Page 24 - Plastics News December 2017

COMPANY NEWS

DSM adding capacity for high Elplast opens innovation centre

performance plastics in Zory

utch chemical company Royal DSM is expanding its olish flexible packaging firm Elplast Group has
Dhigh-performance plastics production in Europe in Popened an innovation centre at its European
response to strong customer demand. DSM Engineering production plant site in Zory, Poland, to offer testing
Plastics announced that it was expanding production at and collaboration opportunities to clients.The centre,
its sites in Emmen and Geleen, the Netherlands, for high spanning 450 square metres, will offer a platform to
clients and partners to explore flexible and reclose
temperature nylons and thermoplastic copolyesters (TPC) packaging, and produce prototype bags with their
with this expansion. films.The unit features bag making machines with
form fill and seal packaging machines for prototypes
and short productions series, as well as a platform for
zipper and slider applicators developed by Elplast. The
company plans to expand the unit in 2018, adding
machinery and new applicators, including the Elplast
Slider applicator. “Instead of talking about new
packaging, we can now present it. We understand
new packages must be tested before they hit store
shelves, and now we can offer such an opportunity to
our clients,” said Marcin Pawelak, president of Elplast
Europe, commenting on the new centre. Elplast
currently supplies more than 600 million metres of
press to close zippers annually to customers in over
The plan comes on the back of “solid growth” in the 60 countries.
consumer electronics and automotive markets, and the
related increasing demand for high performance plastics Ineos to build “largest” butane
including brand names Stanyl, ForTii, EcoPaXX and
Arnitel. The company has already successfully completed storage tank in Europe
expansion projects for Stanyl, ForTii and EcoPaXX product
streams by 50 percent while a 25 percent production neos is set to build “the largest butane storage tank
capacity expansion for Arnitel will come online in 2018. Iever built in Europe” at Belgian port of Antwerp. The
company had signed an agreement with the Oiltanking
DSM said the investment underlines its commitment to the Antwerp Gas Terminal (OTAGT) to build the 135,000
industry and is aimed at improving its long-term position cubic-metre fully refrigerated tank, which is expected
in the high-performance plastics market. “Our global asset to come on stream in 2019.The tank, said Ineos, will
footprint and real time supply network allows us to rapidly allow it to import butane, a feedstock for production
respond to meet our customer’s requirements”, said of butadiene, from the US, and world markets in
Paresh Bhakta, VP Global Operations at DSM Engineering VLGC carriers.From there, the it will supply the
“competitive raw material” to its plants at Cologne,
Plastics. “To continue to stay in tune with our customer’s Germany, while also having the opportunity to trade
needs, we have successfully completed expansion projects butane in Europe.
for our Stanyl, ForTii and EcoPaXX product streams leading Situated on the left bank of the river Scheldt, OTAGT
to a 50% capacity increase. We are also in the process of is one of the largest independent terminals in North
bringing 25% additional Arnitel capacity online in 2018.” West Europe for storage, throughput & distribution
The investment underlines DSM’s commitment to the of LPG’s & petrochemical gases.This project is part
industry and strenghtens its long-term position as a leader of Ineos’ investment in supply chain flexibility of its
in the high performance plastics market. European facilities.

Plastics News December 2017 24