Teijin Aramid Twaron Spinning mill
Report excursion Twaron Spinning Plant in Emmen by Teijin Aramid
The meeting was attended by 36 engineers. The purpose of this excursion was to initiate a dialogue between Teijin Aramid's specialists and KIVI NIRIA engineers, which would provide our engineers with information about the new opportunities Twaron can offer them in developing innovative solutions in their fields, and Teijin Aramid's specialists would receive feedback from our engineers to arrive at new applications of their products. The kick-off was given by Mark Breed, manager of the Twaron plant, who in his general introduction talked about the origins of the Twaron plant and gave a bird's eye view of Teijin Aramid's products and their applications.
The participants were then split into two groups, both of which were given a tour of the Twaron Spinning Mill and participated in a workshop.
With an output of 25,000 tonnes a year, the Twaron Spinning Plant is the largest aramid spinning plant in the world. It spins from a spinning solution of p-phenylene terephthalamide in 100 per cent sulphuric acid. Before the golden-yellow yarn is wound, it undergoes numerous washing and drying steps. The dilute sulphuric acid produced during the water wash is evaporated to 96 % (azeotrope) , brought to 100 % by adding oleum and reused again for dissolving the polymer.
The workshops started with two short presentations.
In the first presentation, Harry Bosman and Marjan Kamer of the Eco Efficiency Team explained how, using the Customer Benefit Model (CBM), which has been operational since 2011, they give customers quantitative insight into how Twaron benefits them financially and ecologically in specific applications. Examples included the replacement of steel wire with twaron in conveyor belts at ore mines. Although a conveyor belt reinforced with twaron is more expensive than one reinforced with steel, it is also much lighter. As a result, it takes much less energy to run the belt, so the overall cost (depreciation on conveyor belt + energy cost in operation) of the Twaron conveyor belt is lower. Recently, the CBM has also been made available to customers so that they can run their own simulations. This increases the "ownership" of the outcomes.
In the second presentation, Ton de Weijer, Teijin Aramid R&D Strategy, showed how Teijin Aramid, using its complete portfolio of products and expertise in various market segments, tries to optimise the total value chain together with customers. The mantra here is: reduce the pain - enlarge the gain - align the chain.
A lively discussion then ensued with both groups of engineers, with questions being asked, comments being made and ideas being offered.
The meeting ended with snacks and drinks and an evaluation form was completed by our engineers at the request of our hosts/women. The list of comments (attached) has since been discussed within Teijin Aramid and, as a follow-up, several participants will be contacted for further information exchange. Teijin Aramid has indicated that it will keep us informed of any special developments/actions arising from this.
Description
When the miracle fibre Twaron appeared on the market some 30 years ago, it caused nothing less than a sensation among engineers. The application possibilities of this super-strong, heat-resistant and dimensionally stable yarn seemed almost limitless. Since then, many Twaron-based products have firmly established themselves in diverse markets, and new applications are still being developed. Twaron, 5 times stronger than steel at the same weight, is used in the form of yarns, fibres or powder in e.g. (optical fibre) cables, ballistic products, conveyor belts, pipelines, car tyres and composite materials. Markets include offshore, mining, telecom, automotive and finally protection and defence. Via the construction industry, Twaron also enters innovative architecture. A recent but already famous application in architecture is the new building of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, where Twaron's special properties made it possible to produce perfectly flat and dimensionally stable composite panels.
More information on products, applications and markets can be found on the website www.teijinaramid.com .
Teijin Aramid has developed a unique business model based on eco-efficiency analysis, with which, together with the customer, the ecological and financial added value of specific Twaron applications can be quantified.
During our excursion, we will be guided through the Twaron Spinning Plant, where attention will be paid to closing cycles (energy, raw materials).
In addition, an overview of the many eco-efficient applications of Twaron products will be presented and in a workshop, the eco-efficiency team, together with R&D, will provide insight into how business cases for new application areas are developed together with the customer.
Engineers who are looking for new solutions for various construction and design applications should not miss this afternoon!
- 12.30: reception with sandwich
- 12.45: introductory presentation
- general presentation of Teijin Aramid
- information on products, properties and applications
- intro sustainability strategy
- introduction spinning process with special focus on recycling plant
- 13.30: split into two groups
- group 1: guided tour spinning plant
- group 2: in-depth workshop development sustainable business cases mmv eco-efficiency team and R&D
- 15.00 hrs: exchange of groups
- 16.30 hrs: conclusion with drinks, plenary discussion
- 17.00 hrs: end of programme
The number of participants is limited to 40.
Participants can report to the porter's lodge, where they will receive information about the exact location of the company visit.
Location
1e Bokslootweg 17, 7821 AT Emmen
Organiser
Sustainable Technology
Name and contact details for information
Bert Vonk