Bond-Laminates, a wholly owned subsidiary of German specialty chemicals company Lanxess, is increasing capacity for its Tepex brand of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites in order to meet growing demand.

The company is building a fourth production hall at Brilon, Germany, where two additional lines are scheduled to go into operation in mid-2019. The expansion, said to cost a single-digit millions euro sum, will create up to 30 new jobs.

In addition, the Lanxess High Performance Materials business unit is investing a mid-double-digit-million euro sum to build another compounding plant at its site in Krefeld-Uerdingen, along with a new warehouse and silo facility. The plant will produce Lanxess’s Durethan (PA) and and (PBT) engineering plastics, which are primarily used in the automotive, electrical and electronics industries.

Plans are for construction to start by the end of this year, with plant start-up anticipated in the second half of 2019. The plant will be designed so that Lanxess can expand operations in line with demand over the next few years. Around 20 new jobs will be created at Krefeld-Uerdingen as a result of the investment.