The Urethane Blog

Huntsman Awards Support Contract

Support contract worth a cool £25m

6:05pm Wednesday 30th May 2012 in Business News

Redhall will look after Huntsman Polyeurethane’s aniline and nitrobenzene plants

A FIVE-YEAR contract worth more than £25m has been secured by a North-East engineering firm to provide support to global chemicals company Huntsman.

Redhall Engineering will provide maintenance, shutdown and support to Huntsman Polyurethane’s aniline and nitrobenzene manufacturing centres in Wilton, which are the largest of their type in the world.

Both chemicals are key ingredients in the manufacture of energy efficient insulation, MDI polyurethane, which is made at Huntsman Corporation’s site in Rozenburg, Holland.

The new contract further consolidates the relationship between the chemicals company – which is part of multi-national chemicals manufacturer and marketer Huntsman – and Redhall, which has an office in Billingham.

The contract has already started and involves Redhall providing multi-disciplined and cohesive engineering support.

Work at both manufacturing plants is monitored through Key Performance Indicators and programmes to improve the operation.

The indicators focus on business aspects including health, safety, environment and quality, budget forecast, control and planning.

They include measures which track team performance, plan achievement and downtime.

At the company’s Tioxide Pigment plant, the services are delivered through an integrated maintenance team led by Redhall Engineering maintenance manager Mark Devlin.

He said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the team and one that proves we haven’t rested on our laurels during our previous agreement with the company. We will continue to ensure delivery of a safe, effective and efficient service to support the world class production and engineering demands placed on the site by a hugely competitive market.”

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/news/9736009.Support_contract_worth_a_cool___25m/

BASF Warns on Asia

BASF says Asia momentum weaker than plan: report

By Frankfurt Bureau

FRANKFURT -(MarketWatch)- Business momentum in Asia is weaker than expected, the vice chairman of German chemicals company BASF SE , Martin Brudermueller, tells daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview published Wednesday.

The company's sales in the Asia Pacific region, including China, were down 5% in the first three months of the year, compared with an especially strong first quarter in 2011, Brudermueller says, adding that the region is becoming more vulnerable.

"The market is suffering from self-inflicted problems, like lacking reforms and laws that lead to reserve among foreign investors," he is quoted as saying by the paper.

The European debt crisis is also weighing on Asian markets, and the situation needs to stabilize urgently, he says.

Half of BASF's business in Asia is generated in China, with Southeast Asia, Japan, India and Australia making up the rest, which is also how BASF will divide its investments in the region, he says.

With regard to India, Brudermueller says the company will soon need a large local production site, as sales in the region have now surpassed EUR1 billion and in the longer run the company can't continue to import the required volumes.

"We are going to expand our business in India step-by-step," he says.

BASF targets sales of EUR29 billion in Asia by 2020, more than double last year's sales in the region, according to Brudermueller.

Newspaper website: http://www.faz.net

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/basf-says-asia-momentum-weaker-than-plan-report-2012-05-30

Momentive Expansions

Momentive Performance Materials Expands Global Capacity For Polyurethane Additives to Meeting Growing Demand

Strategic Investments in China, India, Brazil and Belgium Will Help Drive Growth

 

 

 

ALBANY, N.Y., May 30, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Momentive Performance Materials Inc., a leading global provider of silicones and advanced materials, continues to leverage its recent capacity expansions in urethane additives to meet growing demand. Momentive has focused on making strategic investments in its manufacturing operations in China, India, Brazil and Belgium to better serve its customers outside North America. Urethane additives, such as surfactants, catalysts and process modifiers, are critical components in polyurethane foam production.

"Our global infrastructure for polyurethane additives has never been stronger," said Tony Lanchak, Global Business Director -- UA, Momentive Performance Materials. "We are well positioned to take on growing demand around the world, as an industry leader in the markets we serve. With R&D and manufacturing capabilities in key regions and critical improvements in processes to make effective use of this new global capacity, we will continue to do what we do best - expanding our product offering and working closely with customers to address their specialized needs."

In addition to upgrading a state-of-the-art sales, inventory, operations and planning system, Momentive has made several strategic investments focused on broadening global capacity in its urethane additives business. These include, by country:

-- China -- completed the expansion that enables increased urethane additive finished goods capacity at the Nantong plant facility. Momentive is now also producing key intermediates in Nantong, which will enable the use of local raw materials.

-- India -- phased in urethane additive production at the newly expanded facility for manufacturing and application development in Chennai.

