NEWS
Italian machinery makers hit sales record in 2017
Italian plastics machinery association Amaplast said the sector expects 2017 to prove to be a record year, with production likely to hit a value of €4.5bn (up by 5% on 2016 and exceeding its previous record of €4.25bn in 2007). The association has based the forecast on final data collected for the nine months from January to September last year, which saw exports increase by 16% to €3.2bn compared to the previous period in 2016. Imports increased by 12% over the same period. About 70% of Italian plastics machinery produc- tion is exported and most saw strong growth: thermo- forming machines +51%,
Italian market for plastics and rubber machinery, equipment and moulds (€ millions)
2016
production exports imports
domestic market trade balance
Source: Amaplast
extruders +19%, flexograph- ic printers +27% and moulds +18%. European exports
increased by 20%, raising its relative share of Italian exports to 61%. This came on the back of strong growth in sales in the three main markets of Germany, Spain and France. Russian sales more than doubled, though
from a much lower base. The Americas saw growth
of more than 20%. The US and Brazil were particularly strong, although Mexican sales shrank. Sales to the key Middle East markets of Iran and Saudi Arabia were down, by 5% and 34% respectively, as were sales to China, down by 11%. �
www.amaplast.org
Silvergate tackles cost of TiO2
UK-based Silvergate Plastics has expanded its Simply White masterbatch products to include a number of additional grades designed to help processors minimise
their exposure to rising TiO2 prices. “When the price and availability of TiO2
major problem early in
2017, we committed the necessary resource to find a credible alternative solu- tion,” said Silvergate CEO Tony Bestall. The new Simply White
grades reduce TiO2 became a content
by up to 25% without compromising colour or opacity, the company claims. The products are also
4,230 2,970 850
2,110 2,120
2017
(estimates) 4,500 3,200 900
2,200 2,300
NEWS IN BRIEF...
Austria’s Starlinger Group has announced the formation of UniRota Maplan Schwerin to manufacture plasticising screws, barrels and rotary machine parts up to 12m long. The new company, which is based at Schwerin in Germany, is comprised in part of the assets of Maplan Machining, which went into administration last year. It has been set up as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Starlinger Group company Unistrap.
http://maplan.de/en/
suitable for food contact use; the range includes FDA compliant grades. TiO2
is used in most solid
colours, not only whites, and Bestall said the company will be rolling out the cost-cutting technology to other high volume colours during the coming months. �
www.silvergate.co.uk
Fabian heads masterbatch group
Germany’s Masterbatch Associa- tion has renewed its board. Dr Martin Fabian of Lifocolour Farben was confirmed in office and elected chairman for a further two years. Michael Thiessenhusen of
12 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2018
Clariant Plastics & Coatings (Germany) and Bernd Schaefer of Deifel have been nominated to the board as first and second vice chairman respectively. �
www.masterbatchverband.de
Luxembourg-headquar- tered Orion Engineered Carbons began imple- menting global price increases across all its specialty carbon blacks from the beginning of this year. The company said the increases vary depend- ing on grade, sales region and end market.
www.orioncarbons.com
Trinseo has announced its second round of price rises for its PS and PC resins and ABS and SAN copolymers in Europe in two months. Per tonne prices of Magnum ABS are to rise by €100, Tyrol SAN by €125, Styron and Styron A-Tech GPPS and HIPS grades by €135, and Calibre PC by €150. The move follows the an- nouncement of price increases of between €60-€200 per tonne across the same polymers in December of last year.
www.trinseo.com
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: MASTERBATCHVERBAND
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