European Rubber Journal articles from September 2003

European Rubber Journal archives from September 2003

Freudenberg to invest 15m [euro] in technical centre: leading non-tyre rubber supplier keeps innovation at the forefront of corporate policy.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... Freudenberg & Co. is to spend some 15 million [euro] ($17 million) to build and equip a new development centre for seal and vibration-control technology at its headquarters in Weinheim, Germany. In the last 12 months, Freudenberg has...

New commercialization units.(Rubber news)(Freudenberg und Co.)(Freudenberg NOK Mechatronic)(Freudenberg Fuel Cell Components Technology)
September 1, 2003... Beside Freudenberg's research services, the group has in the past year established new units at Weinheim to further the industrial use of new products. These are: Freudenberg NOK Mechatronic, whose role is to adapt existing knowledge of...

Gates considers plant closure.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Denver, Colorado -- Transmission belt and hose systems supplier Gates Corp. may close its Elizabethtown, Kentucky belt-manufacturing plant. A final decision awaits results of talks with union representatives of USWA Local Union 780, said a...

Hutchinson opens third Polish unit.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] London -- French rubber processor Hutchinson SA inaugurated its third Polish production facility at Lodz 26 June, according to a spokeswoman for the group. The 25 000-[m.sup.2] facility. an existing unit purchased ready built by...

Freudenberg-NOK acquires hose business.(ERJ newsbrief)(Federal Mogul Corp.)
September 1, 2003... [] Plymouth, Michigan -- Freudenberg-NOK GP paid an undisclosed amount to purchase the Omega power steering hose and rebuild kit business of Federal Mogul Corp. Freudenberg-NOK said it plans to move production from the division's Solon....

Federal-Mogul boosts wipers in Europe.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Southfield. Michigan -- Federal-Mogul Corp. has won its first original equipment contract for its Champion-brand flat blade wiper for a Volkswagen AG vehicle. This autumn, Federal-Mogul plans to introduce its Champion Aerovantage blade...

German chemical union settles pay dispute: last-minute deal grants few concessions to the workforce, but averts possible strike action.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... The German rubber sector has avoided a potentially damaging strike after a last-minute deal between employers and the IG BCE union, which represents around 20 000 workers in the industry. At a meeting on 27 June, the union agreed a...

SSL in sales talks--other glove makers named: group chief executive signals sale of gloves-to-condoms unit, to allow SSL to focus on consumer goods.(Rubber news)(SSL International PLC)
September 1, 2003... Glove and condom maker SSL International plc is in the early stages of talks to sell the business to a third party. Ian Martin, SSL International's chairman, announced the potential sale of the whole business at the company's Annual General...

West sales, earnings rise in second quarter.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Lionville, Pennsylvania--West Pharmaceutical Services Inc continued a strong recovery from the fire that destroyed its Kinston, North Carolina, plant in January, posting positive sales and earnings figures for the second quarter The...

RA International adds Keeling gaskets: consolidation in UK seals and gasket industry results in closure of Wolverhampton gasket plant.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... RA International Ltd has expanded by acquiring another UK gasket maker Keeling Rubber and Plastics, for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition has raised RA International's turnover to 12 million [pounds sterling] ($19.5 million) annually,...

Phoenix sells Malaysian hydraulic hose unit: Australian firm acquires Malaysian hydraulic hose business, as Phoenix aims for global leadership.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... Phoenix AG has sold its Malaysian hydraulic hose business to Australia's Ryco Hydraulics Pty Ltd. The transaction includes production facilities, the site and inventory as well as the development and production know-how of the Malaysian...

Nike to buy Converse for $305 million.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Beaverton, Oregon -- Nike Inc. has reached an agreement to buy Converse Inc. for about $305 million. Converse is best known known for its canvas Chuck Taylor All Star shoes Nike posted total revenue of $10 7 billion for its fiscal...

Eaton sales rise.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Cleveland, Ohio -- Eaton Corp. posted revenue of $2030 million for the second quarter, up 8 percent over the same period last year. The bulk of the sales increases came from Eaton's tour acquisitions this year, including the Boston...

Trelleborg buys Smiths' polymer seals operation: cash purchase buys Trelleborg a strong position in seals sector, and increases group sales by over 30 percent.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... Trelleborg AB has used its cash assets to take on a new challenge, paying 495 million [pounds sterling] ($794 million) fur the precision seals business of Smiths Group plc--currently called Polymer Sealing Solutions. The move adds another...

PSS has strength in seals sector: PSS and its competition.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... The PSS operation makes 70 percent of its own seals and outsources some 30 percent, Arp said, with major materials used being rubber, polyurethane and PTFE (polytetrafluorethylene). Seal types include O- and V-rings, hydraulic seals, rotary...