-- Brazil -- upgraded the manufacturing facility to enable production of urethane additive finished goods, supported by a state-of-the-art application development center, to complement existing production facilities in Itatiba.

-- Belgium -- added important capacity through improved processes at the Antwerp facility, with a resultant 20 percent increase in production.

Over the past 50 years, Momentive's urethane additives business has introduced a steady stream of new products that have helped revolutionize polyurethane foam production. These market firsts include the development of the first non-hydrolyzable silicone surfactant, the first flame retardant (FR) surfactant and the first high resilience silicone surfactant. Momentive's Niax* brand is one of the most enduring and respected brands in the global polyurethane industry.

For more information about Momentive's solutions for the global polyurethane foam industry, please call 800.295.2392 in North America (+1 614 986 2495 everywhere else), email 4information@momentive.com or visit www.momentive.com .

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/momentive-performance-materials-expands-global-capacity-for-polyurethane-additives-to-meeting-growing-demand-2012-05-30

Sabic Shell Polyurethane Venture?

more details as they become available, but it appears that they plan to build a new polyurethane facility at their jointly owned Sadaf complex in Jubail . . .

http://www.meed.com/sectors/industry/petrochemicals/sabic-and-shell-plan-polyurethane-plant/3139707.article

 



Polyurethane Sticky Pad

Better Than Magic - Stick Your Phone To A Wall, Treadmill, Or... Ceiling With PU Pads From The Makers Of Capta

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in News

UDS, the company that brought us Capta (which we loved) and now working on Vavo, has a limited quantity of pads made of what I called "magic alien goo" - a key ingredient used in its products. It's sort of a weird material made in part with polyurethane (PU), which is both sticky and not sticky at the same time - but in exactly the right ways.

I have been playing with a PU pad for the last month or so, and it's now become my trusty gym companion. Heck, I can bring it anywhere, slap it on pretty much any surface, and voila - an instant phone holder. It can probably support a light tablet too - definitely a 7". I wouldn't trust it with a 10" for long periods of time, but with enough experimentation, you'll be able to figure out what you're comfortable with.

Possible Uses

As I mentioned, the greatest use I found for this pad is in the gym. Specifically, the treadmill. I bring my phone with me and on average watch a full TV episode while on an elliptical or a treadmill. I use BT earbuds for convenience, which means there's no cord dangling in front of me, so I have the freedom to put my phone in front of me in a book pocket, turn on a video, and start the workout.

The problem is, some machines don't even have book mounts or anything else I could put my phone on. Even worse, vibration created by running on a treadmill is so hard that my phone vibrates itself off and threatens to fly to the ground every 30 seconds. It's really frustrating (first world problems, I know).

Enter PU pad. Rolled up, it barely takes up any space in my pants. At the gym, I unroll it, stick it absolutely anywhere on the treadmill, and voila - my Epic Touch is magically suspended in a place no other phone has ever been before. It looks mighty and victorious sitting that high. No amount of vibration will be able to throw it off its pedestal. It's absolutely brilliant.

Here are some uses I could think of off the top of my head:

• Gym - as I verbosely described above.
• Car - it stuck to my textured dash like a fly to a flytrap. Kind of ugly - yes, but very functional, considering you can attach it literally anywhere you want, then simply pull it off when you've returned from that epic road trip.
• Kitchen - slap the phone onto your fridge, pull up a recipe or turn on an episode of Top Chef, and enjoy the convenience of having the screen exactly where you want it to be.
• I wouldn't recommend doing it for extended periods of time, but if, hypothetically speaking, you were Spiderman, you could do this to a nearby wall:

 

Wait, I said Spiderman, right? I meant this (if you saw this image a few weeks back, it would start making a bit more sense now):

 

The list goes on. Think of a surface around you, and if you suddenly get an uncontrollable desire to have your phone attached to it at eye level, there's a good chance you will be able to accomplish it.

