TAGS: Sealants Hot-melt Adhesives Polyurethane Adhesives Reactive Adhesives
Bostik is expanding its R&D facilities with the opening of a new technology lab in Shanghai. This new lab is an extension of Bostik’s Asia Technology Center (ATC).
“Since its inception in 2011, the ATC in Shanghai has had numerous achievements in creating new formulations and successfully applying global patents for these formulations. Innovations from our labs mean Bostik has the capabilities to prepare materials from chemical bottom-up synthesis and formulation to application assembly imitating the customers’ production line,” said Rock Wei, Asia Pacific director of R&D, Bostik.
Innovations in Hot-melt Technologies
Over the years, the ATC has contributed towards the advancement of various partner industries: the green credentials of Bostik’s SMP sealants boosting China’s high-speed rail with a positive impact on environmental degradation; advancing technologies in solvent-free food packaging lamination; to innovations in hot-melt technologies for a more sustainable consumer goods market.
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The ATC was conceptualized because Bostik has always viewed our relationships with our customers as partnerships. Our ability to listen well and create formulations that fit our customers’ specific needs have always been a guiding principle for our labs”, added Rock.
The Asia-Pacific adhesives and sealants market is estimated to be valued at more than USD 23,500 million by end of the year, and it is expected to register an estimated CAGR of over 6% over the forecast period (2022-2027). China, especially, has seen demand for adhesives growing at an accelerated pace and will continue seeing growth both in production and demand in the next decade.
According to a report, the China adhesives market is projected to register a CAGR of 6.90% with packaging industry holding the largest share of the end user market. Polyurethane adhesives’ wide applications in building construction, woodworking, and automotive industries, specifically for exterior applications, makes them the largest resin segment in the market.
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It was with this foresight that Bostik’s ATC was designed. Our proximity to our customers is part of Bostik’s value-add as it allows us to cater to their needs promptly,” added Wei. ATC covers non-reactive to reactive technologies and serves all the industrial segments in Bostik, from consumer packaging, flexible laminations, tape and labels, mobility, consumer electronics to building components, and more.
Improve Existing Portfolios
The new technology lab in Shanghai is an extension of this vision. Bostik’s focus on R&D is geared towards new formulations as well as improving existing portfolios. This commitment to excellence and innovation has seen the strategic injection of investments to enhance Bostik’s R&D capabilities, including the acquisition of specialty adhesives via the integration with adhesive specialists like Fixatti, PMP and Ashland Performance.
The move towards a cohesive and integrated lab is the foundation of the “One Bostik” team, which houses the combined technologies of specialty polyurethane, polyester, PSA and sealant. These rich technology portfolios serve Hygiene, Paper and Cardboard (HP&C), Advanced Packaging and Converting (AP&C) and Durable Goods (DG).
Catering to customer requests, Bostik opened a lab in Indonesia on 22 February 2022 as well. The lab serves customers in the region by providing them access to various equipment like the NM Labo Combi lamination machine. Customers can also utilize functionalities like running stability tests and trial run their equipment as well as attending workshops and training. The lab’s immediacy to customers in the region enables Bostik to monitor market trends up close and develop products and applications faster and more effectively.
The rapidly growing economy in the region is seeing speedily increasing demand for consumer products. Such rise in demand is not restricted to just quantity alone but for more sophisticated and technologically advanced products. Being in the center of one of the most active cities in Asia allows Bostik to be in tune with emerging market trends and respond quickly for their customers’ benefit.
Source: Bostik