PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2012

PET news 6 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 09/12 www.petpla.net Elasto Müller Kunststoffe and EPS come together After several years of co-operation between Müller Kunststoffe and EPS, the two companies have agreed a deal that brings them together in a new Caps and Closures divi- sion within Elasto Müller Kunststoffe. EPS specialises in the development of compounds for caps and closures. Raymond Exon, CEO at EPS, will remain as Caps and Closures Product Manager for Elasto Müller Kunststoffe. Elasto parent company Hexpol AB announced the acquisition of Horst Müller Kunst- stoffe in December 2011. www.elastotpe.com UK’s Lotte Chemical orders Uhde MTR plant KP Chemical Corporation of Korea subsidiary Lotte Chemical UK Ltd., a producer of PTA and PET, has commis- sioned a new plant from Uhde Inventa-Fischer for its produc- tion facility near Middlesbrough, NE England. The plant will have a production capacity of 200,000t/a, using the compa- ny’s patented Melt-To-Resin (MTR) technology. Resin made from this process is used, among other applications, as feedstock for the production of water and CSD bottles. Lotte Chemical UK Ltd produces pure terephthalic acid (PTA), at the site and will supply it directly to the new plant via pipe- line. Uhde Inventa-Fischer will provide basic and detail engi- neering, supply of all plant components and supervision of the construction and commissioning activities, and will also train operating personnel. ThyssenKrupp Uhde and Uhde India will provide the civil and steel structure engineering. www.uhde-inventa-fisch er.com Krones signs up to UN Global Compact Krones AG signed up to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact in May 2012, which it says is in line with its view of its social responsibilities as fundamental elements of its corporate culture. UN Global Compact signatory companies are obliged to comply with the global guidelines covering human rights, labour standards, envi- ronmental protection and combatting corruption. www.krones.com Agr offering Six Sigma Agr International has announced that its process con- sulting services for PET blowmoulding operations utilise a Six Sigma-based process evaluation. The Six Sigma methodology is a well-established process improvement toolbox widely used in manufacturing and product design, as well as complicated technical process management. Six Sigma is based on five steps; define, measure, ana- lyse, improve and control, which are backed by a broad array of proven statistical tools. This is augmented by the use of Agr’s measurement tools specifically designed for the PET bottle industry. Agr uses the Six Sigma pro- cess to conduct a practical analysis of the blowmoulding process in a given manufacturing facility. The analysis includes the identification of the KPIs that should be measured and controlled to optimise the process. Agr’s consulting personnel work directly with process engineers and plant floor personnel to solve problems such as man- aging light weight applications and quality issues, as well as a range of process improvement efforts that lead to improved pack rate. www.agrintl.com PTi sells sheet extrusion system to Aserpet Sheet extrusion machinery manufacturer Processing Technologies International (PTi) has announced the sale of a new sheet extrusion system to Aserpet, of Gazi- antep, Turkey. The recently completed sale is PTi’s first in Turkey. Aserpet, a recycler of PET flake for the packaging industry, purchased its first sheet extrusion line to help support the company’s entrance into the packaging indus- tries. The PTi coextrusion system, which runs 750 kg/hr of PET, also includes a roll stand, winder, and stacker. The machine has been installed and is now operating at the customer’s facility. PTi sold the machine through its agent Kerem Anil with Plast-teknik in Istanbul. The company is exploring other business opportunities in Turkey, targeting PET, PP, PS, and barrier sheet extrusion systems for the packaging industry. www.ptiextruders.com IVL closes Indonesian PET deal Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has completed the acquisition of the PET assets of PT Polypet Karyapersada in Indonesia. The deal, which the company first announced in March 2012, provides IVL 100,800t of PET capacity adjacent to the PTA assets of PT Indorama Petrochemicals (formerly known as PT Polyprima Karyes- reska) at Cilegon, West Java, which IVL acquired under a joint venture in 2011. Mr. Aloke Lohia, Group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said, “Indorama Ventures has pursued an integration strategy of our PET and PTA businesses in Thailand, Italy (under a joint venture) and The Netherlands and earlier announced upstream integration into MEG (Monoethylene Glycol) in North America. The acquisition of PT Polypet Karyapersada creates synergies due to it being co-sited with our PTA plant PT Indorama Petrochemicals in Indonesia, making it a strategic investment in the most populous country in ASEAN.” www.indorama.net