The Skinny

• The pad is sticky - it attaches to almost anything and holds my phone so reliably that sometimes I rip off the back cover if I pull it off too hard.
• The pad is also not sticky at the same time - it doesn't leave any residue, traces of glue, or that annoying sticky feeling you would expect from something this strong. It kind of feels like magic the first few times you use it. If you've ever used Capta, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
• It works on textured surfaces without a hitch. For example, my Epic Touch's rear cover, which looks like this:
  
  sticks to it like it's covered with superglue.
• Each pad measures 7" by 3.5" in size.
• These pads are extremely easy to clean. As you can imagine, they attract dust, lint, and all kinds of things floating around. To clean, just rinse them with warm water for 5 seconds. All the dust instantly washes off - in fact, the presence of water makes the surface nice and glidy, and after drying, it becomes just as sticky as it was in the beginning. I've washed mine 5-6 times so far and haven't noticed any degradation in performance.
• Storage - the pads can be left uncovered without loss of functionality. I carry mine rolled up the way you see below and wash it about once a week.
• Longevity - when I asked UDS about potential loss of stickiness, they said they've been using and testing the pads for over a year, but they remain the same. If true, it's quite remarkable.

Enough Magic Talk - Where Can I Get One?

You can buy these pads directly from UDS here for $7.99. This includes free worldwide shipping. That's right - any country, shipped free. Honestly, after spending a month with one of these things, it's a steal at that price.

According to the company, there are about 300 of these pads left in stock, so if you want one, hurry up before they sell out. I have a feeling they're leftovers from manufacturing of Capta, so I'm not sure if UDS will make more when the stock is depleted.

Update 5/25/12: I confirmed with UDS that they indeed sold out, and actually didn't shut down their order form in time, so they'll need to cancel some orders for now. The good news, however, is that this demand and our coverage convinced them that they should make more, which they'll be doing in the next few weeks. The inscription will change to no longer mention Capta, and it'll look more generic, which is also good. Stay tuned, folks, hopefully it won't take long. I've also asked them to respond to any concerns in the post comments, so fire away.

    

^{More photos of the PU pad: on a wall, a computer monitor, semi-detached, rolled up (x2)}

 

^{Similar PU material was used in the Capta}

If you have any questions about these pads, feel free to ask in the comments.

Disclaimer: I do not get any commission for recommending Capta, PU pads, or anything else made by UDS. Rarely do I feel so much passion about a product, especially one this rough and simple, but when I do, it's a good sign somebody is doing something right.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/05/24/better-than-magic-stick-your-phone-to-a-wall-treadmill-or-ceiling-with-pu-pads-from-the-makers-of-capta/

Dow Wins Settlement from Kuwait

Dow Awarded $2.16B From Kuwait Over 2008 Deal

Dow Chemical Co., the largest U.S. chemical maker by sales, said an arbitration panel ruled that Kuwait must pay $2.16 billion in damages after it canceled a 2008 agreement to buy a stake in the company’s plastics business.

The award by the International Court of Arbitration of the London-based International Chamber of Commerce doesn’t include costs or interest and is final and binding, Midland, Michigan- based Dow said today in a statement.

Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Co., under pressure from lawmakers, canceled a contract to form a 50-50 venture with Dow’s plastics unit in December 2008. The failure of the so- called K-Dow venture deprived Dow of a $9 billion payment during the global financial crisis and nearly derailed its 2009 purchase of Rohm & Haas Co. (DOW) (DOW) Dow cut its dividend by 64 percent in February 2009, the first reduction in company history, as it struggled to complete the Rohm & Haas deal.

Petrochemical Industries was to have paid $7.5 billion for its stake in the venture, and the venture was to have paid each partner $1.5 billion.

“We remain focused on continuing to move forward with our transformation and profitable business partnerships -– both in Kuwait and around the world,” Dow Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Liveris said in the statement.

Dow rose 3.7 percent to $31.65 at 9:02 a.m. in New York before the start of regular trading.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-24/dow-awarded-2-dot-16-billion-from-kuwait-over-aborted-deal

Bayer in Pittsburgh

Royal Makes Another Acquisition

Royal Adhesives & Sealants Acquires Clifton Adhesives

--Acquisition Builds on Royal's Strong Position in the Aircraft and Marine Market --Third Royal Adhesives acquisition in the last six months

 

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Royal Adhesives & Sealants (Royal) a portfolio company of Arsenal Capital Partners (Arsenal) announced that Royal will acquire substantially all of the assets of Clifton Adhesives.

Clifton Adhesives is a major supplier to the aerospace, military, recreational and commercial marine market of thermoplastic (Polyurethane) and elastomeric (Polychloroprene) adhesives and coatings, which are used in the fabrication of inflatable structures. The acquisition builds on Royal's strong platform of leading adhesives, sealants and coatings solutions.

