To manufacture Rhenoshape high-performance curing bladders and Rhenogran predispersed, polymer-bound chemicals, Rhein Chemie is investing roughly EUR 10 million in a new production facility in Porto Feliz, Brazil. Production is scheduled to be up and running by the fourth quarter of 2012. Production capacity will be 170,000 bladders annually.
Porto Feliz will be Rhein Chemie’s third site to produce Rhenoshape bladders. The company entered the bladder business by acquiring the Argentinian company Darmex S.A. in January 2011 and has another site in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay.
In July, Rhein Chemie acquired the tire release agent business of Wacker AG, Germany, also strengthening it’s position as a supplier to the tire industry, one of the world’s key growth markets. Rhein Chemie is the first supplier in the world to offer release agents and high-performance bladders from a single source. They say this is a big advantage for tire manufacturers because it ensures optimal coordination.
- Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH, Mannheim, Germany
