MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont Performance Materials recently unveiled a new 3D suction blow moulding machine - model ST Aspi Seco by ST Blow Moulding - at its European technical centre in Meyrin, Switzerland, as per GV.
According to DuPont, the project included the installation of a USD 1.1 million 3D suction blow moulding machine for the production of Hytrel and Zytel blow moulded air ducts, as well as a rubber injection moulding press and moulds for Vamac rubber sleeve and moulded air ducts.
The investment is the outcome of a strategic collaboration with S. T. Soffiaggio Tecnica S. r. l., a machine manufacturer based in Switzerland and Italy. DuPont says it has been working closely with S. T. Soffiaggio Tecnica over the past eight years to design the technology to respond to automotive customers’ challenges and give shape to smart design capabilities to effectively replace metal and reduce car weight.
The new machine is suitable for the production of parts with materials in monolayer, coextrusion or SeCo (Sequential Coextrusion). It is equipped with two 60 mm extruders, two accumulator heads with 1 liter and 1.5 liter, respectively, and a coextrusion head. This is already the second blow moulding machine supplied by St Blow Moulding, after the first was delivered in 2010.
One of the drivers behind the expansion of the technical centre is the increasing customer demand for lightweight polymers that offer good performance and are cost-efficient, says DuPont. In addition, the air duct market is growing rapidly to meet the need for turbo-charged engines that help the automotive industry comply with ever more stringent emission reduction requirements, says the company.
"DuPont’s investment stands for its commitment to cutting-edge technology developed in Switzerland to serve global customers" said Patrick Schriber, Director General DuPont Switzerland. "DuPont is a key actor for cutting-edge innovation in Geneva, fully committed to local development projects," added Pierre Maudet: "I am pleased DuPont continues to see the value in having the centre in Meyrin, and developing innovative new products here."
"We look forward to using the 3D processing machine to further tailor our products from design to production. Being able to customise the plastic processing has meant we can address the needs of the customer and deliver unique solutions. Our emphasis on design, materials and processing solutions reflects our holistic approach to collaborating with customers," said Olivier Magnin, Technical Director at DuPont European technical centre of Meyrin.
As MRC reported earlier, Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co., two historic giants of U.S. industry, will join in an all-stock merger of equals that’s the first step in a plan to create three new highly-focused businesses. The deal, the largest ever in the chemicals industry, will create a USD130 billion company that combines products from both Dow and DuPont in the areas of agriculture, commodities chemicals and specialty chemicals to create the new businesses. The agreement, percolating since at least February, comes after two years of pressure from activist investors who argued that shareholders of both companies would realize greater value if they were broken up.
DuPont is an American chemical company that was founded in July, 1802. The company manufactures a wide range of chemical products, leading extensive innovative research in this field. The company is the inventor of many unique plastics and other materials, including neoprene, nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, Mylar, Tyvek, etc. DuPont was the developer and main producer of Freon used in the production of refrigeration equipment.
MRC