"We continue to identify leading niche companies that will enhance our product offerings to the markets in which we have chosen to compete. The addition of Clifton will broaden our customer base in the aircraft and marine markets," said Ted Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Royal. "Clifton's elastomeric adhesives will add to our growing portfolio of leading adhesives and sealants technologies and we look forward to working with the Clifton team to successfully integrate the Clifton business into Royal."

Tim Zappala, a Partner at Arsenal Capital said, "Clifton has a long history supplying adhesives to the demanding aircraft and marine markets. The acquisition of Clifton and merger with Royal represents another important milestone in our strategy to further build a leading adhesives, sealants and coatings business offering customized and proprietary solutions and is the third Royal acquisition in the last six months underscoring our determination to build a market leading adhesives, sealants and coatings business."

Clifton Chief Executive Officer Bob Lefelar stated, "Clifton's success and exponential growth over the past 66 years as a family owned business was the direct result of offering quality products, exemplary service, and customized products. The time is now right for Clifton to be part of a larger organization with the same operating philosophy and where we have a great market fit. The company is now better positioned to continue offering the customer support and service going forward that our customers demand."

John Televantos, a Partner at Arsenal Capital, said, "We are building the Royal adhesives business in part by selectively identifying niche acquisitions in this specialty sub sector where we can apply our deep industry knowledge to achieve enhanced growth. We are well on our way to building a strong company that will itself become a leading competitor on a global scale."

Arsenal Capital acquired Royal in 2010 and since has worked closely with management to grow the company organically and through targeted acquisitions. Shortly after completing the purchase by Arsenal Capital, Royal acquired Para-Chem, a leading provider of specialty adhesives, coatings and polymers. In November 2011, Royal acquired Craig Adhesives a premier supplier of ultraviolet light cured adhesives and coatings and in April 2012 added Extreme Adhesives, a premier supplier of reactive assembly adhesives.

About Clifton Adhesives Clifton Adhesive, Inc. is a specialty adhesive manufacturer that has been in business for 66 years. The company is ISO 9001 certified and produces quality adhesives for the aircraft and marine industry. The company develops and manufactures adhesives incorporating polychloroprene, nitrile, natural rubbers and styrene butadiene.

About Royal Adhesives & SealantsRoyal Adhesives & Sealants is a leading producer of proprietary, high-performance adhesives, sealants, coatings and polymers. Headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, Royal offers a broad range of specialty formulated products designed to solve complex bonding, laminating and sealing applications across a diverse range of markets, including aerospace and defense, construction, specialty packaging, automotive and industrial. The company offers a broad spectrum of customized thermosetting epoxy and urethane, solvent-based and water-based technologies to meet the most demanding adhesive and sealant applications. For additional information about Royal Adhesives & Sealants, please visit www.royaladhesives.com .

About Arsenal Capital PartnersArsenal Capital Partners is a leading New York-based private equity firm that invests in middle-market specialty industrial, healthcare and financial services companies. Arsenal makes investments in sectors where the firm has prior knowledge and experience, and targets businesses that have the potential for further value creation by working closely with management to accelerate growth and leverage the firm's operational improvement capabilities. Arsenal currently has $800 million of committed equity capital. For additional information on Arsenal Capital Partners, please visit www.arsenalcapital.com .

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/royal-adhesives-sealants-acquires-clifton-adhesives-2012-05-23

LaPolla Quarterly Results

Lapolla Reports Record First Quarter 2012 Results

Delivers 8.6% Sales Growth in Foam Segment

 

 

HOUSTON, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Lapolla Industries, Inc. ("Lapolla") , a Houston based manufacturer and supplier of spray foam insulation, cool roof coatings and equipment designed to reduce energy consumption in the residential and commercial markets, for both new construction and retrofit applications, today announced results for the first quarter of 2012.

Douglas J. Kramer, CEO and President of Lapolla, commented, "High and increasingly volatile energy prices continue to heighten the public's interest for green building materials and sustainable energy solutions. Lapolla's first quarter 2012 results reflect sustained aggressive sales growth in our foam segment, while sales volumes declined due to seasonal conditions in our coatings segment. After two years of strategic planning, Lapolla is only now beginning to realize international growth as demand for our products increases and our international plans materialize," concluded Mr. Kramer.

