Demand for PVC pipes in China is rising fast, reflecting the needs of the large population. The biggest plastics corporation in China, 75% state-owned China B&S Group, with 1998 sales of RMB 3bn (about EUR 345m) and more than 10,000 empolyees, has reacted by stepping up investment in pipe manufacturing.

Its subsidiary B&S PVC Pipes (33 Huaxian Road, Boading, Hebei Province, PRC), which started processing PVC pipes in 1958 for drinking water and electrial cable, today has capacity to produce pipes up to a diameter of 800mm and a wall thickness of 19.6, to be used at a pressure of 6 bar. B&S´ two plants are supplied with resin by the parent company. Its extrusion line for the large diameter pipes was supplied by Germany´s Krauss-Maffei (Krauss-Maffei Kunststofftechnik GmbH, D-80997 Munich. The pipes conform to ISO 4422 (1996 version).

By the end of 1999, B&S will purchase five new extrusion lines, allowing production of pipes up to a diameter of 400mm. With a total of then 14 extrusion lines, it will reach a throughput of 50,000 t/y. B&S also is investing in injection moulding of PVC fittings to become an integrated system supplier. Plans are to open a third plant in central China next year. Vice General Manager Wang YA Yiangs has ambitious plans: he wants B&S Pipes to reach the same size as Canada´s IPEX or The Netherland´s Wavin (HQ: NL-8000 AD Zwolle). Along with PVC Pipes, B&S Group produces PVC profiles, PE film for agriculture, BOPP and PVC films. It also manufactures PVC resin, as well as basic chemicals.