Supply Secured – ZEON expands the ACM production capacity up to 20 Ktpa
ZEON Europe GmbH – the European subsidiary of ZEON Corporation, Japan, a worldwide leading synthetic rubber producers, focuses on the new development of its acrylic rubber (ACM) products at the German Rubber Conference (DKT) in Nuremberg, 1-4 July 2024.
Acrylic rubber ACM is a specialty oil-resistance rubber for high temperature application up to 180 °C. It is commonly utilized in the automotive sector for oil sealing, gaskets, turbo hose, fuel hose cover, and air duct achieving a broad range of OEM specifications. Not only for combustion engines, e-mobility is opening new yet challenging opportunities. With 20.000 tons per year capacity from 4 locations in 3 countries, ZEON commits to be the most reliable acrylic rubber supplier and the number one producer of ACM worldwide.
ACM in the e-Mobility
By virtue of the polymer, ACM“s current application is indeed dominated by the usages in the combustion engines. The electrification of mobility has brought new challenges and opportunities to the whole sector. Equipped with its long experience and know-hows, new ACM developments and compound studies, ZEON – with the application technologists in the frontier – is ready to intensify the development partnership to generate tailored solutions. Already now, ACM based gaskets are used in e-axle, the combination of motor, axle, and gearbox in a unity.
Capacity expansion secures the global supply, reduces risks
Considering the full package of functionalities, costs, and the business continuity plan (BCP), especially in the current uncertain market situation when BCP becomes a decisive factor, ACM can be the best choice. ZEON expanded the ACM manufacturing capacity by building a new plant in Thailand, that started to go on stream in 2022. „We are proud, with the additional capacity in Thailand, to become the largest ACM producer worldwide“, stated Dr. Marcus Santoso, Commercial Manager ACM of ZEON Europe. He added, „the supply of our ACM has always been reliable. There has never been a significant disturbance of ACM supply in the past years. In contrary, we were supportive to our partners by providing additional quantities in difficult times.“
Ambitious sustainability target
Dr. Marcus Santoso further explained, „We have been successfully introducing a new grade with a broader service temperature range and an acid resistance type as a potential solution for the so-called Worst Case Oil issue. We aren“t stopping here! ZEON has an ambitious Carbon Neutral target for 2050. By optimizing our production process and by the utilization of biological and sustainable feedstocks, ACM will play a part in achieving this. The CO2-footprint of the elastomer parts can also reduce, by way of new grades in our development pipeline with optimizing the extrudability to reduce energy consumption during processing, and by removing the need for post curing.“
At the DKT, ZEON presents the new development of acrylic rubber and other specialty rubbers on the 1 – 4 July 2024 in Nuremberg, Booth 524 Hall 9.
ZEON Corporation is the world leader in specialty elastomers, polymers, and specialty chemicals. ZEON is one of the top producers of polymers in the world, operating a global network of plants in Asia and North America, and research and development laboratories in Japan, USA, China, and Singapore. With more than 70 years in business and consolidated sales of ca. US$ 2.5 billion, ZEON has both the experience and the expertise in C4 and C5 chemistry to offer a wide range of world class products. ZEON employs over 4,300 people worldwide, with global headquarters in Tokyo and regional sales offices all over Europe, America and Asia. „We realize the importance of having a close partnership with (potential) customers worldwide. Therefore, our resources in sales and technical service always put great effort into technical cooperation to bring positive momentum to our customers. Then, together we will find the optimum solution,“ Hubert Thimm, ZEON Europe Commercial Director explained.
While ZEON is continuously settled in the traditional global elastomer business (60% of total business), the specialty material business has been progressively built up and has been growing significantly. ZEON specialty materials will provide material solutions for the future world in terms of sustainable energy sources, electromobility, digitalisation and media, as well as modern lifestyle and health care.
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ZEON Europe GmbH
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40549 Duesseldorf
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Url: http://www.zeon.eu/
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