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Armacell (Münster, Germany), a manufacturer of engineered foams, announced on May 18 the launch of operations for its PET foam extrusion line at the Suzhou facility in China, which produces foam cores for wind turbine blades. 

Following two years of welding and slicing extruded blocks from plants in Europe and North America, the first extrusion line in China is now up and running. For Armacell, this is the fourth industrial-scale PET foaming line globally, supporting the company’s growth trajectory and profitability in the global PET business.

“The proximity to our customers from the wind industry and logistic conditions drove the decision to set up the new production line in Suzhou,” comments Thomas Kessel, Armacell’s managing director for PET foams. “Over the past years, China has become one of the most important markets for our  PET-based core materials, and the move was an important step in our supply chain optimization process to cope with the ongoing demand for lightweight PET-based composite solutions.”

Commenting on the company’s international growth strategy, Patrick Mathieu, president and CEO of the Armacell Group, says, “We are focused on sustainable, profitable growth as well as developing and manufacturing products with a positive impact on our community. The expansion of our PET manufacturing footprint delivers on our overall business strategy and increases our customer service levels globally.”