Lanxess unit sets up tire curing bladder plant in China

COLOGNE, Germany (Nov. 19, 2015) — Lanxess A.G.'s Rhein Chemie Additives business unit has opened a production line for Rhenoshape tire curing bladders at a plant in Qingdao, Chin, its first production site in Asia for bladders. 

Lanxesss said the investment, in low single-digit million dollar amount, would help it expand its global production capacity for the high-performance products by around 10 percent.

The facility is the company's fourth bladder plant and aims to strengthening its global production network.

“It is our first Rhenoshape production line in Asia and opens up significant growth potential for us,” said Philipp Junge, head of Rubber Additives business at Rhein Chemie Additives.

According to Mr. Junge, customers place high value on their ability to source Rhenoshape bladders locally — and China is the world's largest producer of tires.

“We serve international tire manufacturers who produce their innovative tires in China and other Asian countries, such as Japan, Thailand and Malaysia,” Mr. Junge said.

The new production line is equipped with modern technology to manufacture curing bladders for lightweight commercial vehicle tires and passenger car tires.

Rhein Chemie Additives supplies the tire industry with a broad range of pre-dispersed polymer-bound additives, processing promoters, vulcanization and filler activators, anti-sun check waxes, release agents, tire marking inks and high-performance tire curing bladders.

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This report appeared on the website of European Rubber Journal, a United Kingdom-based sister publication of Tire Business.