Ukrainian market faces titanium dioxide shortage

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ukrainian PVC converters are facing a severe titanium dioxide shortage - according to MRC analysts.

As per market players, titanium dioxide supply is tight to satisfy the demand of Ukrainian converters, which might lead to suspension of some facilities soon. That became obvious in June-July, when the list of titaniun dioxide orders stretched for 2-3 months. PVC converters, who managed to build up certain titanium dioxide stocks and facilities that work with finished PVC compounds are not experiencing any serious problems and working normally.

There are two titanium dioxide producers in Ukraine: CJSC Krymskiy Titan and JSC Sumyhimprom. Part of Ukrainian companies use local titanium dioxide for PVC finished goods production, where no serious quality is necessary. High quiality of titanium dioxide is critital for window profile producers, that is why these producers are facing serious lack of material.

The similar situation with titanium dioxide in the Russian market was observed in July - August, 2010. Global titanium dioxide production was cut down by 10-15%, when the demand went down by 5% only. Plant shutdowns and reduction of titanium dioxide production in 2009 brought to certain deficit of this pigment in the US and Western European markets. Some titanium dioxide producers do not rush to return to previous production level waiting for appropriable margin.

Russian polymers market prospects will be discussed at Russian Polymers Summit on October 14, 2010 organized by ICIS and MRC. For more information please refer to http://www.icisconference.com/russianpolymers/ Summit official web page.

MRC

More information about the PVC market in Ukraine is available in MRC Price reports.

(AutoChannel) -- DuPont Performance Coatings (DPC) announces it is partnering with The Body Shop, the industry's leading experts on collision repair. The agreement between the parties covers the sharing of The Body Shop's proven Star-Link Collision Repair System, a Kaizen centered business model that was developed by John Sweigart and Brad Sullivan over the past 12 years. The model is currently practiced in all of The Body Shop's Pittsburgh and New Jersey locations, as well as in several other independent repair shops in the United States and Canada. DPC is partnering with The Body Shop to offer a refined version of the model to DPC body shops.

The Body Shop operates a customer focused group of collision
repair centers with plans to continue rapid expansion over the coming
years. Sweigart and Sullivan created the Star-Link Collision Repair
Network, made up exclusively of repairers who are truly committed to
genuine improvement through Kaizen. This group exists to promote to the
customer a substantially better offering, and to work together through
shared learning for the sake of a better collision repair industry.

MRC

(THOnline) -- The Iowa Department of Economic Development Board on Thursday approved tax incentives through the High Quality Jobs program for Captive Plastics to expand its current facilities.

The Captive Plastics plant in Peosta produces injection blow-molded, extrusion blow-molded and stretch-blow molded bottles, primarily for the health services and food markets.

The $8.8 million expansion will provide an opportunity to supply a growing personal care market and also provide additional manufacturing space for future growth.

MRC

(FPD) -- A new two-step, reheat stretch-blow molding machine could speed the industry's transition from glass to light-weight PET for wide-mouth, hot-fill food containers, claims to its manufacturer, Atlanta-based Nissei ASB.

The HSB-6M molding machine enables the production of PET jars which can be filled at temperatures above 90 deg C (194 deg F). The hot-fill PET jars deliver a major weight reduction and many sustainability advantages over glass including reduced freight costs and lower carbon footprint.

The new machine can produce 300ml to 600ml hot-fill PET jars with standard 63mm diameter, twist-off neck finishes at a production rate of 6000 jars per hour.

MRC

(ThomasNet) -- Bottle Switch improves blow molder flexibility by reducing mold changeover time in order to adapt to accelerated product changeover times on filler. Less than 1 min is required to change mold, reducing machine downtime while helping to avoid investment in storage silos or intermediate palletization. Semi-automatic solution places required blowing station directly in front of operator, who is only required to change molds. Removal/installation in mold support units is tool free.

Sidel answers the call with its new quick format changeover system, the Bottle Switch(TM). Sidel launches the Bottle Switch(TM), the new Sidel-patented quick format changeover system. The initial goal is to improve blow molder flexibility by reducing the mold changeover time in order to adapt to faster product changeover times on the filler: less than a minute to change a mold. This flexibility helps reduce machine downtime and therefore improves TCO. It is also a solution that helps customers avoid investing in storage silos or intermediate palletization.

MRC