Business and industry

KraussMaffei of Munich, Germany, and Roctool SA of Le Bourget du Lac, France, are working together to promote Roctool’s inductive mould heating technology (HD Plastics). 

A programmable backpack and a baseball cap with integrated light-emitting diode (LED) lighting are the first products to be launched by the US$300 million Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AF

Synthetic silk biopolymer producer AMSilk has received certification from TÜV Süd for its quality management system. 

Global hygiene and health company Essity was listed on Nasdaq Stockholm on 15 June 2017 and the company’s Class A and Class B shares have commenced trading. 

Hengan International Group, one of China’s largest producers of sanitary napkins, baby diapers and tissues, has acquired a 50.4% stake in Wang-Zheng and has made an offer to take over the remaining

Procter & Gamble is planning an expansion of its Novomoskovsk manufacturing facility in the Tula region of Russia for the production of diapers and other technical textile and nonwoven products

Hygiene products maker SCA has formed a US supply agreement with Vizient for the Swedish company’s Tena incontinence products.

Japanese fibres and nonwovens producer Asahi Kasei is reportedly spending ¥5 billion (US$45 million) on new production lines in Thailand, targeting the disposable diaper market, which will increase

Hexcel Corp is negotiating to buy Structil SA, a producer and supplier of high-performance composites to the aerospace, defence and industrial markets.

Sioen Industries NV has bought the James Dewhurst Group for £44 million. 

The boards of directors of Huntsman Corp of The Woodlands, Texas, USA, and Clariant of Muttenz, Switzerland, have unanimously approved a definitive agreement to combine the companies in a merger of

Fiberweb India has announced plans to double its spunbond capacity from 7500 tonnes to 15 000 tonnes and add 2000 tonnes to its current meltblown output in response to strong demand, particularly f

Invista is investing over US$65 million in fibre production equipment at its facility in Camden, South Carolina, USA. 

Ensinger GmbH of Nufringen, Germany, has taken over plastics processing company next composites GmbH of Otelfingen, Switzerland. 

Mogul Nonwovens is celebrating the grand opening of its latest venture, Mogul South Carolina Nonwovens Corp, on a 8.1-ha site in Gray Court, USA.

PlastiComp has completed the installation of an additional pultrusion line dedicated to manufacturing long carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (LCFRTP) pellets at its facility in Winona, Minnesot

Five European companies have formed a partnership to develop technologies that will enable the manufacture of sustainable textiles from used clothing. 

A Hamburg district court has sustained a temporary injunction of Sympatex Technologies GmbH against W. L.

Chomarat is planning a multi-million-Euro investment that will allow it to focus its development activities on the automotive and aerospace sectors. 

Victrex plc has acquired Zyex, a manufacturer of polyetheretherketone-(PEEK) based fibres for the aerospace, automotive and industrial markets.

The Manmade Fibers segment of the Swiss Oerlikon Group is entering into a strategic partnership with the Italian company Teknoweb Materials srl to target the high-growth market for disposable nonwo

The merger between Ahlstrom and Munksjö has completed and been officially listed with the Finnish Trade Register effective from 1 April 2017.

The Boards of Directors of Ahlstrom Corp and Munksjö Oyj have resolved to complete the merger of the former into the latter. 

Technical Fibre Products (TFP) of Burneside, UK, is now a member of the US Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI).

ContiTech of Hanover, Germany, has opened a facility for coated fabrics in Changsu, China. 

Work is underway to increase the capacity of Lenzing’s site in Heiligenkreuz, Austria, for the production of its Tencel lyocell fibre. 

Mitsubishi Rayon Co Ltd of Tokyo, Japan, has purchased composites design, engineering and prototyping firm Gemini Composites LLC of Seattle, Washington State, USA.

Carrington Workwear of Adlington, UK, has formed a joint venture with Portuguese textile manufacturer TMG – Acabamentos Texteis SA of Ronfe.

The Germany-based Perlon Group, a specialist in the manufacture of synthetic filaments, has announced investments in its facilities in the USA and China.

The European Commission (EC) has approved the proposed merger of Ahlstrom and Munksjö. 

Artificial leather manufacturer Huafon Microfiber Co Ltd has placed orders for 10 complete high-capacity needling lines with DiloGroup for its new plant in Qidong, China, since 2015.

Porcher Industries and Airbus Helicopters have worked together to develop a carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) rotor hub—the first of its kind.

Hartmann Group, a supplier of medical and hygiene products, is to acquire Procter & Gamble’s (P&G’s) Lindor brand of adult incontinence products sold in professional channels in Spain and P

Pegas Nonwovens has confirmed its intention to invest in a production plant for nonwovens in the Republic of South Africa.

DuPont is planning to close its US$500-million para-aramid (Kevlar) plant at Cooper River, South Carolina, USA, less than six years after its opening.

Fitesa, a manufacturer of spunmelt and spunbond nonwovens for hygiene applications with sites in such countries as Brazil, the USA, Italy, Sweden and China, has purchased Pantex International, a ma

Troisdorf, Germany-based Reifenhäuser has sold its two divisions specializing in machinery for manufacturing monofilaments, strapping tapes and artificial grass to Dietze + Schell Maschinenfabrik o

Scott Bader has increased its production capacity for its range of Crestabond primer-less methyl methacrylate (MMA) structural adhesives. 

A US company aiming to introduce full-scale commercial production of spider silk has secured a long-term lease on land in Texas, USA, where it plans to grow mulberry trees to feed its genetically e

A majority of German companies working in the composites industry see the current global economy as positive for their businesses, according to a recent survey carried out by Composites Germany. 

Operations at a former Kimberly-Clark diaper plant in Calatayud, Spain, have restarted, according to news sources. 

Teijin Ltd has completed the acquisition of automotive composite parts producer Continental Structural Plastics Holdings (CSP) Corp for US$825 million.

Solvay of Brussels, Belgium, has agreed to sell its formulated resins business to ALTANA AG’s ELANTAS PDG Inc of St Louis, Missouri, USA. 

Drylock Technologies, the Zele, Belgium-based manufacturer of personal absorbent hygiene products, has acquired Presto Absorbent Products (PAPI), a manufacturer of adult incontinence products based

Belgian diaper producer Ontex has confirmed it is to acquire the personal hygiene business of Hypermarcas of Brazil for BRL$1 billion (€286 million).

SCA is to acquire BSN Medical from the private equity group EQT for €2.74 billion on a debt- and cash-free basis. The completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Thermoset resins specialist Hexion Inc of Columbus, Ohio, USA, has announced plans to build a new European technology centre in Kamp-Lintfort, Germany. 

Lehmann&Voss&Co of Pawcatuck, Connecticut, USA, has opened Lehvoss New Material (Kunshan) Co Ltd, a 2500-m² production facility and application technology centre in Kunshan, China.  

The German Federation of Reinforced Plastics (AVK) of Frankfurt has elected a new board.