Results of Business Segments

Foam sales increased $1,278,673, or 8.6%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to energy conscious building owners and consumers continuing to seek relief from costly energy prices, as spray polyurethane foam (SPF) gains market share from replacing traditional insulation systems such as fiberglass. Foam equipment sales increased $177,289, or 19.4%, quarter over quarter. Foam cost of sales increased $1,409,713, or 12.2%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to increases of $1,278,673, or 8.6%, in sales, $201,572, or 25.4%, in freight, and approximately 7.4% in material costs, partially offset by purchasing power with key vendor alliances and manufacturing efficiencies. Foam gross profit decreased $131,040, or 4.0%, and gross margin percentage decreased 2.6%, primarily from higher freight and material costs, offset by increased sales volumes and product prices, from the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011. Foam segment profit decreased $201,134, or 31.6%, for the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, primarily due to higher freight and material costs, offset by an approximate 6.5% increase in sales prices and 93.5% increase in sales volumes.

Coatings sales decreased $601,276, or 19.1%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to seasonal factors in the roofing markets. Coatings equipment sales increased $9,331, or 24.0%, quarter over quarter. Coatings cost of sales decreased $485,376, or 18.9%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to decreases of $601,276, or 19.1%, in sales, and $16,323, or 9.3%, in freight, offset by an increase of approximately 5.8% in material costs. Coatings gross profit decreased $115,900, or 20.2%, due to lower sales volumes, and a gross margin percentage decline of 1.4%, primarily from higher material costs, from the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011. Coatings segment profit increased $601,276, or 19.1%, for the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, primarily due to a decrease in segment operating costs and expenses and an approximate 7.1% increase in sales prices and 107.1% increase in sales volumes.

Total segment sales increased $677,397, or 3.8%, cost of sales increased $924,337, or 6.5%, and gross profit decreased $246,940, or 6.5%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011. Total segment profits decreased $186,661, or 28.5%, due primarily to increases of $185,249, or 19.1%, in freight, 5.9% in material costs, offset by increases of approximately 18.6% in sales prices and 81.4% in sales volumes, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011.

Overall Results of Operations

Sales increased $677,397, or 3.8%, for the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011. Cost of sales increased $924,337, or 6.5%, for the three months ended March 31, 2012 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011. Gross profit decreased $246,940, or 6.5%, for the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to the 19.1% increase in freight costs, 5.9% increase in material costs, and decrease of 19.1% in our coatings sales, partially offset by our 8.6% increase in our foam sales, of which $131,040, or 4.0%, resulted from our foam segment and $115,900, or 20.2%, resulted from our coatings segment. Gross margin percentage decreased 2.1%, quarter over quarter, due to higher freight and material costs, offset by approximately 46.4% price increases, manufacturing efficiencies from increased foam sales volume, and purchasing power with key vendor alliances. Total operating expenses are comprised of selling, general and administrative expenses, or SG&A, professional fees, depreciation, amortization of other intangible assets, and consulting fees. These total operating expenses increased $197,533, or 4.8%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to increases of $72,505 for SG&A, $17,941 for amortization of other intangible assets, and $125,603 for consulting fees, offset by decreases of $11,779 for professional fees, and $6,737 for depreciation. Total other (income) expense is comprised of interest expense, gain or loss on derivative liability, and other, net. Total other (income) expense decreased $22,883, or 17.9% from the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to gains of $33,939 in our derivative liability and $9,947 in our other, net, offset by an increase of $21,220 in interest expense. Net loss increased $421,590, or 94.0%, in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, due to increases of $72,505, or 1.9%, in SG&A, $17,941, or 17.1%, in amortization of other intangible assets, $125,603, or 262.5% in consulting fees, and $21,219, or 16.6%, in interest expense, offset by decreases of $11,779, or 10.1%, in professional fees, $6,737, or 9.9%, in depreciation, and gains of $33,939 in our derivative liability and $9,947 in our other, net. Net loss per share was $0.01 for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lapolla-reports-record-first-quarter-2012-results-2012-05-16

KraussMaffei History

KraussMaffei celebrates 45 years of polyurethane processing expertise

For more than 45 years now, KraussMaffei has been active in the area of processing polyurethane and has been building machines and systems for this purpose. The kickoff for processing polyurethane at KraussMaffei took place in 1967. The company was active on the market as a machine supplier just one year later.

"KraussMaffei is a forerunner for using this material in plastics production. Thanks to years of experience, an up-to-date, premium-quality machine portfolio and a large store of technology and procedure expertise, we've developed into a worldwide market leader," explains Nicolas Beyl, the Reaction Process Machinery Division Head at KraussMaffei since February 2012. The company focused on high-pressure processing of polyurethane from the beginning. In close cooperation with raw material manufacturers and processors, new fields of application, machines, and methods are still being developed constantly to this day.

