the Unipetrol Group is among the key players both in the Czech Republic and on the Central European market. The Group ranks among the leading firms in the Czech Republic in terms of its revenues, and employs almost 4,000 people.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ukraine's polypropylene (PP) imports totalled 56,500 tonnes in the first five months of the year, up 13% year on year.
The greatest increase in imports accounted for homopolymer PP, according to MRC DataScope.

May PP imports into the country fell to 11,500 tonnes from 13,500 tonnes a month earlier, the main decrease in imports were seen in the shipments of homopolymer PP. Overall imports of propylene polymers reached 56,500 tonnes in January-May 2019, compared to 50,000 tonnes a year earlier. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main growth in imports, whereas demand for propylene copolymers subsided.

The structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

May imports of homopolymers of propylene to the Ukrainian market decreased to 8,000 tonnes from 11,300 tonnes a month earlier, local companies decreased purchasing of homopolymer PP raffia in the Middle East. Overall shipments of homopolymer PP reached 43,900 tonnes in the first five months of 2019 versus 36,300 tonnes a year earlier.

Last month's imports of block propylene copolymers (PP block copolymers) were 1,100 tonnes, compared to 1,400 tonnes in April. Imports of PP block copolymers into the country were about 5,400 tonnes in January-May, compared with about 5,200 tonnes year on year.

May imports of statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymer) were 2,200 tonnes from 700 tonnes a month earlier, local companies significantly reduced their purchasing of pipe PP random copolymer. Overall imports of PP random copolymers exceeded 6,400 tonnes in January-May 2019, whereas this figure was about 7,400 tonnes a year earlier.

Overall imports of other propylene copolymers were about 776 tonnes over the stated period.


MRC