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Ar bur g o pe ns Shang hai Chevron Phillips Chemical

prototyping centre breaks ground on world-scale

1-hexane unit
dedicated Arburg Prototyping Centre (APC) is now
A available in each of Arburg’s core market regions –
Germany, the Americas and Asia – after the machinery hevron Phillips Chemical has broken ground on a
maker officially opened one in Shanghai, China. A Cnew world-scale unit for on-purpose 1-hexene in
total of four Freeformer injection moulding machines Old Ocean, Texas, US, near its Sweeny facility. With
a capacity of 266 000 tpy, the new asset grows the
company’s total US 1-hexene capacity to 650 000 tpy at
a time of rising customer demand. 1-hexene is central
to manufacturing high-performance plastic products.
The project will harness Chevron Phillips Chemical’s
proprietary, on-purpose 1-hexene technology, which
produces exceptional purity comonomer grade 1-hexene
from ethylene. Construction is expected to commence
during the third quarter of 2021, with project startup in
2023, and is expected to involve 600 construction jobs
at its peak. Once operational, the project will support
more than 50 full-time positions. “The new unit will
provide additional flexibility and production to meet
anticipated demand from our growing customer base,
produce benchmark parts using additive methods at the while establishing a strong foundation for future growth,”
new location, giving Chinese existing and prospective said Mitch Eichelberger, Executive Vice President of
customers the chance to see the component quality and polymers and specialties. “This new asset will also serve
performance that Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) delivers as a catalyst to advance the local economy as a source
before they make the decision to purchase one. The APC of job creation. We are very proud to be part of this
operates two 200-3X and 300-3X Freeformers. The four community and look forward to bringing this project to
machines in Shanghai are primarily used for processing life.” The new 1-hexene unit in Old Ocean will enjoy
and assessing materials from Chinese suppliers. Demand significant advantages in infrastructure, feedstock
from the medical technology and packaging industries is
particularly high. To help them become more familiar with
the technology, customers and prospective customers are
also given the opportunity to participate in Freeformer
training courses and work with the machine themselves
at the site.“In Asia, we are experiencing growing demand
for our Freeformer machines in applications that involve
additive manufacturing of functional components made
from original materials,” said Gerhard Böhm, managing
director for sales and service at Arburg. “The new
APC in Shanghai is enabling us to expand our expertise
strategically and respond specifically to the local needs of
the Chinese market.”Demand from the medical technology availability and operational expertise. It will also
and packaging industries is particularly high. The new benefit from the latest technology advances to achieve
Arburg Prototyping Center will initially serve customers energy and emissions efficiency improvements. Once
from China, but plans are in place to add more machines operational, it will further the company’s position as
and staff capacity so that availability can gradually be a leading 1-hexene supplier. Chevron Phillips Chemical
offered to the whole of Asia. The service team at the already operates the world’s largest on-purpose 1-hexene
Shanghai site also undergo training so that they can keep unit and two full-range alpha-olefin units at its Cedar
enhancing their additive manufacturing expertise. Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas.

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