Page 7 - 201902 SCA February 2019 Volume 56 Number 1

FEBRUARY
2019

Axalta employees, business partners and customers New Chinese Center of Excellence for Stahl
throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond. Stahl has opened a Center of Excellence for
“Axalta’s team of scientists and technicians at the Performance Coatings in Suzhou, China. The new
Global Innovation Center will develop next-generation centre will focus on innovative performance coating
coatings products and keep pace with emerging solutions for a wide variety of materials. Customers,
application needs,” said Barry Snyder, Axalta’s Chief OEMs, brands and other partners came together for
Technology Officer. “Regulations and customer the opening event.
demands call for newer technologically advanced The new facility in Suzhou brings to nine the number
coatings. The increasing use of lightweight plastic and of Centers of Excellence the company has worldwide.
composite materials in vehicles to save fuel require At each one, the company’s experts work side-by-
new coatings formulations. Developing products to side with partners to meet the growing demand for
suit these and other needs will be the mission of the products and solutions that have less impact on the
Global Innovation Center and Axalta’s worldwide environment. The addition of the Suzhou Center of
research and development network.” n Excellence puts Stahl in an even stronger position to
combine its strengths with those of its local partners
BASF expands emulsion capacity in Malaysia to create high-quality solutions for the automotive,
BASF will double its capacity for acrylic dispersions apparel and accessories and interior industries.
with a new production line at its site in Pasir Gudang, Hagen Chen, Managing Director Greater China at
Malaysia. Through the investment, BASF aims to Stahl said, “Over the last few years, our Performance
provide a reliable supply of high quality dispersions Coatings business has been growing enormously
solutions to customers in the fast-growing ASEAN, in China, especially in the automotive industry. The
Australia and New Zealand markets. requests for applications for seat and trim, elastomer
“There is a growing need for our latest generation coatings and flock adhesives are growing on a daily
of innovations, including low-VOC, low-odour acrylic basis. Besides the automotive industry, the new
dispersions for architectural coatings, construction facility anticipates the growing demand in China
and adhesives industries. This capacity increase is for packaging film and paper, synthetic materials,
meant to help address that need and support the coated fabrics, textiles, and speciality applications
development of our customers in the region,” said like medical and support gloves.” n
Jeff Knight, Senior Vice President, Dispersions and
Resins Asia Pacific, BASF. Beckers adds second
“This new investment would double the production Vietnamese factory
capacity by early 2020. It will be a driving force to Beckers has recently opened a second
support our customers’ growth in the region,” said Peter manufacturing site in Vietnam which follows up on its
van der Zwan, Director, Local Business Management – existing facility near Ho Chi Minh City.
ASEAN & ANZ, Dispersions and Resins, BASF. n Hua Hin Zow heads this small operation
comprised of production and laboratory facilities
as well as all the other usual associated business
functions. Initially, four mixers with an annual
capacity of over 1,000 tonnes will be largely
dedicated to the new facility of one of Beckers’
customers, Vietnam’s largest coil coater, which is
located close by. Crucially, the site has room for
growth, which will be vital in order to cater for the
colour coil coating lines soon to start production for
the growing Vietnamese market. Beckers is already
supplying to other customers in north Vietnam who
will benefit from the shorter transportation times of
the Nghe An location.
According to COO Karsten Eller, Beckers’ strategy
for local growth will be to focus on operational
excellence, including the close contact and strong
technological service that are essential to enable
Beckers’ customers to become more successful. n
Photo credit: BASF BASF’s latest investment in acrylic dispersion production

looks set to enhance supplies to formulators in the
ANZ and ASEAN regions.

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