Lanxess Archives - Page 6 of 13 - Tyrepress

Posts

Pilot plants at Lanxess butyl rubber site to test new technology

Although expansion work at Lanxess’ butyl rubber facility in Zwijndrecht, Belgium has been complete for some time now, today the company officially opened the upgraded plant. Reporting on the improvements at Zwijndrecht, Lanxess shares that capacity is now up ten per cent to 150,000 tonnes of butyl rubber per annum. The expansion, carried out at a cost of 20 million euros, was completed several months ahead of schedule at the end of 2011. Work involved expanding the existing plant’s production capacity and building two new pilot plants for developing butyl rubber production technology.

3rd May 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

More tyre label information needed, comments EU parliamentarian

Tomorrow, Lanxess will officially inaugurate its expanded butyl rubber facility in Zwijndrecht, Belgium. One of the guests at the ceremony will be Belgian European parliament member Ivo Belet. Ahead of the opening ceremony, Belet shared his views on the European tyre label, an issue closely linked to eco-friendly, or green tyres – a key beneficiary of the increased butyl rubber output in Zwijndrecht.

2nd May 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Green mobility and tyre labelling the focus of new Lanxess website

Forget that song made famous by Kermit the Frog – it’s never been easier to be green. The tyre industry has embraced the trend towards more environmentally-friendly products, and there is hardly a serious player in the business that doesn’t offer consumers a green option.

22nd March 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess announces record results

At its annual press conference on 22 March, specialty chemicals company Lanxess reported record sales and earnings figures during the 2011 financial year. Highlights the company touched upon were a 23 per cent rise in sales to 8,775 million euros, EBITDA pre exceptionals up 25 per cent to 1,146 million euros – the first time the one billion euro mark has been exceeded. The company’s EBITDA margin pre exceptionals came in at 13.1 per cent, compared with 12.9 percent the year before. Net income rose disproportionately compared with sales and EBITDA pre exceptionals, improving by one third from the previous year to 506 million euros. These positive results were achieved, the company stated, thanks to its price-before-volume strategy, successful acquisitions and focus on the emerging markets.

22nd March 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Rhein Chemie acquires US bladder manufacturer

German specialty chemicals manufacturer Lanxess says its position as a premium supplier to the tyre industry has been strengthened by its subsidiary Rhein Chemie’s acquisition of US-based bladder manufacturer Tire Curing Bladders LLC (TCB) for an undisclosed sum. The deal, which closed with immediate effect, sees Rhein Chemie as the proud owner of a firm with the capacity to produce more than 400,000 bladders per annum. TCB primarily serves the North American market and achieved sales of more than US$21 million in 2011. The company employs around 100 people.

19th March 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Eco tyres a Lanxess primary focus, says CEO

In a guest editorial for Reuters, Lanxess CEO Axel Heitmann has described low rolling resistance tyres as being a primary focus for the specialty chemicals company. “As the fastest growing sector in the tyre industry, “green tyres” have enormous growth potential and increase globally by around ten per cent per year. In Asia demand is currently increasing by as much as 14 per cent annually,” he stated. “Our position is therefore clear: Lanxess will continue to build on its leading position and expand its production capacities, particularly in Asia.” Heitmann expanded upon the Asian theme by sharing that Lanxess will produce 140,000 tonnes of Nd-PBR-rubber per annum at a new site in Singapore by 2015.

5th March 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Supply contracts for Lanxess Nd-PBR plant signed

A date for groundbreaking on Lanxess’ new neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) plant in Singapore has been set. It is scheduled to take place on 11 September; following the signing of contracts with key suppliers, company Board of Management chairman Axel C. Heitmann announced that with these supplier agreements in place, the project executive can now commence and infrastructure for construction set up.

