Armacell starts up PET foam cores plant in China

Armacell, a leading producer of flexible foam for the equipment insulation market and a leading provider of engineered foams, has started operations of its PET foam extrusion line at the Suzhou facility close to Shanghai.

 

Following a period of welding and slicing extruded blocks from plants in Europe and North America over the past two years, the first extrusion line in China is now up and running. For Armacell, this is the fourth industrial scale PET foaming line globally, supporting the strong growth trajectory and profitability of Armacell’s global PET business.

 

The proximity of the new plant to Armacell's major customers from the wind industry and excellent logistic conditions drove the decision to set up the new production line in Suzhou, according to Thomas Kessel, Armacell’s Managing Director PET Foams. The past years saw China emerging as one of the most important markets for Armacell's high-performance, cost-effective and sustainable PET-based core materials. This move was an important step in the company's supply chain optimization process to cope with the ongoing demand for lightweight PET-based composite solutions.  

 

 

Bart Janssen, Vice President Engineered Foams & Energy, recognizes the team for their strong commitment that the start-up of the new line was a tremendous success, despite the restrictions that Covid-19 brought to the final phase of the project. The engineering team from Armacell's PET foams headquarters in Belgium shared their knowledge and experience during regular on-site visits in 2019, followed by a 24-hour video link, video conferencing and remote controlling during the first months of this year, according to Mr. Janssen.

 

Patrick Mathieu, President & CEO of the Armacell Group, pointed out that the expansion of Armacell's PET manufacturing footprint delivers on its overall business strategy and increases its customer service levels globally. He also added that Armacells is focussed on sustainable, profitable growth and develop and manufacture products with a positive impact on the community. Armacell PET foams are 100% made of recycled PET and unrivalled in the industry.