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New All-electric Series Is Winner for Wintec at Chinaplas
After a three-year absence from the all-electric machine market segment, Engel’s low-cost injection machine affiliate Wintec is back with the e-win SE series of machines with clamping forces ranging between 50 and 380 tonnes. “Without small machines, 90% of our focus was on auto,” says Markus Fuchs, president of sales and service at Wintec Global and president of the Engel Group in Southeast Asia. “With small machines, technical and less-challenging medical applications, as well as packaging, will become more accessible for us. We want to aim for market share by adding a cost-competitive all-electric machine range [to] address the electrification trend driven by Japanese OEMs,” he added.
Performance at a competitive price point.
“The new t-win SE hydraulic two-platen injection molding machine is a complete iteration of the original t-win series,” said Fuchs. “The t-win SE is a refurbished machine with a competitive price point and even better performance. There are molders who appreciate European quality but at the same time we appreciate that Engel machine prices may be a little high, even for auto Tier Is. We are addressing this issue with the new machine series.”
The all-electric, high-precision e-win SE series of injection molding machines boasts stability and a compact design that saves on production space. Further, its consistent and efficient production pattern significantly reduces production costs, according to Engel.
Cycle-time optimization.
Thanks to high injection speed capacity and other performance parameters, the e-win SE press maximizes capacity while reducing cycle time. The e-win SE is also equipped with the user-friendly Wintec C3 controller, which delivers operational flexibility and the capability to perform more complex injection molding applications. It also meets the high standards of intelligent manufacturing required by industries such as medical, packaging, and 3C electronics.?
In conjunction with the launch of the new machines, Wintec has also introduced its first high-efficiency linear rfobot —?the a-win. The robot for t-win machines offers increased payload capacity. Wintec’s integrated control concept and digital solutions ensure that all movements mesh together perfectly.
Celanese Laser-focused on Sustainability
By Robert Grace
Celanese Corp., which is still digesting its 2022 acquisition of DuPont Co.’s Mobility & Materials unit, remains laser-focused on improving the sustainability not only of its wide range of engineering polymers but also on its manufacturing processes.?
The $11 billion cash purchase of DuPont’s specialty plastics business has given the Dallas-based Celanese “the broadest portfolio of engineering thermoplastics in the industry right now,” said Tom Kelly, the firm’s senior vice president of engineered materials.?
“We have over 20 different polymers that we can draw from to solve customer problems through formulation and compounding,” he said in a May 6 interview in the company’s suite at the NPE2024 trade show in Orlando, FL. “But for every one of those product lines, we either have options with recycled content, or we have alternatives that are produced with bio-sourced raw materials to provide a lower CO2 footprint versus conventional fossil-fuel feedstocks.”
Leveraging carbon capture.
Its efforts have not gone unnoticed. On May 9, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) presented Celanese with a 2024 Sustainability Leadership Award in the Circularity category. ACC recognized the company for the active carbon capture and utilization (CCU) project at its Clear Lake, TX, manufacturing site as part of its Fairway Methanol joint venture with Mitsui & Co. Ltd. The project is expected to capture 180,000 metric tons of CO2 industrial emissions and produce 130,000 metric tons of low-carbon methanol annually.
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The CCU project takes CO2 industrial emissions that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere from both Celanese and third-party sources and applies reduced-carbon-intensity hydrogen to chemically convert the captured CO2 into a methanol building block used for downstream production. This low-carbon input is then used to reduce traditional fossil fuel–based raw materials to produce a range of products that can benefit most major industries.
Kelly noted that Celanese then is using this carbon-capture methanol to produce its polyoxymethylene (POM) — aka acetal — in its Bishop, TX, facility. The end result, he says, is a net-zero-carbon footprint for the POM ECO-C resin it is making there.?
“This has customers really excited,” he said, “especially in the consumer space, in the electronics space, [which is] where you see most of the interest right now.”
Recent financial results.
On May 8, meanwhile, the global chemical and specialty materials company announced first-quarter financial results. It reported 2% higher net sales of $2.61 billion for the three months to the end of March 2024 and 33% higher net earnings of $124 million.?
