Rhein Chemie wins Tire Technology Award for Innovation and Excellence 2012 as Supplier of the Year
Thursday, 16. February 2012 In its Awards for Innovation and Excellence competition, Tire Technology Expo, a leading global event for tire technologies, named Rhein Chemie Supplier of the Year to the Tire Industry on February 15, 2012. The panel of judges comprising international experts from the tire, automotive and academic sectors was impressed by Rhein Chemie's latest developments in expanding its position in the rubber industry. The judges praised Rhein Chemie's innovative expansion of its product portfolio, achieved last year through the successful completion of three acquisitions.
• Tire Technology Expo recognizes Rhein Chemie’s latest developments in the rubber industry
Mannheim, February 16, 2012 – In its Awards for Innovation and Excellence competition, Tire Technology Expo, a leading global event for tire technologies, named Rhein Chemie Supplier of the Year to the Tire Industry on February 15, 2012.
The panel of judges comprising international experts from the tire, automotive and academic sectors was impressed by Rhein Chemie’s latest developments in expanding its position in the rubber industry. The judges praised Rhein Chemie’s innovative expansion of its product portfolio, achieved last year through the successful completion of three acquisitions.
Rhein Chemie, a wholly owned subsidiary of the specialty chemicals company LANXESS, took over the Argentinian release agent and tire bladder manufacturer Darmex, thus marking its entry into the curing bladder business. By additionally acquiring Wacker Chemie’s tire release agent business, Rhein Chemie expanded its range of eco-friendly release agents, particularly in the growing market segment for semipermanent release agents and bladder coatings. Rhein Chemie today is the only global player offering release agents and bladders for tire manufacturing from a single source.
The company took yet another expansion step by acquiring two product lines from Flexsys: Vocol and Santoweb. Vocol specialty accelerators can replace other accelerator systems that pose potential health risks. Furthermore, they generate very stable network bridges between the rubber molecules and are characterized by very high solubility in non-polar types of rubber such as EPDM. This property makes them perfectly suited, for example, for the manufacture of thick-walled rubber articles, such as solid tires and for products based on unpolar EPDM rubber such as profiles and hoses. The Santoweb predispersed cellulose fibers are an ideal addition to the Rhenogran aramid fiber product line.
“We are very pleased to have won the award as best supplier to the tire industry,” said Dr. Dietmar Hoff, Marketing and Sales, Release Agents and Bladders, Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH, on receiving the award. “It recognizes the outstanding achievements of our employees and the successful expansion of our product portfolio last year. Rhein Chemie now supplies tire manufacturers with even more innovative solutions, know-how and quality. And with the three acquisitions, we have laid a solid foundation for further growth. Projects already are underway to expand our global position even more,” he added.
A new production facility for rubber additives and release agents opened just a few weeks ago in Jhagadia, India. Rhein Chemie increased bladder production by 40 percent in Burzaco, Argentina, and has a new bladder manufacturing plant under construction in Porto Feliz, Brazil.
Rhein Chemie supplies tire manufacturers with an extensive range of solutions, including predispersed polymer-bound chemicals, processing promoters, vulcanization and filler activators, anti-sun check waxes, release agents, tire marking inks and high-performance curing bladders. The company’s global orientation is another key advantage for tire manufacturers.
About Rhein Chemie:
Rhein Chemie develops, produces and sells additives, specialty chemicals and service products for the rubber, lubricant and plastics industries. In fiscal 2010 Rhein Chemie achieved sales of EUR 283 million and has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide. The company is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany and has production facilities in Europe, Asia and North and South America.
Mannheim, 16. February 2012
bit (2012-02-804DE)
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions, contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accept any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.
