Teknor Apex unit will produce variety of compounds

Teknor Apex-owned company Singapore Polymer Corporation (SPC) is starting up its new plant based in Suzhou, China, which will have the capability to produce a full range of vinyl, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and engineering thermoplastic compound products.

A newly formed company, Teknor Apex (Suzhou) Advanced Polymer Compounds, will operate the facility, which houses two compounding lines with a combined initial nameplate capacity of 14,000tpa. Additional capacity is expected to come on stream within the next two years, according to Teknor Apex executive vice president Bertram M Lederer.

Lederer further highlighted the wide range of the Suzhou plant’s current production, adding that the product line is able to supply customers with diverse compounds from a rigid glass-reinforced nylon to soft, rubber-like TPE. The Suzhou plant opening will be formally announced at Chinaplas 2007, to be held in Guangzhou, China later this month.

“Teknor Apex Suzhou will provide Chinese processors with fast access to custom compounds that meet UL, NSF, FDA, CSA, ISO, SAE and other requirements for competing in export markets,” said SPC managing director Cheah Sin Hua. “At the same time this new venture represents our first step in building local capacity to supply the fast-growing Chinese domestic market.”

Besides starting up the Suzhou facility, Teknor Apex has begun production of TPEs in the UK and is adding a new engineering plastics compounding line in the US.