SAO PAULO, BRAZIL—PolyOne Corp.'s GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers unit is installing new TPE production capabilities at its facility in Diadema, Sao Paulo, the company announced during Feiplastic in Brazil.
Target markets for the new TPE capabilities, operational in June, include transportation, health care, consumers goods and packaging, the company said. PolyOne is based in Avon Lake, Ohio.
Brazil-based TPE production should reduce the amount of lead time required to serve South American customers and the rapidly growing demand of Brazil. It also will improve the company's ability to support global original equipment manufacturers by allowing local product trialing, development and production.
“As one of the first global TPE suppliers to offer specialty TPE solutions and technical support locally within Brazil, … our new local capabilities enable us to increase responsiveness, flexibility and TPE customization options,” said Walter Ripple, general manager of PolyOne GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers, in a news release.
This increase in manufacturing capacity for the Brazilian and South American market follows PolyOne's 2011 acquisition of Uniplen Industria de Polimeros Ltda., a leading Brazilian producer of specialty engineered materials and distributor of thermoplastics.