Sidel announces online service for ordering of original spare parts for its equipment

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sidel, the leading provider of production equipment and services for liquids in PET, announces the launch of "Sidel Services Online" for fast and easy ordering of original spare parts for its equipment and complete lines, said the company on its site.

The new user-friendly web interface, available in six languages, provides customers with a personalised overview of their installed base and real time information on parts pricing and availability. It offers one-stop shopping for ordering Sidel original spare parts, together with faster delivery times on offers and orders. The immediate access and 24/7 global assistance it provides can prove critical to line maintenance and continuous performance. Initially available for registered customers in Europe and Central Asia, the service will gradually expand its offer and availability worldwide.

"The proactive and intelligent management of spare parts makes it possible for customers to significantly reduce costs arising from unexpected stoppages and unplanned downtime. Beverage producers can now make this process even easier with ‘Sidel Services Online’," comments Sidel Spare Parts Director, Martin Lowinski.

The web interface provides customers with a full overview of their installed Sidel equipment, including all relevant technical documentation and detailed e-catalogues, for intuitive navigation, spare parts search and identification. Information about the availability and price of spare parts is accessible online to maximise uptime. Long-term maintenance plans and safety lists will secure critical parts to ensure continuous line productivity. In addition, Sidel's Parts Administrators are always available to provide support anywhere in the world when customers wish to speak with a qualified company expert.

As an original equipment manufacturer, Sidel naturally knows and understands its customers’ requirements. They look for maximum reliability and durability of their installed lines, improved operator safety, higher long-term production security and increased food-grade safety compliance. This is why the same teams of engineers who design Sidel machinery and equipment, design, test and certify the company’s original spare parts.

Pavel Shevchuk, Sidel’s Executive Vice President of Services, adds: “With Sidel Services Online higher line performance and maximum uptime are just one click away. With fast online ordering of Sidel original spare parts and an intuitive overview of every spare part, it gives easy access to relevant drawings, manuals, and parts lists. This essentially enables our customers to further improve efficiency and, choosing from a variety of delivery options, to optimise their preventive maintenance plans."

As MRC informed earlier, Sidel (Le Havre/France) developed a PET bottle base for still drinks, which is says is stronger, lighter and cheaper to produce.

Sidel is a manufacturing company providing packaging for liquids such as water; carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks; and sensitive beverages like milk, liquid dairy products, juices, nectars, tea, coffee and isotonics; as well as edible oil, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Sidel manufacturers and services equipment that enables other companies to package such liquids using one of three main materials: plastic (especially PET, and also HDPE and PP).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Food packaging represents one of the largest and most important global markets for plastic films, and developing films with sufficient barrier properties to protect, preserve and extend shelf life of the packed product is a growing requirement of the food industry and retail supply chain, said Convertingquarterly.

As the world becomes ever more aware of the wastage of perishable food supplies, the plastics industry must accordingly develop and seek out new advancements in technology to meet new needs and the increasing moral obligations of policy makers. Plastic substrates offer fantastic benefits to brand owners in terms of lightweight, strength, clarity, flexibility and printability but are often much poorer in terms of the permeation of gases, aromas and flavours. Developing sufficient barrier at an appropriate cost is complex and challenging and an array of solutions have been developed which vary according to product, geography and the nature of the converting industry.

The outlook for high barrier films for food packaging looks set for robust growth exceeding the general trends for food packaging and indeed GDP. Global demand for food packaging films was estimated to have reached nearly 17 mln tons in 2015 of which 1.4 mln tons incorporated a high barrier, as defined as a film with an oxygen permeability of less than 10cc. Although high barrier films represent only 8% of the total flexible food packaging market, in value terms the share is considerably higher. When considering global market demand, meat and fish accounts for 32% and is the largest end use application, with other end use applications taking similar portions of demand of around 10% each. On a regional basis these figures differ more dramatically emphasising the social and economic tendencies of individual regions.

As MRC informed earlier, US polyolefins additives supplier Milliken has developed thermoformed food packaging that is eye-catching, high-performance and resource- and cost-efficient. UltraClear PP clarified with Milliken’s Millad NX 8000 series sets a new clarity standard for PP that is comparable to glass-clear materials. Addressing the trend for efficiency and consumer appeal, UltraClear PP is at the forefront of delivering exceptional aesthetics and lowest weight potential for thermoforming and sheet packaging, alongside further sustainability-related benefits.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ELIX Polymers, a leading manufacturer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resins and derivatives in Europe with a 40-year track record, is reducing order-to-dispatch time down to just one week for the most popular products in its ABS portfolio, as per the company's press release.

Lead times for all other ABS products are being cut to three weeks. "ELIX continues to excel in its mission to distinguish itself as the industry benchmark for quality and service," says Narcis Vidal, supply chain director at ELIX Polymers.

