Ticona sets global LFRT production record in Q3 2012

Ticona (Florence, Ky., USA and Sulzback, Germany) , the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corp., announced on Sept. 19 that its Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics (LFRT) business set new global production records in the third quarter 2012 that will enable it to support the increasing demand for this metal replacement material in innovative automotive, industrial, electrical and electronic, and consumer applications.

“Ticona is well positioned to meet the continued global demand of LFRT products by our global customers thanks to the success of our manufacturing staffs and their great production achievements,” says Bjorn Hofman, director - Europe, Middle East & Africa, Ticona. “With LFRT manufacturing units in strategic locations in the United States, Germany and China, Ticona is truly capable of supporting customers worldwide.”

In addition to the production records, a new pilot line in Germany is slated to be operational in the fourth quarter 2012.

“This pilot line at our Kaiserslautern unit gives customers the unique opportunity to work with our engineering thermoplastic experts on the development of fiber reinforced materials that best suit their needs for innovative applications,” says Thorsten Neidhoefer, global LFRT development manager, Ticona.

The long fiber reinforced thermoplastics product offering from Ticona includes Celstran LFRT and Factor LFRT, which offer good stiffness and toughness. Applications include:

Automotive Industry — Structural, functional and appearance parts (instrument panels, door modules, battery trays, clutch pedals, gear shift levers, consoles, HVAC louvers, air intake pipes, fascia supports, front end modules)
Industrial/appliances — Housings, gears, pulleys, wheels, fan blades
Electrical/electronics — EMI/RFI shielded housings and conductive parts for static dissipation
Sporting Goods and Recreational Equipment — Snow board bindings, ATV components, motor housings

Each is produced in a proprietary pultrusion process that achieves the necessary impregnation quality without damage to the fibers. Incorporated fibers can be glass, carbon, aramid and stainless steels. As matrix materials, nearly all types of polymers are suitable.

Produced in Kaiserslautern, Winona, Minn., USA, and Nanjing, China, LFRT engineering thermoplastic grades provide the same performance characteristics — and the same specifications — to all Ticona customers, whether they are in Europe, the Americas or Asia.