Elastomer sheeting used in artificial 'moon': innovative application of Bayer's Levapren material can help illuminate pop concerts and accident scenes.(Rubber news)(HeliMax Powermoon)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Noelle Industrielle Umwelttechnik GmbH of Rheinberg, Germany, has used a rubber-based translucent composite to make balloons capable of illuminating large areas. Powerful light sources inside the balloons create a "pleasant light similar to...

GDX to make door-seals for BMW.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Sacramento, California -- GDX Automotive has won a contract for the design and production of the door-sealing system for the BMW 3 Series Coupe and Cabriolet, The supply programme is valued at approximately 70 million [euro] ($73 million)...

GDX sales rise.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Sacramento, California -- GenCorp reported earnings of $10 million for the second quarter, an increase of 67 percent over the same period of 2002. Sales rose 4 percent during the three-month-period to $315 million. For the six-month...

Henkel acquires Makroflex.(ERJ newsbrief)(Henkel Group)
September 1, 2003... [] Dusseldorf, Germany -- Henkel Group has bought the Makroflex adhesives and sealants business from YIT Construction Ltd of Helsinki, Finland. Makroflex, which had a 2002 turnover of 34 million [euro], employs 100 at two units, in Finland...

Advanced Materials to sell Irish subsidiary: management buys speciality foam parts maker from international group, for $3.2 million.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... Advanced Materials Group Inc. (AMG), a maker of speciality foam parts, is selling its subsidiary in Dublin, Ireland, Advanced Materials Ltd (AML-Ireland) to a group of investors headed by the unit's management for $3.2 million. AMG...

Concorde cloud has silver lining for AerAzur: French company sees improved sales of high-tech fuel tank linings, after re-designing Concorde systems, following safety fears.(Rubber news)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... AerAzur, part of the Zodiac Group, sees continuing sales opportunities for its aramid Jr. fibre/fluoroelastomer fuel-tank linings, which helped Concorde regain its Certificate of Airworthiness after one of the aircraft crashed near Paris on 25...

Linatex signals sales recover.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] London -- Elementis plc is benefiting from "particularly strong" sales growth in its Linatex speciality rubber division. The unit will contribute to an expected 10 percent rise in sales for the first half of 2003. Elementis forecast in a 17...

West starts rebuilding.(ERJ newsbrief)(West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.)
September 1, 2003... [] Kinston, North Carolina -- Medical components maker West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. held a ceremony 1 July to mark the start of its new plant project in Kinston. West's Kinston plant was destroyed, live people were killed and dozens...

Ashton Seals buys gasket maker Clough: 'Dickensian' plant in London closes, following further consolidation of UK seals and gasketing sector.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... Ashton Seals of Barnsley, UK, has bought Clough (Croydon) Ltd, a specialist in gaskets and gasket sheeting, and anticipates making other acquisitions in future. The deal raises Ashton Seal's annual turnover by about 25 percent, to around 3.75...

EC carbon black probe continues.(ERJ newsbrief)(European Commission)
September 1, 2003... [] Brussels The European Commission is continuing its probe into alleged price fixing in the carbon black supply industry, EC spokeswoman Amelia Tortes has confirmed "Investigation work still proceeds and I am not in a position to give any...

More Kraton G capacity in US.(ERJ newsbrief)(Aker Kvaerner)(Kraton Polymers)
September 1, 2003... [] Houston, Texas -- Kraton Polymers has appointed engineering firm Aker Kvaerner to expand the ca pacify of its Kraton G polymers plant in Belpre, Ohio. The debottlenecking project, which is due for completion by mid 2004, is based on a new...

Degussa ups antioxidants.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Frankfurt, Germany -- Degussa Fine Chemicals is to increase production capacity for its phenolic antioxidants plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, by 25 percent, the company has announced. The debottlenacking project is in response to growing...

Renault finds few drivers willing to pay for PAX: Renault sold around 33 000 PAX-equipped Scenic cars in 18 months. All but 500 were fitted as standard on high-range models.(Tyre news)(PAX runflat tire system)
September 1, 2003... Renault's pioneering fitment of Michelin's PAX system as standard on two Scenic models--the Fairway and Sport Way--was a success, according Laurent Gerbet, a spokesman for the French car maker. However, sales of the PAX-fitted vehicles fell...

DSM to close Addis EPDM unit.(ERJ newsbrief)(DSM Elastomers Americas)
September 1, 2003... [] Addis, Louisiana -- DSM Elastomers Americas will close its EPDM plant here by mid-2004. The company will source the material for North American customers from factories in The Netherlands and Brazil The company said the technology at...

Crompton to make loss in Q2.(ERJ newsbrief)
September 1, 2003... [] Middlebury, Connecticut -- Crompton Corp. expects to report a loss in the second quarter of 2003 due to higher raw material and energy costs, slow demand and lower selling prices. The group has also been hit by charges of $12.4 million...