"Our first quarter results demonstrate our ability to execute in a commercial environment that has stabilized but still shows limited signs of meaningful recovery," said Lori Ryerkerk, chair and CEO. "We saw the realization of financial benefits from actions that were completed last year, particularly within the former M&M portfolio, and we continue to put in place further initiatives to enhance the earnings power of Celanese.”
Those actions included shutting down two former DuPont operations in Europe that Kelly said were at “the higher end of the cost curve.” The first was a nylon 6/6 polymerization unit in Uentrop in Germany last fall, and more recently a specialty compounding facility in Mechelen, Belgium.??
Rolling out new grades.
Meantime, Celanese has introduced some new grades of former DuPont materials, including:?
Bringing the frunk.
Late last year Celanese also earned a Grand Award in the Vehicle Interior category at the 52nd Annual SPE Automotive Innovation Awards for its role as a material supplier for the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Mega Power Frunk. The frunk— the front, trunk-like storage space that occupies the traditional engine compartment in an electric vehicle — used a 40% long-glass-fiber grade of the company’s injection-moldable Celstran polypropylene to replace sheet molding compound (SMC) for that part, which offers an industry-largest 400 liters of space.
“It's a pretty big piece of plastic,” Kelly said. “I think it's over 21 pounds. So, it was a real design challenge. We worked very closely with our supply chain partners to be able to make the mold and ultimately the part.”
Additionally, Celanese said, the cycle time reduction achieved by using injection molding instead of compression molding and eliminating the need to paint contributes to an annual savings of approximately $15 million. It also reduced the weight in each vehicle by 16 pounds.?
This type of weight savings is especially vital in electric and hybrid vehicles, which need to maximize battery performance. That opens opportunities for replacing metal with polymers and polymer composites.?
Kelly notes an automotive cross-beam application as a case in point. It uses Zytel PA 6/6 for the structural, under-car member, which, he said, is in “late-stage development” with an automaker.?
Tuning EV motor mounts.
And Cadillac is using Celanese’s Zytel NVH, a structural material that can be tuned to reduce specific frequencies, for its Lyriq EV motor mounts . General Motors tried aluminum, but it created an undesirable sound in the passenger cabin. These plastic mounts produce a quieter interior experience by isolating and damping high-frequency motor noise, which becomes more prominent with quieter EVs. This innovation also won a nod from Automotive News’ PACE program with a nomination in 2022, and a Society of Automotive Analysts Innovations in Lightweighting award in 2023.
Kelly noted another advantage that he says Celanese has. “We have a really strong position with the OEMs and [automotive tier suppliers] in China,” which is a leader in EV development.?
“We tend to learn things in China about design principles and then we transfer those to the engineers in the US, and to Europe to make sure that we're ready. Because, ultimately, a lot of the same design challenges that the Chinese have already been facing will be coming up in the US and Europe, as well. So we’re more prepared for this.”
A major TPE portfolio.
Celanese also is active in other sectors. With two leading thermoplastic elastomer brands — Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) and Hytrel thermoplastic copolyesters (TPCs) — the company is getting more active in athletic footwear, for example.?
The midsole on running shoes, he notes, traditionally has been made from ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). Now, Kelly says, “customers started using our Hytrel to get more elasticity and bounce in in the running shoe. And we've been working with customers recently on foaming technology to not only give you even more elasticity, but lighter weight and still get those same bounce properties.”
The company is incorporating bio-based raw material options into these products, as well. At the same time, Santoprene TPV allows users to recycle any of the trimmed waste, unlike with thermoset EPDM rubber, which is not recyclable.?
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A more sustainable alternative to Spandex.
Additionally, as previously reported , Celanese has been working for years with Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. (UA), the athletic apparel and footwear giant, to develop an alternative fiber for use in performance stretch fabrics. Its aim is to replace the long-established elastane (commonly known as Spandex). Kelly said elastane uses a lot of solvents in its manufacturing process that ultimately get released into the environment if not captured properly. Spandex also is not recyclable, he said.?
So Celanese and UA recently introduced Neolast. This alternative “could unlock the potential for end users to recycle performance stretch fabrics,” claims Celanese, “a legacy aspect that has yet to be solved in the pursuit of circular manufacturing with respect to stretch fabrics.”?
