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Victrex has new Polymer Innovation Centre

20 Nov '17

3 min read

With interest in next-generation thermoplastic solutions, Victrex has come up with new £10 million world class “Polymer Innovation Centre” for pilot-plant scale manufacturing of new PAEK polymers. Located at the company´s UK headquarters, the new centre will function as an enabler for rapid prototyping of new parts and components with novel PAEK materials.

The centre represents Victrex´s dedication to research and development on PEEK polymer and other differentiated grades within the PAEK family of high-performance thermoplastics. Recent innovations include the introduction of VICTREX AE™ 250 composites for the Aerospace industry, which ties in with the company’s polymer- to-parts strategy.

The Polymer Innovation Centre will further extend Victrex’s capabilities in innovation and assist customers in the development of technological advances using VICTREX PAEK solutions. Co-located at the company´s UK headquarters, the new centre will function as an enabler for rapid prototyping of new parts and components with novel PAEK materials.

The manufacture of new and differentiated polyaryletherketones on a technical scale will help in the research and testing of high- performance polymer grades aimed at achieving progress in, for example, composites and 3D printing/additive manufacturing. Victrex is currently leading a consortium backed by Innovate UK to focus on 3D printing. Helping to improve the process for manufacturing existing polymers will also be supported by the new centre.

The strategic importance of the new centre was underlined by Jakob Sigurdsson, the new CEO at Victrex, who commented, "We continue to expand our PAEK-based portfolio, services and technologies into new markets and new applications. As an innovative world leader and pioneer in high-performance polymers, investments in science and manufacturing capability are key to continuous innovation and to improve innovation cycles and time-to- market. This new facility is another important step for us, particularly as we anticipate around 10-20 per cent of our overall sales will come from new differentiated PAEK polymer grades and our mega-programmes in the medium term. It will further enhance our capacity for research and development where we will continue to work in close and continuous cooperation with our customers and partners in driving new and differentiated polymer solutions.”

The centre is expected to create approximately 60 new jobs in the region over the next 10 years. It delivers 30-70 kilogram batch manufacture of novel polyaryletherketones, and can support the continual improvement in quality and performance of existing products. The building is equipped with unique, state-of- the-art pilot-scale process technology and equipment that opens up new dimensions for the development of high-performance polymers. After a 3 year planning and construction phase, the Centre was recently completed and with funding, totalling some £1.3 million (British pounds), provided by the UK’s Regional Growth Fund.

Across key industries, mega-trends are driving the use of PAEK materials and Victrex´s research and development strategy, including the Polymer Innovation Centre, which is expected to function as an enabler in the delivery of identified growth opportunities. With its advanced thermoplastics, production processes and integrated offerings, the company´s solutions are contributing to increased efficiencies by typically replacing traditional metals. For the automotive, aerospace, electronics and energy industries and also in the design and development of materials and selected semi-finished/finished implantable products for the medical industry, Victrex solutions help to facilitate greater productivity, performance and reliability, as well as overall cost reductions. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India