OWENS CORNING
Strong in European automotive and wind energy markets / Jv with Saint Gobain Vetrotex
Owens Corning (Toledo, Ohio / USA; www.owenscorning.com) and Saint Gobain Vetrotex (F-73000 Chambery; www.saint-gobainvetrotex.com) plan to form a joint venture to construct a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to deliver high-quality glass fibre reinforcements to the growing composites marketplace. The 50:50 jv will produce reinforcements to be sold in equal shares through both companies´ international sales networks. Production and delivery of product is planned for late 2004.
Owens Corning sees both the European automotive market and Europe´s markets for wind energy, water sports and long glass fibre reinforced thermoplastics experiencing continued growth, at a rate of almost 6% per year, over the next five years. To ensure that it can respond to this growth, Owens Corning has invested more than USD 400m over the past six years, up to and including 2003. Having had its “Advantex” glass fibre on the market for 17 years, for example, Owens Corning has now converted more than 70% of its production capacity for reinforcing products to this glass formulation. Launched in January 1977, Advantex is a boron-free E glass with improved corrosion resistance and a higher softening point than E glass. This figure is set to increase to 100% in the near future with the conversion of the production units at Taloja in India, Anderson in South Carolina, USA, and Kimchon in Korea, which are to have their ovens renovated at the same time.
The company highlighted a number of automotive applications at “JEC 2003” fair in Paris, including an integral composite panel for loudspeakers and a front end. This prototype loudspeaker ought to make flat DML (Distributed Mode Loudspeaker) technology viable. The front end is a structural component in “StaMax P” (thermoplastic PP with long glass fibre reinforcement), which is fitted to the 4x4 Porsche Cayenne 2003 and Volkswagen Touareg sport utility vehicles.
The “Composite Solutions” division at Owens Corning has undergone reorganisation. Two new general management posts have been created to cover all aspects of development and marketing. Sudan Dewan was appointed vice-president and general manager for the rovings / CSM product lines in January 2003 and Gary Nieman vice-president and general manager for the continuous rovings / CFM product lines, which include Advantex glass technology.
Jeff Boersma remains vice-president and general manager at the fabrics division of Owens Corning, a post that he has held since November 2002. Mr. Boersma will be based in Brussels, Belgium. Raymund Trost, vice-president and general manager for veil activities and telecom solutions at Owens Corning, assumed responsibility for the “DUCS” product lines (Dry-Use Chopped Strand) in January 2003. Likewise based in Brussels, he will still retain his European management functions within the “Composite Solutions” division. Alan Foster was additionally appointed strategy and development manager of the “Composite Solutions” division in February 2003.
The company has also taken on Isabelle Gilles-Eurvin, formerly with Danone, as a sales and marketing director for the European market. Glen Hirschfeld has taken up the post of president of composite sales worldwide, while Andrew Hopkins remains general manager of the “OC” automotive division, a post that he has held since January 2002.
Owens Corning sees both the European automotive market and Europe´s markets for wind energy, water sports and long glass fibre reinforced thermoplastics experiencing continued growth, at a rate of almost 6% per year, over the next five years. To ensure that it can respond to this growth, Owens Corning has invested more than USD 400m over the past six years, up to and including 2003. Having had its “Advantex” glass fibre on the market for 17 years, for example, Owens Corning has now converted more than 70% of its production capacity for reinforcing products to this glass formulation. Launched in January 1977, Advantex is a boron-free E glass with improved corrosion resistance and a higher softening point than E glass. This figure is set to increase to 100% in the near future with the conversion of the production units at Taloja in India, Anderson in South Carolina, USA, and Kimchon in Korea, which are to have their ovens renovated at the same time.
The company highlighted a number of automotive applications at “JEC 2003” fair in Paris, including an integral composite panel for loudspeakers and a front end. This prototype loudspeaker ought to make flat DML (Distributed Mode Loudspeaker) technology viable. The front end is a structural component in “StaMax P” (thermoplastic PP with long glass fibre reinforcement), which is fitted to the 4x4 Porsche Cayenne 2003 and Volkswagen Touareg sport utility vehicles.
The “Composite Solutions” division at Owens Corning has undergone reorganisation. Two new general management posts have been created to cover all aspects of development and marketing. Sudan Dewan was appointed vice-president and general manager for the rovings / CSM product lines in January 2003 and Gary Nieman vice-president and general manager for the continuous rovings / CFM product lines, which include Advantex glass technology.
Jeff Boersma remains vice-president and general manager at the fabrics division of Owens Corning, a post that he has held since November 2002. Mr. Boersma will be based in Brussels, Belgium. Raymund Trost, vice-president and general manager for veil activities and telecom solutions at Owens Corning, assumed responsibility for the “DUCS” product lines (Dry-Use Chopped Strand) in January 2003. Likewise based in Brussels, he will still retain his European management functions within the “Composite Solutions” division. Alan Foster was additionally appointed strategy and development manager of the “Composite Solutions” division in February 2003.
The company has also taken on Isabelle Gilles-Eurvin, formerly with Danone, as a sales and marketing director for the European market. Glen Hirschfeld has taken up the post of president of composite sales worldwide, while Andrew Hopkins remains general manager of the “OC” automotive division, a post that he has held since January 2002.
22.05.2003 Plasteurope.com [14629]
Published on 22.05.2003