Page 18 - Plastics News June 2018

CompAny news

LyondellBasell HDPE plant set for KraussMaffei invests in second-

2019 opening hand machinery firm Gindumac

ouston-based LyondellBasell Industries is on track unich-based machinery supplier KraussMaffei
Hto open a major new plant making high density MGroup is expanding its portfolio and digital
polyethylene resin. Paul Augustowski, senior vice offering with a stake in the German second-hand
president of Americas olefins and polyoelfins said that the machinery start-up Gindumac GmbH.Gindumac
new plant is expected sometime in 2019 in LaPorte, Texas. took part in KraussMaffei’s open house event at KM
The new HDPE headquarters in Munich. KraussMaffei declined to
plant will have 1.1 give further details on the size of the investment or
billion pounds of the stake acquired in correspondence with PNE. The
annual production German machinery giant said the investment will
ca pa ci t y a n d provide it with the potential to win new customers
will be the first and enter the second-hand machinery market with
wo r ld-scale digital sales solutions. Additionally, KraussMaffei is
plant to use the introducing an “old for new” concept, which it expects
firm’s proprietary will benefit its existing costumers.
Hyperzone-brand
t e ch n ology .
Hyperzone has
been used at a
pilot plant in
Europe. The technology “allows a broad spectrum of
HDPE to be made in one plant. The new line’s main
extruder and pelletizer were delivered and installed in
April.

Both sections of its multizone reactor will be installed
this month. Its gas-phase reactor will be delivered and
installed in June. HDPE made via Hyperzone has “a good
balance of properties,” including toughness and chemical
resistance, which can benefit large-part and small-part Under the concept when KraussMaffei customers
blow molding, film extrusion, injection molding and pipe buy a new machine, Gindumac will guarantee a “fair
production, Massive amounts of new PE capacity is being market price” for their used machine. According
added in North America by LBI and other producers who to KraussMaffei, Gindumac is able to evaluate the
are making use of shale-based feedstocks. Augustowski current market value of any machine within less than
said, “We’re building for the global market and have 48 hours on the basis of an intelligent data algorithm.
sales channels in all regions, however, that a good deal “The investment fits very well into our concept of
of the PE expansions have been focused on low density marketing second-hand machinery internationally,”
and linear low density PE, while HDPE projects actually said Frank Stieler, CEO of the KraussMaffei Group.
at this moment are under announced.” “We are not only expanding our portfolio but are also
The $725 million LaPorte project is one of several strengthening our digital platform-based offering and
projects on tap for LBI. The firm is also working on a are establishing the right prerequisites for further
major propylene oxide project and is adding ethylene growth,” he added. KraussMaffei expects to be able
capacity. Potential projects in the 2022-2025 time to “fully map the life cycle of used plastics processing
frame include more PE production in North America and machinery” through the investment.KraussMaffei also
additional polypropylene capacity in both North America will expand its offerings by offering rental model for
and Europe. second-hand machinery.

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