BRILON, Germany—Lanxess A.G.'s Bond-Laminates subsidiary, part of its High Performance Materials business unit, has completed a capacity expansion for its high-performance composite Tepex at its site in Brilon.
Two new production plants recently were taken into operation, which Lanxess said brings its total annual capacity of Tepex to more than 43 million square feet. Storage areas and office space also were added in Brilon.
Lanxess said Brilon's application center also will house a hybrid molding facility by the end of the year, which will allow Tepex to be formed and over-injected directly with thermoplastics in a single one-shot process.
“These investments come in response to rapidly rising demand for Tepex, particularly in the automotive, sports equipment and consumer electronics industries,” said Jochen Bauder, managing director of Bond-Laminates.
Tepex comprises continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. Polyamide, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethane, polycarbonate or polyphenylene sulfide is used for the thermoplastic matrix, Lanxess said.
The product is used in the automotive industry for applications such as lightweight seat shells, front ends, brake pedals, infotainment brackets and engine compartment guard plates. Lanxess said other applications include soccer boot soles, racing cycle brake levers, backpack frames, snowboarding and cycle helmets, and smartphone, tablet and notebook cases.
Lanxess is a global specialty chemicals company that reported sales of about $11.5 billion in 2013 and operates 52 production sites worldwide. It employs about 17,000 in 31 countries.