From September 2nd to 4th, Arkema appeared at the 2020 China International Composites Exhibition (Shanghai). Arkema showcased its advanced materials and new solutions in the field of composite materials to meet the ever-changing 3D printing technology and the increasing demand for advanced composite materials in the fields of construction, transportation, wind energy and sports.
Arkema has important expertise in the field of additive manufacturing to create Arkema's 3D printing solutions, the additive manufacturing brand, and is the only chemical manufacturer in the world with a complete material product portfolio. In recent years, Arkema has continued to invest in the growing market of 3D printing, established the "Arkema 3D Printing Solution" business platform, and successively cooperated with innovative companies such as Autodesk, Farsoon and Carbon to create a 3D printing ecosystem Innovate a cooperative network; at the same time, increase the production capacity of advanced materials required by the 3D printing market. It is the only chemical manufacturer in the world with a complete material product portfolio. Currently, it has operations in 50 countries around the world, has 19,000 employees, 10 R&D centers, and annual sales of 7.7 billion euros.
In the second quarter of 2020, under the background of severe impact, Arkema proved its tenacity with its strong financial performance and high cash flow creativity. Sales were 1.9 billion euros, a year-on-year decrease of 15.6% year-on-year (sales decreased by 10.7% in the first half of 2020). Sales were obviously affected by this situation, but timely blockade measures were taken to stop its decline.
In recent years, Arkema has continuously accelerated the development and deployment of composite materials in China. In July 2018, the second phase of the Arkema Changshu R&D Center opened, adding composite materials-related facilities to facilitate the research and development of cutting-edge thermoplastic composite materials.
In this exhibition, Arkema exhibited a series of innovative materials and solutions including Elium® resin, Kepstan® PEKK resin, Orgasol® polyamide powder, Luperox® organic peroxide and so on.
Arkema's advanced materials and new solutions are widely recognized worldwide. Among them, composite parts made of Elium® liquid thermoplastic resin won the 2017 JEC Innovation Award, 2019 JEC Innovation Award, and 2020 JEC Public Award; Kepstan® PEKK thermoplastic composite material welding technology won the 2020 JEC Innovation Award.
As a pioneer and leader in high-performance polymers for 3D printing and composite materials, Arkema has always been committed to developing new and more effective materials to meet the growing demand for lightweight materials. In the future, Arkema will continue to make breakthroughs and innovations to help manufacture composite products with better comprehensive performance.