Page 16 - ETP-April-May2020

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BASF and DiDi enter partnership

ASF will provide DiDi with and paint shops in China and
Bsustainable automotive re- will be expanding to more than
finish products developed at its 200 owned and franchised
research and production site in shops globally by the end of
Jiangmen. These products, de- this year. “Simplification is in
signed for the Chinese market our DNA. We focus on simpli-
meet the stringent standards fying processes and operations
implemented in various cities in while our business is expand-
China. As strategic partners, the ing,” said Gu Haijie, President
two companies are committed of Xiaoju Autocare. “BASF is
to the sustainable development the one-stop solution provider
of the carsharing industry in and out In addition, a dedicated expert team that can help us standardize the
of China. Paint-related products un- from BASF will perform timely pro- painting process of our new shops.
der the RODIM® brand will be part fessional technical services for DiDi, This will help us increase efficiency
of the offerings to help body shops including training for body shop op- by integrating the whole value chain
enhance workflow and overall per- erators. of contractors, dealers, and repair
formance for automotive refinishing. DiDi currently has 25 own body centers.”

Contec, Inc., Milliken JLR scales up production of
partner to produce NHS-approved face visors
disinfectant aguar Land Rover is scal-
Jing up production of its
he demand for antibacterial cleaning protective face visors in a
Tsupplies continues to climb in re- continued effort to support
sponse to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fight against Coronavi-
healthcare institutions are looking for ef- rus. New tooling, developed
fective alternatives to traditional solutions. by WHS Plastics, will pro-
To fill this need, Contec, Inc., the indus- duce a further 14,000 visors
try leader in critical cleaning products and each week for key workers
cleanroom supplies, is scaling up produc- across the UK. The carmak-
tion of its Sporicidin brand disinfectant, er recently announced the
most often used for mold and water dam- manufacture of 3D-printed
age remediation, and turned to diversified face visors at its Advanced Product Creation Centre in Gaydon, home to
global manufacturer and materials science one of the most advanced 3D-printing facilities in Europe. Visors have
expert Milliken & Company to help pro- been produced and shipped to NHS Trusts across the UK, including the
duce mass quantities. “Milliken immedi- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Warwickshire
ately came to mind when we decided to NHS Foundation Trust. Now, using injection mould tooling supplied by
bring on a new manufacturing partner,” WHS Plastics of Sutton Coldfield, the operation will produce in excess
The Economic Times POLYMERS | April-May 2020
shared Jack McBride, Contec, Inc. CEO. of 2,000 per day – with one polypropylene headband generated every 30
“Milliken is a trusted, key community secs. Each face visor has been designed to be reusable and can be easily
player with the mass production, quality dismantled and cleaned before being used again, safeguarding NHS trusts
systems and speed-to-market capabilities against future shortages. Paul Nicholson, Group Managing Director for
needed to help us provide critical cleaning WHS Plastics Ltd, said: “In manufacturing, we are uniquely placed to
solutions to healthcare facilities without support our essential services, to help deliver critical equipment to those
delay.” “Companies are adapting their on the frontline here in the Midlands. It’s a small effort, but by working
core competencies to meet the global chal- with Jaguar Land Rover we can help turn the tide.”
lenges brought on by COVID-19,” said
Halsey M. Cook, president and CEO of Songwon gets new distributor
Milliken & Company. “Partnering with
Contec, Inc. was a natural fit, and gave ongwon Industrial Co., Ltd. has signed an exclusive distribution agree-
Milliken the opportunity to quickly recon- Sment with Biesterfeld France. As from May 1, 2020, Biesterfeld France
figure our manufacturing capabilities and has been exclusively distributing the Songwon polymer stabilizer range in
rapidly solve problems for our customers France. Biesterfeld France is part of the German Biesterfeld Group, ranked
and communities.” by ICIS as one of the Top Ten chemical distributors worldwide.

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