Ticona Announces Plants Set LFRT Production Records to Support Global Demand for Lightweight Thermoplastics
Florence, Ky., Sulzbach, Germany, Shanghai, PR China- Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation, today announced its Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics (LFRT) business set new global production records in the third quarter 2012 that will enable it to support the increasing demand for this metal replacement material in innovative automotive, industrial, electrical and electronic, and consumer applications.
"Ticona is well positioned to meet the continued global demand of LFRT products by our global customers thanks to the success of our manufacturing staffs and their great production achievements," said Bjorn Hofman, director - Europe, Middle East & Africa, Ticona. "With LFRT manufacturing units in strategic locations in the United States, Germany and China, Ticona is truly capable of supporting customers worldwide."
In addition to the production records, a new pilot line in Germany is slated to be operational in the fourth quarter 2012.
"This pilot line at our Kaiserslautern unit gives customers the unique opportunity to work with our engineering thermoplastic experts on the development of fiber reinforced materials that best suit their needs for innovative applications," said Thorsten Neidhoefer, global LFRT development manager, Ticona.
Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics
The long fiber reinforced thermoplastics product offering from Ticona includes Celstran® LFRT and Factor® LFRT, which offer a combination of stiffness and toughness unparalleled by conventional short fiber reinforced thermoplastics.
Both products provide customers with outstanding value in meeting the needs of demanding applications that require part consolidation, weight reduction, sound dampening and metal replacement:
· Automotive Industry - Structural, functional and appearance parts (instrument panels, door modules, battery trays, clutch pedals, gear shift levers, consoles, HVAC louvers, air intake pipes, fascia supports, front end modules)
· Industrial/Appliances - Housings, gears, pulleys, wheels, fan blades
· Electrical/Electronics - EMI/RFI shielded housings and conductive parts for static dissipation
· Sporting Goods and Recreational Equipment - Snow board bindings, ATV components, motor housings
Each is produced in a proprietary pultrusion process that achieves the necessary impregnation quality without damage to the fibers. Incorporated fibers can be glass, carbon, aramid and stainless steels. As matrix materials, nearly all types of polymers are suitable.
Celstran LFRT and Factor LFRT can be tailored to provide application-specific combinations of mechanical properties:
· High dimensional stability and excellent mechanical properties
· Very high energy absorption, and therefore easily meets crash requirements
· Retention of properties such as impact resistance, rigidity and strength over a wide temperature range
· High heat distortion temperature
· Low creep, low warpage and shrinkage
Global Brand Experience
Produced in Kaiserslautern, Winona, Minn., and Nanjing, China, LFRT engineering thermoplastic grades provide the same performance characteristics - and the same specifications - to all Ticona customers, whether they are in Europe, the Americas or Asia. To provide this uniform global brand experience, the three manufacturing units use the same:
· Proprietary principle methodology for the LFRT manufacturing process
· Process layout and equipment
· Finished product specifications
"These are exciting times for all of us at Ticona as our LFRT engineering thermoplastics are increasingly specified as a material of choice by designers worldwide," said Mark Schouten, global LFRT product strategy manager, Ticona. "The truly global footprint of our manufacturing unit is a real asset in the support of our customer's growth ambitions."
About Ticona and Celanese
Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corporation, produces and markets a broad range of high performance products, and posted net sales of $1,298 million in fiscal 2011. Ticona employs more than 1,500 individuals at production, compounding and research facilities in the USA, Germany, Brazil and China. For more information, please visit www.ticona.com or www.ticona.cn (Chinese language).
Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of specialty materials and chemical products that are used in most major industries and consumer applications. Our products, essential to everyday living, are manufactured in North America, Europe and Asia. Known for operational excellence, sustainability and premier safety performance, Celanese delivers value to customers around the globe with best-in-class technologies. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company employs approximately 7,600 employees worldwide and had 2011 net sales of $6.8 billion, with approximately 73% generated outside of North America. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its global product offerings, visit www.celanese.com or the company's blog at www.celaneseblog.com.
Contacts:
Americas:
David Perilstein, Press Relations
+1-518-479-7632
Dperilst@nycap.rr.com
Americas:
Robert Shaw, Manager, B2B Marketing Communications
+1-859-372-3117
Robert.Shaw@Ticona.com
Europe:
Henning Küll, Public Relations Manager
+49-69-45009-1797
Henning.Kuell@Ticona.de
Asia:
Amber Zhao, Marketing Communications
+86-21-3861-9222
tong.zhao@ticona.com
