An area of almost 200,000 square meters was converted into 17 exhibition halls for K 2016, the world’s largest plastic and rubber innovation exhibition, which saw over 3,285 booths showcasing innovative products and technologies from plastic producers across the globe. The exhibition is held every three years, and this year’s expo was hosted on October 19-26 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

           If compared to a sporting event, K 2016 would be the Olympics of the plastic and rubber industry as it attracted a number of big players in the business, ranging from the world’s leading manufacturers, who exhibited their innovative products and services, and machinery distributors to clients who were seeking suppliers, raw materials, and cutting-edge technology to enhance their products.

           Included among over 3,285 booths from 61 countries featured at K 2016 was a booth by SCG Chemicals, a Thai company.

           It would not be inaccurate to compare SCG Chemicals to Thailand’s national team athlete who has gone through rigorous practice to compete in the same arena as contestants from all over the world. SCG Chemical’s participation in K 2016 has not only created opportunities for the company to look for international business allies to further enhance its business growth on the global market but also demonstrated to the world that a Thai company can also develop technology and innovation that enable it to stand proud on the global stage.

           All through eight days, Booth D79 of SCG Chemicals was always brimming with activities, with as many as 300-400 visitors from various countries dropping by each day to browse the exhibition and make appointments for business meetings, making it one of the most bustling booths at the event.

            “Building Success Together” was the key idea that SCG Chemicals intended to convey to visitors. It reflects our commitment to our customers in three aspects, namely partnership, which includes close collaboration with our customers and in-depth studies of their needs to boost their competitive capacity; solutions, which refers to the introduction of a comprehensive range of products and services to satisfy customers’ needs; and innovation, which alludes to our commitment to continuous research and development of technology as well as high value added products and services to enhance the competitive capacity of our clients and end-customers.

           Of course, over 230,000 businesspeople who visited K2016 came to the event with different goals, but one of the things that were sought after by many was high value added products and services (HVA).

           SCG Chemicals has dedicated considerable resources to research and development, allocating as much as 3.3. billion baht to the initiative this year, with almost 500 researchers working on the research team. The main goal is to develop HVA products to introduce to the global market, a part of which were also exhibited at K 2016.

           The highlight of SCG Chemicals’s HVA products featured at K 2016 was the functional material Cierra™, an innovative chemical with multiple applications in HVA products. It can be developed into a barrier film that keeps out oxygen and moisture effectively and provides an environmentally-friendly alternative for the packaging industry, a flame retardant that inhibits combustion and slows down ignition and spreading of flames, and an anti-microbial agent that inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi.

           Also featured in addition to Cierra™ was the new generation polyethylene (PE), an enhanced innovation that can be as much as 40 percent stronger than its traditional counterpart. This plastic pellet can be developed into a diverse range of products, including an ultra-thin film that requires less plastic to produce yet maintains the same strength, thermoform polypropylene pellets for the production of freeze-to-heat food boxes that can withstand temperatures from –40C^๐to 130 C^๐ without leaving contaminants, and polypropylene pellets for medical equipment that can undergo high-level sterilization with gamma rays.

           As to the origins of these innovations, Dr. Suracha Udomsak, Director of Research and Development and Business Group Head-Technology at SCG Chemicals, revealed, “These technologies and innovations have arisen from the accumulation of our knowledge and research and development networks that we have fostered for over ten years in pursuit of SCG Chemicals’ aspiration to become one of the world’s leading company. Today, we are ready to show to the world the progress that we have been achieving so far.

           As our visitors included both those who were introduced to SCG Chemicals for the first time and our long-time business partners, SCG Chemicals’ booth at K 2016 was a venue where friends reunited and obtained updates on new technology and innovative products to inform their future business development decision.

           K 2016 concluded with great success and garnered over 230,000 visitors, with numerous world-class innovations and business cooperation arising from this event.

           For SCG Chemicals, this was an invaluable experience in which we got to showcase our innovative products and services on a global stage and brought home inspiration to further develop our technology and innovation, which will in turn satisfy our customers’ needs and sustainably advance their businesses alongside the company, in keeping with our concept “Building Success Together.”

           See you again at K 2019!

What businesspeople said at SCG Chemicals’ booth

• Michael Furlong, Executive of Universal Closures Ltd., a UK bottle cap designer and manufacturer

           “My company has had a business relationship with SCG Chemicals for eight years and is about to venture into a joint project to launch a new product in 2018. SCG Chemicals is one of a few companies that constantly present us with novel innovations, which have helped to set our products apart.”

• Sharad Kumar Tibarewala, CEO of Polymet SA (S) PTE Ltd. from Singapore

           “SCG Chemicals is always one step ahead of others. … While others are still visualizing, SCG Chemicals have already brought it as a specialty, and by the time others can manufacture it, that product will already become a commodity for SCG Chemicals.

• Ken Yang, Vice President of Asia Chemical Corporation Inc. from Texas, USA.

           “I’m especially interested in SCG Chemicals’ HD Film because my customers are looking for a lightweight and durable product.”

• Alejandro Lopez from Martiszen, a polymer and resin vendor in South America

           “Our company has been a business partner with SCG Chemicals since 2010. We are impressed with SCG Chemicals because it employs advanced technology to manufacture its products and develop innovations of excellent quality that our customers appreciate.”

           Find out about cooperation between factories to create eco-factories and other projects aimed at creating sustainable development in the latest issue of All Around Plastics.