Nordson as single source for multiple products

At Chinaplas, Nordson Corporation announced its efforts to serve the plastics industry by being the first global resource for melt processing components and pelletisers. The company has made investments around the world to build new facilities, install advanced production systems, add expert personnel, and develop innovative products. In line with these efforts, the commpany's Polymer Processing Systems (PPS) business has become a single source for multiple components required by resin companies, equipment OEMs, recyclers, and extrusion and moulding processors. 

 

"Nordson has established its presence in the marketplace as one group with several product lines. We have reinforced our message as a broader supplier to customers, providing them with everything they need to strengthen their production. Nordson PPS products and services are now accessible worldwide on a highly localised basis to customers, whether large and small,” according to Nordson Corp. Executive Vice President John J. Keane. “In Asia as in the rest of the world, Nordson has the capabilities to supply a combination of components that work together to optimise the customer’s process,” Mr. Keane added. 

 

Mr. John J. Keane, Executive Vice President, Nordson Corporation

 

Nordson’s investment program has created regional “centres of excellence” that enable customers to order projects from any region and obtain the same components in terms of material and quality. According to Mr. Keane, "Nordson is entrenched both locally and in the multinational arena. We serve multinational companies with operations around the world but we are also able to localise by introducing Nordson to local customers in China, for instance."  

 

Recent innovations by Nordson represent three PPS brands: BKG® pelletising and melt delivery systems; EDI® extrusion and fluid coating dies; and Xaloy® screws and barrels for extrusion and injection moulding. Each brand includes a diversity of product offerings to suit a wide range of customer requirements.

 

Nordson Corp., parent company of the PPS group, reported sales of USD $2.1-billion in 2017. The company has operations and support offices in more than 30 countries. Currently, it is building new and expanded capabilities for the PPS group on three continents. One is in Münster, Germany where Nordson is building a global hub for BKG pelletisers and melt delivery components, due for completion in the summer of this year. The project will also include a dedicated aftermarket center for both BKG systems and EDI extrusion dies. Another site is in Pirmasens,  also in Germany, where Nordson is producing Xaloy screws and barrels in Europe for the first time, following extensive investment to modernise the infrastructure and install new equipment in a plant acquired from twin screw and barrel manufacturer WAFO in 2015. Screws and barrels made in the facility meet the exact same standards as those produced by Nordson in the USA and Thailand. In Austintown, Ohio, USA. Nordson has just opened a regional hub in the Americas for Xaloy screws and barrels in a new 18,580 sq.m facility that includes substantial investment in new machining centres, furnaces, and other equipment, as well as production capabilities relocated from three other sites in the USA. In Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA, Nordson is starting up advanced systems for the manufacture of EDI dies. The new capabilities enhance quality assurance and decrease lead times. Nordson has also expanded capacity for remanufacturing as part of a reorganization of operations at its three sites in Chippewa Falls. In Shanghai, China, following a move of its EDI extrusion and coating dies operation to a new, larger facility, Nordson has begun assembly of BKG screen changers and gear pumps. It has also begun planning for the finishing of Xaloy barrels from semi-finished products produced at the Nordson facility in Chonbury, Thailand. In Saitama, Japan,  Nordson has added capacity for building EDI dies and for remanufacturing dies. A new superfinishing unit is particularly valuable for local specialty markets such as that for optical-grade film. Nordson has also added production, sales, and technical support personnel at Saitama and the sales office in Tokyo. 

 

Along with these investments in construction and new manufacturing equipment, Nordson is building a worldwide IT infrastructure that will enhance coordination of the various PPS operations, adding speed and efficiency to order processing, increasing responsiveness to customer needs, and expanding Nordson’s capability to provide multi-component equipment packages custom-designed for specific applications. 

 

Increasing presence in Asia

Nordson's operations in Asia have been well established, according to Teong Hiang Kong, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia of Nordson Xaloy Asia (Thailand) Limited. "The investments made by Nordson to enhance technology and technical capability has increased our efficiency substantially in Asia. These are critical to our expansion in Asia and with the presence of a technical laboratory, we are able to serve customers in the region effectively and in shorter time."  

 

Mr. Teong Hiang Kong, Vice President & Managing Director, Asia of Nordson Xaloy Asia (Thailand) Limited

 

The region has also been benefiting from the product development process for emerging applications, such as battery film. Given that the biggest producers of battery materials are in Asia and with rising demand for electric vehicles in the region, the demand for lightweight battery will provide more opportunities for Nordson to better serve the local market.