Dow unveils new lab-scale equipment at the performance plastics innovation center

13-Apr-12

In line with the Company’s commitment to innovation, Dow Europe GmbH (“Dow”) has announced today enhanced formulation and testing capabilities at the Performance Plastics Innovation Center at Dow’s European Headquarters in Horgen, Switzerland. Responding to extensive growth in the use of elastomers for adhesives and flexible membranes, Dow has invested in new lab-scale equipment at the Center which will help accelerate technical developments in these key market segments. Among the new lab capabilities is the installation of a hot melt adhesive coating and lamination unit and a direct extrusion line for flexible membranes. “The Performance Plastics Innovation Center will now house some of the industry’s most advanced testing facilities for our products in adhesive and flexible membranes,” said Pierre Burelli, EMEA Commercial Director, Dow Elastomers. “We see our lab as an extension of our customers’ technical capabilities. We have the ability to develop and test products simultaneously with them, and, in some cases, we can offer our lab to customers who may not have these testing capabilities in-house.” The new equipment includes: • Nordson Coating and Lamination line designed to help evaluate the processing performance of hot melt adhesives and to prepare samples for adhesion testing. Key applications are in health and hygiene, such as non-woven top sheet and back sheet lamination, roll goods and pressure sensitive adhesives. • Co-rotating twin-screw extruder (25mm) combined with a flat-slit die and three-roll calender for direct extrusion of flexible membranes. Key applications include roofing and waterproofing membranes, flooring, automotive skins, noise vibration dampening and artificial leather.