"We want to strengthen our activity in the area of reaction process machinery globally and to demonstrate additional application and efficiency potential for our customers along their entire value chain. In particular, we want to draw them to us using combinations of machines and methods for injection molding and reaction process machinery and by using new technologies," explains Beyl.

According to KraussMaffei, these strengths recently received positive feedback at the NPE 2012 trade show in Orlando, FL, USA. The manufacture of an armrest using the SkinForm process was shown. In one machine, the injection-molded carrier was flow-coated with a foamed aliphatic type of polyurethane with pleasant surface characteristics and outstanding UV resistance. "KraussMaffei's extensive Technology3 expertise across the entire process chain was apparent at this machine. The machines, automation, mold technology, and custom solutions were all from our company and unified our expertise," explains Beyl.

Furthermore, the company wants to advance new innovative solutions in growth fields, including the areas of lightweight construction and fiber composite technology. "In recent years we have been able to win numerous orders in these areas worldwide. We also have a worldwide one-of-a-kind expertise center in this area, the fiber composite technology TechCenter we opened in Munich in 2011," says Beyl.

Thirteen companies were honored with a JEC Europe Innovation Award this year as part of the JEC trade show. The development consortium headed by the Fraunhofer ICT was able to distinguish itself among the companies. The SCS process (structural component spraying) premiered in the category of production processes. It is a manufacturing process for lightweight structures based on sandwich structures and spray processes for glass-fiber reinforced polyurethane resins. In addition to KraussMaffei, partners Bombardier, Fraunhofer ICT, Bayer MaterialScience DEC, the DLR Institute of Vehicle Concepts, the University of Stuttgart (IFB) and the Institute for Technology in Karlsruhe (wbk) were responsible for the manufacturing process and were distinguished for extensive developments along the entire value chain. Sandwich core materials, cover layer materials, manufacturing processes, fire protection systems, design principles and calculation methods were developed for this sandwich structure demonstration component with a length of 4.5 m and a width of 2.5 m. The design with identical interfaces using glass-fiber reinforced polyurethane sandwich structures makes it possible to reduce the weight of the safety enclosure while simultaneously reducing the number of components. Despite this, all of the requirements are met, such as dielectric strength.

An overview of KraussMaffei's milestones in the area of processing polyurethane:

• First developments and trials for manufacturing polyurethane furniture
• 1968   First special clamping unit with two rotating axes, called "moon-swing"
• 1970   Presentation of the first KraussMaffei mixing head in successful production use
• 1972   First self-cleaning mixing head in the world with a recirculation groove
• 1973   Export of the first polyurethane bumper system for an automotive industry customer in the USA
• 1974   Delivery of the 100^th polyurethane metering machine
• 1981   Delivery of the 2000^th mixing head
• 1982   First transfer mixing head in the world and first twin-piston metering machine
• 1984   First dual-hardness soft foam system
• 1985   The 4000^th mixing head of the families, which included 18 types at that time, is delivered
• 1985   Delivery of the 50 KK machine with metering outputs of up to 8000 cm³ per second
• 1989   Largest piston metering machine in the world with up to 16,000 g/s
• 1991   Development of the polyurethane recycling process; introduction of continuous gas charging
• 1992   The in-mold coating process for an undercoat in a foam mold is presented at the K trade show
• 1993   Systems for CFC-free foams
• 1994   Series system for carpet back-foaming
• 1995   Initial presentation of the LFI polyurethane process unit at K
• 1996   Start of lightweight design activities, first system for GRP components
• 1999   LFI production system for the smart roof
• 2002   Founding of the "white goods" expertise center in Abbiate Grasso, Italy
• 2005   First skin spray head in production use
• 2004   The SkinForm method is presented at K for the first time
• 2005   Start of mold-building activities for polyurethane, milling and custom solutions
• 2006   Development and presentation of the first small-quantity, high-pressure mixing head
• 2007   Large-scale SkinForm system for manufacturing interior door panel sections at K
• 2010   Presentation of the ColorForm process at K
• 2011   Opening of the world's largest TechCenter for fiber composite technology (lightweight construction) in Munich; complete HP-RTM system for manufacturing CFRP components
• 2012   45 years of KraussMaffei reaction process machinery; first live demonstration of polyurethane processing at NPE in the USA

http://www.gupta-verlag.com/polyurethanes/news/industry/11602/KraussMaffei-celebrates-45-years-of-polyurethane-processing-expertise