Neolast fibers are produced using a proprietary, solvent-free, melt-extrusion process, notes Kelly, adding that the fiber itself can be tailored to give very different properties.?
Celanese says that in addition to exploring application opportunities with Under Armour, it intends to make the fiber available to the broader apparel industry, potentially reducing elastane dependence.?
Resin Price Report: Lull in Resin Trading as NPE Holds Court
By PlasticsToday Staff
Few fresh polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) railcar offers were made available to the spot market during NPE week, but the short-staffed PlasticsExchange trading desk did fill a number of relatively urgent truckload needs the week of May 6, reports the resin clearinghouse in its Market Update.
Historically, resin pricing is pressured when the plastics industry convenes at a major conference, as transparency is enhanced and competitive situations are created. The NPE event in Orlando, FL, however, almost seemed to have an opposite effect, writes the PlasticsExchange. The show saw a huge influx of international resin buyers —? processors as well as traders and distributors —?and that leant support to the market. They came eager to buy and establish new sourcing channels to access North American PE, which is derived from competitively priced ethane/ethylene feedstocks, as most of the new capacity built in the last seven years was always intended to be exported, according to the PlasticsExchange, which had a booth at the show. “It was our company's eighth NPE, and it was the best that we have experienced, with many thanks to all of the fine folks that we met with at the show,” writes the PlasticsExchange.
PE trading falls short.
Spot PE trading was muted last week as many market participants attended NPE. As expected, completed volumes fell short of traditional averages at the PlasticsExchange, which said that it expects activity to pick back up after the show. While there was considerable export demand at NPE, without a steady flow of offers, high-volume deals were challenging to complete last week. Fresh offers started to roll in on May 10, and the PlasticsExchange said it was happy to be a net buyer, as it has started to strategically restock. April PE contracts became more complex as competing indices took different positions, leaving questions about final April pricing more than a week into May.
$0.03/lb price increase on the table.
One major index posted up $0.03/lb for the month, endorsing producers’ price increase effort. Another index, which had projected flat a couple of weeks ago, maintained its position despite surely being pressured to revise higher. It was a rare divergence, but PlasticsExchange analysts said they happen to agree that domestic pricing has been mostly steady during April, with its prices actually averaging down one cent. It’s very possible that the $0.03/lb increase could become fully implemented by the end of May, it added.
PE exports slip below 45%.
Meanwhile, preliminary supply/demand data released by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) for April showed that producers throttled back their reactors, making about 250 million fewer pounds than the record levels reached in March. Export sales also retracted, slipping below 45% of total PE sales for the first time in a year. There was a small reaction lag to drop export prices quickly enough to stay competitive internationally, as global PE prices eased along with naphtha during April. However, exports were still historically robust with more than one million metric tons of material sold to offshore destinations.
Domestic PE sales stayed strong and tallied 7% above the 12-month average. When the dust settled, there was a very modest decline in collective producer resin inventories. Readers are encouraged to subscribe directly to the ACC for more detailed supply/demand data.
Buyers swoop in for PP railcar deals.
Spot PP trading activity slowed as industry players at NPE were more focused on long-term business than short-term operations. But deals continued to be done, particularly late in the week when a flurry of railcar offers rolled in, most of which were scooped up fairly quickly as resellers were short of material to fill customer commitments. This has been a continuing trend over the past six weeks as orders were taken expecting better availability at lower prices, given unwinding of the polymer-grade propylene (PGP) rally, according to the PlasticsExchange. However, spot availability was modest during much of April —?processors upped their direct orders since contract prices were plunging a dime, soaking up most of the large surplus that developed in March and leaving little for spot sales. Resellers’ PP inventories are still very thin and there is a substantial premium for ready-to-ship truckloads compared to fresh railcars, which are starting to flow a little faster. ?
The PlasticsExchange said in its Market Update that it had liquidated most of its prime PP market-making inventories as PP prices were peaking in March and held back from making significant net purchases until prices corrected. “We began to restock in a more meaningful way this past week and plan to continue replenishing our market-making stocks as stellar opportunities present themselves. Though a few more pennies could still come out of the market, we feel that most of the PP price break is already behind us, as upstream inventories have been drawn and monomer found support in the low $0.40s/lb and have staged a minor bounce,” writes the PlasticsExchange. May PGP contracts could shed $0.02 to 0.03/lb, but producers are also looking for a $0.03/lb margin increase, which could be an offsetting factor for May PP contracts.
