Polymetrix

From WikiPETia.info

Polymetrix AG
Founded 1955
Headquarters Oberbüren, Switzerland
Website www.polymetrix.com

Company Profile

Polymetrix is a specialist for the thermal treatment of bulk materials based in Switzerland. Their main focus are treatment processes for virgin and recycled polyesters, polyamides and other polymers.

Typical applications for the products from Polymetrix plants are packaging materials like PET bottles, high tenacity yarns like PA air bag fibers or straps made from 100% recycled PET.

Technology

The demanding properties for these applications are achieved with treatment processes such as solid state polycondensation (SSP), drying and conditioning or crystallization. To design processes Polymetrix test relevant material characteristics in their in-house technical facilities with respect to processing and the demands of the final application. The test results are used for process simulations and the subsequent scale-up to industrial-scale plants.

History

  • 1970 – 1984 - Bühler MIAG in Braunschweig, a subsidiary of Bühler AG, develops and builds plants for drying polyester and polyamide pellets. The base technologies are derived from Bühler's technology portfolio for the thermal treatment of bulk materials in the food sector.
  • 1984 – 2012 - In 1984, Bühler creates the Thermal Processes business unit at its headquarter in Switzerland. Based on the business activities in polymer drying processes Bühler AG develops an SSP technology for PET bottles in 1984. Due to the innovative SSP technology without mechanical agitation the company soon gains market share. In 1990, Bühler builds a polymer testing laboratory and a continuous pilot plant. Bühler's PET SSP process becomes the leading technology to obtain high viscosity food grade PET for packaging applications. The market share grows continually by 2 to 3% per year to over 70%. In 1998 Bühler builds its first SSP plant for recycled PET flakes and follows with a complete rPET plant for food grade pellets in 2002.
  • 2012 - Bühler AG forms Bühler Thermal Processes AG, turning its Thermal Processes business unit into a separate company.
  • 2013 - Cross L.P. acquires 65% of the share capital of Bühler Thermal Processes AG. Bühler Holding AG retains 35% of Bühler Thermal Processes AG. Management and staff members all remain in the company.
  • 2015 - Bühler Thermal Processes AG is renamed and since the end of March 2015 trades under Polymetrix AG

References

PETplanet Insider Articles

Issue 10 / 2017: Bühler buys back all Polymetrix shares
Issue 05 / 2016: A little bit more is always good?
Issue 07 / 2016: Polymetrix seeks strategic buyer
Issue 03 / 2016: Energy and yield optimised
Issue 09 / 2015: Polymetrix wins more PET projects with SSP technology
Issue 06 / 2015: Polymetrix EcoSphere SSP for new mega scale PET plant
Issue 05 / 2014: Bühler Thermal Processes AG PET plants with SSP technologies
Issue 04 / 2014: Bühler Thermal Processes installs 2.5 million t/a PET SSP capacity

External links

Polymetrix Website