Crompton completes sale of OSi to GE: organosilanes business gets new owner.(Tyre news)
September 1, 2003... Crompton Corp. has completed the sale of its organosilicones business to General Electric Co., the companies announced 31 July. GE has paid $633 million in cash for the OSi business, and is to pay a further $12 million for certain OSi...

BFS ships again from Liberia.(ERJ newsbrief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... [] Harbel, Liberia -- Bridgestone/ Firestone's natural rubber plantation near Harbel was able to ship latex and block rubber the week of 8 July from the Port of Monrovia, after interruptions caused by the civil war in Liberia. "Our people have...

Acordis splits up industrial fibres.(ERJ newsbrief)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... [] Arnhem, The Netherlands -- Acordis Industrial Fibers bv is to restructure its polyester and polyamide fibre activities into separate business units, with effect from 1 Aug, parent group Acordis has announced. The polyester business will...

Hutchinson stays top of the world.(Rubber news)
September 1, 2003... The ranking of the world's non-tyre rubber product makers changed little last year, with the top three companies staying the same, four new names joining the Top 50 and two changes in the Top 10. France's Hutchinson SA, marking its 150th...

ERJ digital issue now online.(Rubber news)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... From this issue forward; ERJ subscribers who have paid their annual subscription can download a digital version of the current magazine from our website when ERJ goes to press. The digital issue is identical to the printed issue, except that it...

Cabot's carbon black business under pressure: costs of raw materials are increasing, as price pressure from carbon black buyers increases, says chief executive.(Supplier news)
September 1, 2003... Cabot Corp. of Boston Massachusetts remains concerned about the performance of its carbon black business, despite gains made in the third quarter, according to Kennett Burnes, its chairman and CEO. "Competition in the carbon-black market is...

MeWa enters scrap tyre sector.(Supplier news)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Recycling equipment maker MeWa Recycling Maschinen und Anlagenbau GmbH has entered the scrap tyre reprocessing sector. The company has sold its first tyre crumbing machine to an Austrian company, according to its spokesman Karsten Mennerich....

Ripplewood invites offers for Kraton business: bid to sell off world's largest SBC producer may be linked to need to invest for capacity expansions in China.(Supplier news)
September 1, 2003... Ripplewood Holdings LLC is inviting bids for the Kraton Polymers styrenic block copolymer (SBC) business it acquired from Shell Chemicals just two and a half years ago. The equity firm's decision comes as Kraton is developing plans for a major...

DKG claims IRC '03 beat all records: the combination of DKT and IRC brought papers, exhibitors and delegates in record numbers to Nuremburg over the Summer.(IRC review)
September 1, 2003... Record numbers attended the International Rubber Conference '03 in Nuremberg, Germany, according to the organisers, the Deutsche Kautschuk Gesellschaft. The DKG said 3120 visitors attended the conference and exhibition, held 31 June- 3 July....

Solvay enters TPV race with Respond, Nexprene.(IRC review)
September 1, 2003... Solvay Engineered Polymers, part of Solvay SA, is targeting niche areas of the estimated 100-kilotonne-per-annum (ktpa) global market for thermoplastic vulcanisates (TPV). The market is currently dominated by Advanced Elastomer Systems'...

Safic to join Elemica's e-business portal: distribution is changing slowly throughout Europe, because most chemical suppliers are happy with their distributors, and unwilling to change, according to a leading industry figure.(IRC review)
September 1, 2003... Safic-Alcan, the Paris-headquartered raw materials distributor, will join Elemica from October this year. According to Martial Lecat, member of the executive board, the move will cut administration costs by allowing Safic to transfer documents,...

Daikin to start FKM plant in France: Daikin Chemicals plant in France is due on stream in February 2004. Although the market is in over-supply, the company does not expect the extra capacity to lead to price reductions.(IRC review)
September 1, 2003... Daikin foresees rapid take up of product from its planned new fluoroelastomers (FKM) plant in France, despite current over-supply in the FKM market, according to Yasuhiko Hirai, president of Daikin Chemical Europe GmbH. The market, he...

Xylan coating can silence squeaky car profiles: a simple fluoropolymer coating can prevent car doors squeaking as the weatherstripping seals rub against other components, during normal driving, according to technical experts at Whitford Plastics. As cars have become quieter, the noise of one seal rubbing against another next to the driver's ear has become another target in the battle against NVH in the cabin.(IRC review)
September 1, 2003... Fluoropolymer coatings for car door seals are playing a vital role ill reducing noise in vehicles, cutting out the squeaking that can occur as door seals rub against the door frame. Worldwide, "suddenly people want noise-free coatings,"...

Whitford enter rubber field.(IRC review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Whitford Plastics specialises in fluoropolymer coatings for a wide range of industries Its products were originally used for cookware--non stick pans--but it then branched out into products for coating metals generally, with the same aim:...

