DuPont’s (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) Performance Polymers business has increased production capacity of DuPont Zytel PA 66 and PA 6 at its Uentrop facility in Hamm, Germany by 20% to meet growing demand primarily in the global automotive industry. Lightweight, high-performance Zytel nylon often replaces metal in automotive components. Uentrop is DuPont’s largest nylon production facility in Europe.
“Nylon continues to be the starting point for many product designers because it’s versatile, easy to mold and offers exceptional long-term performance in the most challenging environments,” said Richard Mayo, global business director for the nylon businesses in DuPont Performance Polymers. “In many ways, nylon defined the category of Engineering Polymers and continues to redefine where plastics can go in the future.”
DuPont’s invention of nylon 66 in 1935 followed by the first sales as a fiber in 1940 laid the foundation for the polymer family that today is used to make a wide range of automotive components, such as air ducts, engine covers, charged air coolers, transmission components and radiator end tanks. In electrical and electronic systems, Zytel nylon is widely used in enclosures, sockets, terminal blocks, circuit breakers, switches and relays.
“We continually work to optimize and refresh our nylon product line, delivering innovative materials and solutions to meet the needs of our customers and the markets they serve,” said Mayo. “It’s this attention to matching the portfolio to customer’s needs that has helped us build the world’s broadest portfolio of nylon products and continue to expand that offering.”