Appliances

Carbon fiber-reinforced grades of thermoplastics such as polypropylene (PP) are nothing new but Japan's Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo) reports that it has succeeded in making performance advances that make such CFRP composites a more attractive option in automotive applications.

Vehicle interior systems supplier Faurecia (Nanterre, France) and Korea's LG Hausys (Seoul), a world leader in the development and production of specialty decoration materials and films for the housing, electronic and automotive industries, have signed a strategic partnership to jointly develop next-generation vehicle interior decoration films.

Last week Whirlpool announced that it will close its manufacturing facility in Fort Smith, AR by mid-2012, laying off 1200 salaried workers in addition to the 800 the company had already laid off. "As we previously stated, in a period of uncertain economic growth and consumer demand, we would be prepared to take the necessary actions in order to expand our operating margins and improve our earnings," said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool chairman and CEO in an Oct. 28 announcement.

Bianor will invest more than PLN 16 million (about $5.15 million) in a new plastics processing facility in the Special Economic Zone in Bialystok, Poland. The factory will become operational in mid-2012 and employ about 100. The company already employs about 320, with its customer base including Bosch-Siemens Appliances, Philips and Newell Rubbermaid.

The September Frankfurt auto show (IAA) will feature a dedicated hall showcasing new electric-vehicle technology. The German Auto Industry Association (VDA), which organizes the world's largest car show, said the Hall for Electric Mobility will feature manufactuers of electric vehicles such as Daimler, Opel, Renault and Mitsubishi.

Sheet extruder Boltaron adds new thermoformable sheet grades for aircraft application, and Toray Plastics begins marketing polyester film for use as an over-laminate film to protect labels and products against the effects of UV damage. Plastics Color Corp., a supplier of color concentrates, compounds and additive masterbatches, has earned NSF International certification for several color concentrates in its polypropylene product line.

Furniture, footwear, appliances and sporting goods are some of the applications a Spanish supplier of engineered clay-based additives hopes to penetrate in the U.S. now that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered it for use there. Called BactiBlock, these antimicrobial additives help suppress the growth of algae, mold, mildew, fungi, and bacteria.

Chinese wages are rising at roughly 17% per year, the value of the yuan is continuing to increase, and the gap between U.S. and Chinese wages is narrowing rapidly. Add to that flexible work rules and a government incentives here in the states, and a new report predicts a "manufacturing renaissance" in the U.S. wherein America becomes a "low-cost country among developed nations."

Bangalore will be the site of a Global Research and Development Centre for two Momentive Performance Materials Holdings (Columbus, OH) subsidiaries: Momentive Performance Materials and Momentive Specialty Chemicals. The former is a leading silicones supplier.

Plastic film and sheet processor Boltaron is installing a new sheet extrusion line next month to meet demand for its PVC and PVC/acrylic alloy sheet and to help the processor continue to keep its delivery times low. The line includes a twin-screw extruder from Milacron and a K-Tron feed system, with the roll stand and ancillary downstream equipment engineered by Boltaron.