Hunt for resin continues, even as supplies improve

Posted by Sherry Cudd

Frank Esposito
Plastics News
April 9, 2021

North American resin availability is improving in the wake of recent outages, but many companies throughout the supply chain still can’t get all the material they need.

In the wake of Winter Storm Uri, which hit Texas and the Gulf Coast in mid-February, many material suppliers put customers on force majeure sales limits or other types of allocation.

LyondellBasell Industries of Houston operates multiples sites making polyethylene, polypropylene and related resins and compounds in Texas. In an email to Plastics News, spokeswoman Chevalier Gray said that “nearly all of our assets, except for Corpus Christi, are back to normal operations.”

A spokesman for Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont Co. said that the firm still has force majeure limits in place for nylon, polybutylene terephthalate and several other materials. DuPont “is taking commercially reasonable steps to mitigate the effects of these shortages on its customers, but many of the upstream supply constraints persist,” he said.

“We take this matter very seriously and recognize the importance of supply reliability to meet the needs of our customers,” he added.

At Midland, Mich.-based Dow Inc., the firm “has continued to restart units and ramp rates through March and into April, as we manage a few raw material constraints and freeze damage repairs,” a spokesman said.

View entire article

Visit our new 3D Printing page

Posted by Sherry Cudd

Let our experts help you simplify and guide you through the most complex 3D printing material selection processes.

3D printing helps manufacturers reduce time and costs while increasing efficiency. Chase Plastics will help you navigate the process of additive manufacturing with the tools, resources and suppliers to help you thrive. As a stocking distributor with several options, our trusted experts simplify and guide you through the most complex 3D printing material selection processes to provide more design freedom and efficiency at your target cost.

 

Click to view

Recovery underway for resin distribution in 2020

Posted by Sherry Cudd

Frank Esposito
Plastics News
August 19, 2020

North American resin distributors have overcome many obstacles to keep their customers supplied with material during the global COVID-19 pandemic — and their work isn’t over.

“We almost have a moral obligation to provide key raw materials to our customers at a time like this,” said Vishal Goradia, senior vice president at Vinmar International of Houston. “Early on, we saw the global effect of rolling shutdowns. It was affecting a different region every month, but we kept our focus on being reliable to our customers and suppliers.”

Plastics News recently spoke with several resin distribution executives to see how they were navigating the uncharted waters of 2020. Here’s what they had to say:

The year begins…

Many executives said the year was off to a good start. Then the pandemic caused global shutdowns across almost every industry in March.

“A lot of places shut down and there were some stranded rail cars of resin,” said Ed Holland, President and CEO of M. Holland Co. in Northbrook, Ill. “The trough in May wasn’t as deep as we expected, and June and July bounced back.”

“In mid-March, everything fell off,” added Kevin Chase, president of Chase Plastic Services Inc. in Clarkston, Mich. “In automotive, all tiers were shut down until most places made automotive an essential business. We’re slowly recovering now.”

View entire article

Visit our new Automotive page!

Posted by Sherry Cudd

In the automotive market, meeting your future goals starts with the decisions you make today. Look to Chase Plastics as your trusted partner for insight on factors that heavily impact performance and efficiency. Our technical service support team includes dedicated on-staff experts to serve automotive customers like you.

Even as industry standards evolve, our methodical approach extends to every step of the process. From material selection, design assistance and testing to production and compliance—we’re committed to doing more than helping you meet mandates and standards—we aim to exceed your goals.

 

click to view