PP resin production at lowest point since December 2022.
According to the ACC, domestic demand in April was up a solid 3% more than the trailing 12-month average, just as producers were cutting operating rates back below 74%, to make the least amount of PP resin since December 2022. Apart from Mexico, exports were lackluster given the relatively high price of PP resin, though imports were cut as incoming ocean freight rates rose as domestic PP prices plunged, closing the arbitrage. When April ended, upstream inventories had drawn down a large 7% and the market feels tight. Additional capacity is still expected to come later this year when Formosa brings its 550 million lb line on stream in Point Comfort, TX. The company said mechanical work on the new line will be complete this month with commission expected sometime in the third quarter.
Read the full Market Update on the PlasticsExchange website .
ExxonMobil Sold on Sustainable Solutions at Chinaplas
There was something for —?almost —?everyone from ExxonMobil at Chinaplas in Shanghai last month. One highlight was a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) solution for machine-direction-oriented (MDO) blown film. Grade 7165L is a core component of pouches designed for recyclability, imparting stiffness to the structure.
“7165L was designed specifically with MDO in mind, and we also bring our Exceed mLLDPE [linear-low-density PE with metallocene catalysts] material into the structure. They combine to deliver an all-PE solution that can replace PET-based structures,” noted Matt Loach, PE global marketing manager, at an offsite interview with PlasticsToday during the show. “Collaboration across the entire value chain was also important for successful project execution.”
Other pouches on show were an MDO cast-film process mono-material stand-up pouch and a nine-layer ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) co-extruded, high-barrier MDO PE substrate film, providing outstanding stiffness for downstream convertibility.
ExxonMobil also noted the critical role that its Vistamaxx performance polymers play in replacing conventional sealants in cast polypropylene (cPP) films to provide low seal initiation temperature (~90°C) as well as a broad hot-tack window that enables monomaterial laminate designs that can improve recyclability. Recent PlasticsToday coverage on monomaterial MDO packaging can also be found?here .
Advancing chemical recycling.
ExxonMobil’s Loach also emphasized the promise that his company perceives in its?Exxtend ?chemical recycling technology for addressing sustainability. “With this technology, we feed plastic waste directly into an integrated asset that breaks it down to the monomers that are, in turn, fed to a steam cracker,” he noted. “With Exxtend technology, we are feeding a mixture of different length chains with additives and other contaminants, not solely the monomers,” he added. In terms of energy efficiency, Loach noted that every 1,000 tonnes of waste plastics processed using Exxtend technology results in 185 to 525 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (19 to 49%) lower greenhouse-gas emissions compared with processing the same amount of fossil-based feedstock.
Currently, ExxonMobil operates a 40,000-tonnes/year Exxtend unit at its Baytown, TX, site. “The plan is to have 500,000 tonnes/year of capacity in place by year-end 2026,” said Loach.
Heightened performance requirements placed on virgin resin.
Higher levels of recycled resin usage in combination with virgin resin places more demanding performance requirements on the virgin component to address the performance shortfalls of the recycled component. ExxonMobil thus sees the need for continued investment in virgin polymer production capacity, particularly for its high-performance PE and polypropylene (PP) portfolios.
Case in point: The company is progressing a multi-billion-dollar chemical complex in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, in China with more than 2.5 million tonnes per annum of high-performance PE and PP capacity. Phase one of the project, located in Dayawan Petrochemical Industrial Park, is progressing faster than planned and on track for startup in 2025, according to ExxonMobil.
EVs are buzzing in China.
Part of the PP will undoubtedly find its way into new energy vehicles (NEVs), headed by electric vehicles (EVs), a market segment where Chinese OEMs are racing toward global domination unless trade barriers are raised. Here, Achieve Advanced PP offers interior and exterior?lightweighting ?opportunities. This includes a neat resin solution for door panels and trim, and a glass-fiber-reinforced PP to replace metal or engineering plastics. Bead foaming technology enabled by the incorporation of Vistamaxx performance polymers can offer additional opportunities for lightweighting automotive parts.
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