AKULON® PA6 FILM GRADES: NEW PRODUCTION LINE COMES ON STREAM

DSM Engineering Plastics has announced that its new line expansion for the production of Akulon® PA6 film grades was successfully started up during July at its polyamide plant in Emmen, the Netherlands. The start-up was completed two months ahead of schedule. The new production line in Emmen represents a substantial investment of several tens of millions of euros.

The new production capacity is dedicated to the production of high viscous polyamide 6 for film extrusion, used amongst others in flexible packaging mainly for food and medical applications. The capacity expansion - by over one third - follows a complete upgrade and capacity increase that took place less than 5 years ago.

According to Business Group Director Jos Goessens, this increase in production capacity comes in response to the demand for the high quality and consistency of such material that is required for these applications: “Over the last few years DSM Engineering Plastics has built a strong position in these applications. This expansion will support us in our current leading position and in remaining a strong leader in this segment."

Mr. Goessens added: "In response to current market shortages, we brought the start-up forward by two months. Despite this rapid acceleration, we managed to produce the right quality immediately, so we can start shipping products immediately."

This investment demonstrates DSM's commitment to Engineering Plastics and its intention to grow in Performance Materials. Akulon polyamide 6 is used extensively for applications in automotive, electrics & electronics and leisure and consumer goods. As film it is used in packaging, especially for food applications to improve barrier properties and extend the shelf life of pre-packaged foods. Recently, DSM Engineering Plastics announced the introduction of two new product lines: Akulon XP – for film applications – and Akulon Ultraflow® for injection moulding.