25 May 2005
Acquisition of Vyncolit by Sumitomo Bakelite strengthens world-market presence of engineering phenolics
The acquisition by Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd. of Vyncolit N.V. and Vyncolit North America Inc., brings together the complementary resources and skills of two accomplished leaders in the engineering phenolics market. Sumitomo Bakelite is the world’s largest producer of phenolic moulding compounds and one of the leading global developers and producers of specialty phenolic resins. Vyncolit, with its broad product line, is pre-eminent in the development of high-tech applications based on engineering phenolics, with a special focus on automotive components.
“Customers in Europe, the USA, and Asia Pacific, will benefit from this highly synergistic combination,” says Henny van Dijk, Managing Director, Vyncolit N.V. “In addition to assuring customers of long-term continuity of supply, our new parent company gives greater depth to Vyncolit business and enables us to extend our reach into new markets.
“Sumitomo Bakelite, has already established 14 operational bases in 8 countries of the 5 main markets including Japan, the United States, South East Asia, China, and Europe. As well as global production capability, customers will also benefit from the significant new product R&D resources of Sumitomo Bakelite, in conjunction with the extensive application development expertise that we contribute to creating the solutions that best serve their needs.
“This,” according to Henny van Dijk, “will be particularly evident in the automotive sector where we already have a common involvement and where engineering phenolics, building on their high performance and part integration possibilities, have a proven fit in replacing metal, such as aluminium, in complex parts and components.”
Based on phenolic resins and utilising a variety of reinforcement fibres and mineral fillers, Vyncolit compounds are characterised by their heat resistance, dimensional stability and impact performance, and by their ease of moulding into reproducible, high tolerance parts. This encourages their specification for a broad range of applications subject to harsh operating environments like automotive under-bonnet cooling and fuel systems, brake components and power trains, but also in applications in other industries as diverse as electrical, gas, aviation and domestic appliances.
“We have been at the forefront of customer-focused application development and we believe that our integration with Sumitomo Bakelite, an acknowledged world-leading phenolics specialist, will allow us to take innovation to an even higher level and greater success,” says van Dijk.
Designed to give long-term, robust performance in demanding applications operating in aggressive environments, Vyntec®, a short carbon fibre reinforced composite, represents the latest customer-driven development. Launched in the fourth quarter, 2004, Vyntec has set a new industry standard for material performance in metal replacement applications. It delivers an unmatched balance of mechanical and tribological properties to outperform more expensive materials and gives improved cost control to OEMs and moulders.
Complementing its broad product line, Vyncolit, guided by Sumitomo Bakelite, will continue to provide customers with a complete package of technical services. This support, from initial design through to prototyping and testing, is delivered by a state-of-the-art Technical Market Development Centres (TMDC); one in Gent, Belgium and the other in Detroit, USA.
Reader enquiries
Vyncolit N.V.Nieuwevaart 51
B-9000 Gent
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)9 265.27.77
Fax: +32 (0)9 265.28.81
E-mail: vyncolit@sumitomobakelite.com
Web: www.vyncolit.com
Sumitomo Bakelite North America, Inc.
46820 Magellan Drive, Suite C
Novi, MI 48377
USA
Tel: +1 248 313 7000
Fax: +1 248 313 7027