Cologne/Brilon – Bond-Laminates GmbH is increasing its production capacity for continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites of the brand Tepex. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of specialty chemicals company LANXESS, is currently building a new, fourth production hall of around 1,500 m² at its Brilon site. Two additional production lines are scheduled to go into operation there in mid 2019. The company already produces innovative composites for the automotive industry and also for the electrical and sports industries on an area of around 5,000 m². The investment, an amount in the single-digit-million-euro range, will significantly increase capacity to meet the growing demand for this forward-looking material. With this expansion, Bond-Laminates will create up to 30 new jobs.

New compounding plant for high performance plastics

The LANXESS High Performance Materials business unit is also investing in its global production network for high performance plastics, and is building a further compounding plant at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site for a sum within the mid-double-digit-million-euro range. Starting in the second half of 2019, LANXESS will produce Durethan and Pocan engineering plastics, which are used primarily in the automotive, electrical, and electronics industries. In addition, a warehouse and a silo facility will be built. Construction will start in the fourth quarter of 2018. The investment will create around 20 new jobs at the Krefeld-Uerdingen site. The new compounding plant will be designed in such a way that LANXESS will be able to expand its operations with further capacities in line with demand over the next few years.

Lightweight solutions for modern mobility

High performance plastics and composite materials from LANXESS make it possible to design components that replace metal parts in vehicles and thus contribute to reducing weight, fuel consumption, and emissions. The innovative materials are used, for example, in engine applications, door structures, pedals, front ends, seat shells, underbody panels, and cockpit cross members. Depending on the component, the lightweight construction can achieve weight savings of up to 50 percent.

The continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites of the Tepex brand are increasingly used in series applications in the automotive, consumer electronics, and sports industries. The highly resilient material is processed by injection molding without additional postprocessing steps. This makes Tepex the material of choice for high-volume mass production. In the sports industry, for example, it is used in the manufacture of shoe soles, bicycle components, ski boots, body protectors, and helmets.

There are also many applications for LANXESS materials in hybrid and purely electric vehicles, some of which have already proven their worth in series production. These include components for charging systems, carriers, cell holders for battery systems, and sensors and housing parts for electric motors. The materials also offer great potential in electromobility infrastructure, such as for housing parts, switches, and terminals for charging stations.