Germany’s Degussa and Taiwanese firm Forhouse announced the start up of Degussa Forhouse Optical Polymers Corporation, their acrylic moulding compounds production plant located in Taichung, Taiwan.
The manufacturing joint venture is said to combine Degussa’s knowledge across the entire methacrylate process chain with its local partner Forhouse’s expertise in the optoelectronic device market. (Degussa holds a 51% share and Forhouse a 49% share in the joint venture, which was originally launched in January 2006.)
Optical applications involving the use of acrylic materials will be the key focus of the new Taichung facility. The plant has an initial capacity of 40,000tpa and is designed for “over the fence” production – the processing of lighting modules (backlight units) for flat-panel display will be operated at this same site along with the PMMA production.
According to Degussa, this integrated supply chain ensures the continuous supply of high quality optical-grade acrylics to customers, through which the company’s Plexiglas moulding compound is used to manufacture advanced optical light guides.
Forhouse president Francis Pan also described the plant as a huge advance in the company’s backward integration strategy by securing PMMA supply for further growth, as well as helping to improve their cost position.
Dr Klaus Engel, managing board chairman of Degussa, said: “Through our strategic partnership with Forhouse and by starting up the new facility, we have done a lot to strengthen our position with PMMA moulding compounds in Asia and are expanding our global position as a leading supplier of PMMA.”
Germany’s Degussa and Taiwanese firm Forhouse announced the start up of Degussa Forhouse Optical Polymers Corporation, their acrylic moulding compounds production plant located in Taichung, Taiwan.