New plasticiser for flexible rubber.(IRC review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... [] Nuremberg, Germany -- Bayer Chemicals, a part of Bayer AG, has launched a new polymeric plasticiser for use in applications such as NBR-based printing rollers, The plasticiser helps to produce highly flexible rubber articles, with no...

Rhein Chemie invests, despite on-off sale: Rhein Chemie has always been independent, and this independence is helping to reduce uncertainty in the light of Bayer's announcement that Rhein Chemie is not one of it's core businesses. Meanwhile, the company continues to invest seeking to add value to ingredients through technology and cooperation with customers.(IRC review)
September 1, 2003... Executives at Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH, the rubber chemicals operation which Bayer AG very nearly divested late last year to US equity firm Advent International, might be forgiven for feeling a little bemused by the on-off nature of the...

New predispersions have no polymer or wax.(IRC review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... [] Nuremberg, Germany -- UK rubber chemicals supplier Adam Polymer Ltd has launched a new range of pro dispersed rubber chemicals developed at its Bredbury, Manchester, site. The predispersions, christened Ad-Sperse, are formed as pellets using...

Laser system for profiles.(IRC review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Nuremberg, Germany -- Cologne, Germany-based TechTrade GmbH, Laser and Developing Division is marketing a laser system for putting holes arid ether perforations in rubber profiles. TechTrade's system is primarily designed for use with...

Plasma process nears commercialization.(IRC review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... [] Nuremberg, Germany--A highlight of the current programme of the German rubber research organisation, the Hannover-based Deutsches Institut for Kautschuktechnologie, is a plasma treatment for rubber, which can be used for the control of...

Growth in AV parts leads to high adhesive use: demand for higher under-bonnet temperatures triggers search for elastomers to replace natural rubber, and the adhesion systems to cope with higher performance and new compounds.(Rubber-to-metal-focus)
September 1, 2003... Antivibration mounts are a major application for rubber to-metal bonding agents and one that is, "really growing faster than the total automotive market," said Barry Snyder, newly appointed marketing manager for Rohm and Haas Co.'s...

CIL launches lead-free line.(Rubber-to-metal-focus)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... UK supplier Chemical Innovations Ltd has a new range of bonding agents for attaching rubber to metal, which is free from lead. Cilbond 12E primer and 80E top coat are designed for use with a range of elastomers, including EPDM, NR, CR, all...

Henkel Lord agreement.(Rubber-to-metal-focus)
September 1, 2003... Under a long-term agreement with Lord Corp., Henkel sells its Chemosil rubber-to-metal bonding agents only in Europe. Lord sells its Chemlok rubber-to-metal bonding range in the rest of the world. Henkel's 40-year old licence from Lord runs...

Adhesives made in France, US.(Rubber-to-metal-focus)
September 1, 2003... Rohm and Haas is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: although its US transportation adhesives business is in Chicago, Illinois, where the unit also has a technical centre and tech service. As well as the Chicago manufacturing...

Rubber bonding projects provide durability data and test methods.(Rubber-to-metal-focus)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... If a multi-client project by UK research group MERL (Materials Engineering Research Laboratory) gets off the ground, those involved in rubber-to-metal bonded parts will gain reliable data on the durability of such parts. And they may also have...

Lord meets environmental needs: full metal jacket is a water-based coating, applied to metal components prior to rubber adhesion. It is designed to eliminate phosphating and post-painting processes.(Environment)
September 1, 2003... Lord Corp. has a new anti-corrosion coating system for use on metal parts, which are to be bonded to rubber. Called MetalJacket, the water-based coating is designed to replace primer and eliminate post-painting processes, according to Elizabeth...

Pilot plant for Manchester.(Rubber-to-metal-focus)
September 1, 2003... In July, Lord Corp. announced that it was commissioning a new pilot line for the Metal Jacket technology at its Manchester, UK, facility. Using this line, Lord said it will be able to offer sampling and evaluation of the technology to European...

Diary.
September 1, 2003... Readers are strongly advised to confirm details with organisers before making any travel arrangements. An updated calendar of industry events is available on the ERJ website at http://www.crain.co.uk/ * ITRA Expo 2003. Date tba: Louisville,...

European car sales down six percent in November: price trend (red) of Brent Crude spot over the last 12 months.(ERJ dataflow)(Illustration)
September 1, 2003... Chart supplied by WTRG economics Information We present here a series of charts and tables which are meant to give a snapshot of how the rubber industry is performing. The price of rubber on the Singapore commodity exchange is...

Private or public, which is best?(postscript)(companies)(Column)
September 1, 2003... Back in the 1980s a character emerged from Hollywood. He was called Gordon Gecko, and his mantra was 'Greed is good.' He was a parody of a corporate raider, but like all good parodies, there were elements of truth in Mr Gecko. One of the...