"A previously-announced EUR3 million investment in a new compounding line at the company’s Tarragona, Spain production site, along with a constant focus on optimizing processes based on "lean" management and the adoption of a new system of forecasting, has enabled ELIX Polymers to improve flexibility in production and revolutionise the service it provides" Vidal says. The new compounding line, which starts production in September, is the company’s fifth, dedicated to production of over 40 specialised ABS grades and ABS compounds in more than 300 colours.

"These actions form part of the company's mission to provide an intelligent and differentiated service in addition to tailor-made solutions for our customers" Vidal says. "Having the flexibility to give a rapid and tailored response to our customers is key to distinguishing ELIX from our competitors and providing additional value to our customers."

"This latest move enables us to give our customers a competitive advantage by helping them to reduce their inventory, reduce administrative costs and eliminate risk in supply. This is one more step in the journey we have started - we have mechanisms in place to surpass these measures if our customers require."

Carlos Muller, business director, adds: "In response to the challenges posed in today’s competitive business environment, we look to form long-term partnerships with our customers. Reliability in supply is a fundamental competitive factor. The steps we have taken are a central part in ensuring this."

ELIX Polymers’ investment in the new compounding line is part of its strategic objective to become a leading manufacturer of high quality pre-colored ABS resins and derivatives as well as tailor-made specialties used in automotive, healthcare, consumer appliances and electronics applications. The new line incorporates state-of-the-art technologies for thermoplastics compounding production, specifically for ABS and ABS blends. The investment, an important step forward in ELIX's Excellence in Operations Program, will improve efficiency in operations and energy resources, whilst ensuring highest safety standards, ELIX Polymers says.

As MRC reported earlier, in February 2016, ELIX Polymers unveiled an upgraded version of P2MC as well as new ABS grades to complete the plating portfolio. Target applications for these electroplating grades include radiator grilles, logos, profiles, tailgate handles, and decorative interior parts. Over the last three years, ELIX Polymers has dedicated some additional efforts and made important investments to strengthen its position in this select market. The result has been the development of innovative improvements in specific parts of polymer manufacturing in order to obtain the highest purity of ABS and a better surface quality in finished parts. Improvements to the rubber emulsion step and to SAN mass polymerisation at the core of the manufacturing process for the ABS plating grade have led to an improved version of the P2MC material.

ELIX Polymers is one of the most important manufacturers of ABS resins and derivatives in Europe, with 40 years of experience in engineering plastics and an installed capacity of 180,000/year from their plant in Tarragona (Spain) to the world. The operation starts in 1975, when the Tarragona ABS and SAN production plant was inaugurated.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Asia's naphtha crack has plunged by 10% to dip to a 5 session low of USD54.1/ton as firm Brent crude weighed on the differential though spot naphtha prices were buoyed by an easing supply glut, as per Reuters.

South Korea's Lotte Chemical returned to the market to buy a naphtha cargo for H1-November delivery to Daesan at a discount of about USD3/ton or even narrower to Japan quotes on a cost-and-freight (C&F) basis. It had previously bought a cargo for the same delivery period to Yeosu at a discount of some USD4-4.50/ton. It is usually more expensive to deliver cargoes to Daesan than Yeosu, traders said. The spot prices were markedly different than the USD11/ton discount Lotte Chemical paid on Sept. 5 for cargoes arriving in the second half of October.

Separately, India's Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) sold 65,000 tons of naphtha for October loading, fetching premiums above three-month highs. BPCL sold 30,000 tons for Oct. 16-18 loading from Mumbai to Japanese Marubeni at a premium of nearly USD5/ton to Middle East quotes on a free-on-board (FOB) basis. This contrasted with USD1 discount for a cargo it recently sold to Petro-Diamond for Oct. 8-10 loading from Mumbai. BPCL sold 35,000 tons for Oct. 12-14 loading from Kochi to Trafigura at a premium of nearly USD7/ton to Middle East quotes on a FOB basis.

A unit at Royal Dutch Shell's manufacturing site at Pulau Bukom in Singapore experienced operational issues on Tuesday that resulted in flaring with dark smoke. While it was unclear what had caused the flaring, traders not related to Shell said a compressor problem at the site could have caused its cracker to shut unexpectedly. Typically, the shutdown of a large-scale cracker would impact prices of ethylene, made predominantly from naphtha in Asia.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo, a global materials solutions provider and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, has announced that its Board of Directors authorized the Company to distribute a quarterly repayment of equity of USD0.30 per share, as per the company's press release.

The repayment of equity will be a cash distribution payable on October 26, 2016, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 12, 2016.

As MRC reported earlier, in September 2016, Trinseo increased prices for all polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and acrylonitrile styrene copolymer (SAN) grades in Europe. Thus, the September contract and spot prices for the products listed below rose as follows:

- STYRON general purpose polystyrene grades (GPPS), STYRON and STYRON A-TECH high impact polystyrene grades (HIPS) - by EUR25 per metric ton;
- MAGNUM ABS resins and TYRIL SAN resins - by EUR20 per metric ton.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo's technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015. Trinseo had approximately USD4.0 billion in revenue in 2015, with 18 manufacturing sites around the world, and more than 2,200 employees.
MRC