Jul 19 2004
Following the July 2003 completion of the major production increase called “MIRAI”, Teijin Twaron today announced a further production expansion plan for its high-performance fiber Twaron® to meet continuous growing market demand. Teijin Twaron will implement the project for a further capacity increase of 5% to 10%, depending on product mix, in its plant in Emmen, The Netherlands.
The expansion will entail the construction of a specialty production line, which is a direct result of the market’s increasing demand for Twaron® para-aramid safety and protection products and other markets’ demand. The new spinning line will come on stream in the third quarter of 2005.
Growing trends: safety and sustainability
According to Gert Frederiks, Commercial Director of Teijin Twaron, the global demand for Twaron® para-aramid is surpassing the expectations which formed the basis of our “MIRAI” expansion project. “There is a growing demand for the life-saving properties of Twaron® in specific markets, such as ballistics (bullet-resistant vests for police and military, armouring of cars and helmets) and safety at work and at home. Apart from the governmental projects related to safety around the globe, there is a growing trend for high-performance and sustainable solutions in many markets in which Twaron®’s customers are active. This expansion is therefore a logical step in the strategy of Teijin to become the leader in the high-performance fibre market.
“In addition to these market developments, Teijin Twaron is continuously developing new, innovative applications and product types together with our customers to enhance performance and durability to many end-uses. The coming years, we are expecting an 8% growth on average in the various business segments.”
Twaron® is a lightweight, high strength (five times stronger than steel) and very versatile high performance fiber which is successfully applied worldwide in a broad range of applications, from bullet-resistant vest to optical fiber cables, concrete reinforcement, cut-resistant gloves, engineering plastics, tires and friction materials. Twaron® is produced by Teijin Twaron in the Netherlands.
Teijin Twaron is an international company that supplies customers throughout the world with para-aramid polymer, yarn, fiber, and pulp under the trade name Twaron®. Twaron finds its application in numerous markets, such as automotive (tires, hoses, belts), aerospace, civil engineering, construction, leisure goods (eg. boats), protective clothing (bullet-, fire- and cut resistant clothing), optical fiber cables, friction and sealing materials and more. (see www.twaron.com for more information) These worldwide markets are served by a global sales and marketing network. The laboratories and technical service centers of Teijin Twaron are constantly improving the performance of its products and actively supporting customers with the development of new products and application areas.
Teijin Twaron is a member of the Teijin Group. Teijin is a global, technology-driven company, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of USD 3.2 billion. It operates in six main business segments: fibers and textiles; films and plastics; pharmaceuticals and home health care; machinery and engineering, wholesale and retail, and IT and new products. Teijin’s consolidated turnover amounts to USD 8.1 billion. Teijin has approximately 22,000 employees worldwide.
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