JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #33 - June 2007 - 9

Market growth leads Ashland to expand epoxy vinyl ester resin capacity ATR Group and Oma Sud announce joint-venture agreement ATR Group and Oma Sud Sky-Technologies Spa have announced the launch of a joint venture, ATR Aerospace, in order to increase their productive offer and competitiveness in the international environment. ATR Group holds a 60% interest in the new joint venture, and Oma Sud, 40%. ATR Aerospace is already operational as an ATR Group business unit. With headquarters in Colonnella (Teramo, Italy), the group has been operating for over twenty years in advanced composite technology, with special experience in the automotive field through its historical business units, ATR Automotives and ATR Components. ATR Aerospace’s customers include AugustaWestland, Aermacchi, Piaggio Aero Industries, and Galileo Avionica. “Through this corporate collaboration with an aeronautical company, ATR can accelerate the penetration of the aeronautic sector. This is a moment of great opportunities for our composite materials, fitting the experience and production capacity acquired in the automotive world to the standards of the aerospace world through Oma Sud’s skills”, explains Eng. Umberto Pierantozzi, ATR Group President. Headquartered in Capua (Caserta, Italy), Oma Sud Sky-Technologies was set up in 1988 and specialises in the designing and production of components for mediumsized and large commercial airplanes. With over 800 employees, the global industrial capacity of the two firms represents a great potential, which should help them compete with the sector’s leading firms in an international environment. www.atrgroup.it Dr Johann-Dietrich Wörner becomes the new Chairman of DLR in partnership with JEC Composites E-letter PPG announces marketing partnership with Sinoma Science & Technology Ashland Composite Polymers, a business group of Ashland Performance Materials, a division of Ashland Inc., is increasing its epoxy vinyl ester production capacity to satisfy global demand for its products. The markets for Derakane® and Hetron® resins are rapidly growing, so over the next two years, Ashland will be adding the necessary capacity in the Americas and elsewhere to meet that demand. Ashland Derakane and Hetron epoxy vinyl ester resins are used to manufacture corrosion-resistant equipment for wastewater treatment, chemical processing and mining industries. The resins withstand heat and provide chemical resistance in air pollution control applications, and they provide strength for the blades used in wind turbines. www.ashland.com As of 1 March 2007, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has had a new chairman in the person of Dr JohannDietrich Wörner. In his acceptance speech, Wörner said, “This new position represents a particular honour and a demanding challenge, both of which I readily accept. In studying air and space travel, transportation, and energy, we explore the very zenith of science. Here, we have the opportunity to proactively shape the future; today we are already creating the jobs of tomorrow, so that we will be able to compete internationally.” Wörner, who was president of the Technical University of Darmstadt for nearly 12 years, was elected to this position by the governing board of DLR on 22 November 2006. He succeeds Dr Sigmar Wittig, who led DLR for five years and has now retired. www.dlr.de No33 June 2007 / JEC Composites Magazine Ashland Composite Polymers names Group Arnaud to distribute in France PPG Industries announced it has signed a distribution agreement with Sinoma Science & Technology Co., Ltd, of Nanjing for the marketing and sale of their HS2 and HS4 high-strength, high-modulus fibres in the Americas and Europe. The partnership leverages the North American and European market positions of PPG, one of the world’s largest producers of continuous-strand glass fibre, and Sinoma Science & Technology’s fibre composition and manufacturing expertise in support of the highperformance composites market. In the Asia/Pacific region, PPG and Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass Co. Ltd operate a 50-50 joint venture, PPG Sinoma Jinjing Fiber Glass Co. Ltd, in Zibo, Shandong, China, serving the global thermosets market. PPG and Nan Ya Plastics Corp. have also operated joint ventures PFG Fiber Glass Corp. in Chia Yi, Taiwan, since 1991, and PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co. Ltd in Kunshan, China, since 2003, serving the Asian markets for fibre glass electronic and specialty materials yarns and reinforcements. www.ppg.com Ashland Composite Polymers is now solely represented in France by Group Arnaud for the distribution of all unsaturated polyester resins, gelcoats and epoxy vinyl ester resins. Ashland Composite Polymers’ customers in France previously served by Brenntag will be transitioned to Group Arnaud over the next few months. Group Arnaud is focused on supporting and helping develop the French industry. The company’s engineers work closely with customers to design tailor-made solutions by providing research and development expertise. www.ashland.com

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #33 - June 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #33 - June 2007