1st March 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Report identifies economies of scale as key to Russian tyre growth

A new report published by TechSci Research suggests that economies of scale will benefit tyre manufacturers working in Russia, with cheaper raw materials, lower energy costs and the availability of cheaper labour factors over the next five years. In addition the country has a developing domestic market for premium tyres as its car parc increases. Karan Chechi, research director at TechSci Research argues: “Economies of scale would benefit the major global tyre manufacturers in Russia by limiting their restraints. The exponentially increasing demand from OEM and aftermarket will continue to drive the Russian tyre industry landscape in coming years.”

20th February 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Research: Indian replacement tyre market to surpass 305 billion rupees 2014

Increasing numbers of vehicles on Indian roads will drive the Indian replacement tyre market past the 305 billion rupee (£4 billion, 4.8 billion, US$6 billion) value level, according to research conducted by TechSci research.

2nd February 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess expands India production, opens head office

It’s been almost two years since Lanxess’ Jhagadia production site in India began supplying antioxidants to tyre industry customers, and now the range of products manufactured there has been expanded. Lanxess subsidiary Rhein Chemie has established a facility in Jhagadia for the production of the pre-dispersed rubber additive Rhenogran and the environmentally-friendly release agent Rhenodiv in Jhagadia. The plant was formerly located in Madurai, in India’s Tamil Nadu state, and is one of three new units being set up in Jhagadia. In total, Lanxess has invested more than 70 million euros there and created 300 new jobs. Jhagadia is Lanxess’ second largest production site in India after its site in Nagda in Madhya Pradesh state, and covers an area of 18-hectares.

31st January 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess renames new headquarters building

Lanxess may still a year away from moving into its new home, yet anybody passing by the future site of the company’s global headquarters in Cologne, Germany will be left with no doubt as to whose digs it is. The specialty chemicals company has renamed the former Lufthansa building, which is currently undergoing renovations ahead of the arrival of Lanxess’ employees in the second half of 2013, and from now on it will be known as the Lanxess Tower. The name was chosen from more than 600 staff suggestions.

30th January 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

New Lanxess plant to service swelling Russian tyre market

Russia is currently a growth market for specialty chemicals group Lanxess. In the first nine months of 2011 the company enjoyed sales of close to 50 million euros there, more than twice what it earned in the whole of 2009. To capitalise on the expanding Russian automotive and tyre industries, Lanxess has now decided to invest in a new facility in Lipetsk, some 300 miles southeast of Moscow. Construction of the plant, which will be operated by Lanxess’ Rhein Chemie subsidiary, is set to start early this year and production is scheduled to commence during the first half of 2013. The site will be built at a cost of five million euros and will employ around 40 people in the medium term.

16th January 2012/by Tyrepress Editors

Research into China tyre label underway

At the Lanxess Rubber Day China, held in Beijing on 2 December, Jiang Jian from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology informed delegates that preparations for a Chinese tyre label are already underway. “With regard to potential guidelines for tyre labelling in China, we are comparing the stipulated standards with the present conditions. We have already made a start with research in this area.”

5th December 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Rhein Chemie establishes Asia Pacific ‘Tire Task Force’

Lanxess-owned company Rhein Chemie reports that Norman Cameron of Rhein Chemie Argentina will transfer to Hong Kong to head up the company’s newly set up APAC Tire Task Force from January 2012. The purpose of this Asia Pacific Tire Task Force is, says Rhein Chemie, to “actively survey the requirements of all tyre plants, developing tailor-made products for all customers.” The chemical company says Cameron brings particular experience in release agents and bladders to his new position.

24th November 2011/by Tyrepress Editors

Lanxess considering 4th SSBR plant

At its ‘Rubber Days’ event held in Japan and South Korea during November, chemical company Lanxess reported it currently working on a feasibility study regarding switching production at its Triunfo site in Brazil from emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR), which is used in standard tyres to solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR). According to the German company, ESBR capacity at Triunfo is currently 110,000 tonnes per annum and a changeover to SSBR would “potentially require a medium-size, double-digit million euro investment.” A final decision on converting the Triunfo facility in order to supplement existing SSBR production in Cabo de Santo Agostinho (Brazil), Orange (USA) and Port Jérôme (France) will be made in mid-2012.

21st November 2011/by Tyrepress Editors