THE TARGET IS: DOUBLING THE PRODUCTION
INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
After one year of the polyamide polymerization plant commissioning for the production of hot-melt adhesives, Massimo Cattaneo, CEO SIPOL®, confirms full satisfaction with the results obtained, and announces a new investment that will be effective in the first months of 2016 – “The plant that became operational at the end of 2014 led to a constant growth of the volumes produced, in terms of both granules (TECHNIPOL® PA) and extruded rod (TECHNIPOL® PA 167) used in shoe assembly.
Always in the footwear industry, we were also able to start a large-scale production of polyamide-based granules (TECHNIPOL® PA/G), which is used in the folding phase. These are important results that confirmed us in the importance to keep investing – in the first months of this year, SIPOL® will start a new extrusion plant for the TECHNIPOL® PA 167 rod, a strategic choice that will allow us to double the production of this type of material.”
The most recent investments
Let’s step back to understand more deeply what happened at SIPOL® in recent years. The polyamide polymerization plant commissioning represented a strategic completion that has enabled the company to achieve total technological independence in the production of polyamide-based and polyester-based adhesives.
In addition, this investment followed the previous one for the development of the TECHNIPOL® line “tin-free” polyesters, which meant a further step towards the environmental sustainability; the TECHNIPOL® PA polyamides use mostly (> 80%) monomers from renewable sources (plant biomass).
SIPOL® in short
Attention to the environment, investment in human resources and advanced technology, research and development of new products, a constant presence on the international market – quite a lot, but it should be added that, presently, the Italian company is the only one in the world able to produce inhouse, both “tin free” polyesters and “green” polyamides for the footwear industry (from the polymer to the mounting rod).
A vocation for footwear that began long ago
Founded in the late ‘90s with the name SIPOL® SpA (Società Italiana Polimeri) in the industrial area of Mortara – coincidentally not so far from Vigevano – the company has experienced a steady growth with its hot-melt adhesives in various industrial sectors. However, the footwear industry has always been the main business segment of the company with different products.
The first SIPOL® product – being the company focused on polyesters from the very beginning – has been the white rod for shoe lasting, known worldwide as TECHNIPOL® 170.
Later in 2011 – while still not independent in polymer production – SIPOL® was able to market the polyamide TECHNIPOL® PA167 in rod form and the granules for the folding machine TECHNIPOL® PA/G.
The reference sectors
In addition to the footwear market, which represents a significant part of the turnover, SIPOL® is present in the automotive industry with its copolyester based hot-melt adhesives for filters, into textile sector with its copolyester-based hot-melt adhesives for coupling, and in the broad field of technopolymers for injection molding with high range thermoplastic elastomers.
The introduction of the “Green Polyamides” line – besides completing the range of products for pulling over and lasting operations in the footwear industry – allows SIPOL® completing the range in the automotive filters and textile sectors, where new polyamides will be introduced with the TECHNIPOL® PA and SIPOLTEX® PA brands, respectively, alongside polyesters.