Plastics & Rubber World - September/October 2019 - 8

news

BUSINESS

Trade dispute between Japan and
South Korea affects battery maker
Seoul, South Korea - LG
Chem is seeking new suppliers
for automotive battery pouches as the on-going trade dispute with Japan deepens.
The chemicals company
supplies batteries to a series
of major carmakers, including
Volkswagen, GM and Chrysler. In May, the Tier 1 supplier
signed a multi-year, multi-billion dollar deal to supply the
Volvo and Polestar brands.
The souring of trade relations started when Japan
restricted exports of materials critical to production of
semiconductors and display
screens. The government has
since dropped South Korea
from a so-called 'white list'
of favoured trade partners,
a move which could lead to
additional site inspections
and red tape for Japanese exporters.
According to Reuters, LG
Chem has relied on Japan's Dai

Plug-in hybrid battery pack installation on a Volvo XC40
Nippon Printing and Showa
Denko KK to deliver pouches
for its lithium ion batteries. The
combined market share in the
global battery pouch market
for the two Japanese companies is about 70%.

Speaking at a conference,
Kim Myung Hwan, president
of LG Chem, said the company
is now testing products from
YouIChon Chemical, also based
in South Korea.
"I expect we wouldn't have

any issues with those Japanese
suppliers if they follow the
compliance rules, but we are
in the situation where the Japanese government could say
different things if they wanted,"
Kim said.

MATERIALS

Thermolast M receives VDI guideline 2017 approval
Waldkraiburg, Germany -
Kraiburg TPE has announced
that its Thermolast M compounds have achieved compliance with the Association of
German Engineers (VDI) guideline 2017 for medical-grade
plastics (MGPs). The guidelines
came into effect in July this
year.
A group of suppliers, users
and legislative bodies formed
a guidelines committee to set
minimum standards for MGPs.
Kraiburg said that up until this
point there had been no regulations covering the materials
in the EU or the US.
"VDI 2017 is an important
first step toward harmonising the range of performance
that a medical-grade plastic
must fulfil, and it creates obligatory guidance in the communication between manufacturers of MGPs and OEMs
and/or the manufacturers of

medical, pharmaceutical and
in vitro products," said Oliver
Kluge, member of the guidelines committee and advisor
for medical products at Kraiburg TPE.
VDI 2017 restricts the range

of raw materials and auxiliary agents permitted in MGPs,
meaning some manufacturers
have needed to adjust their
formulations.
All Thermolast M compounds are free from heavy

Thermolast M can be used in a variety of medical applications

WWW.PRW.COM | september/october 2019

metals, latex, PVC and phthalates. The material is manufactured on dedicated production
lines, to the highest degree of
purity. Quality assurance includes full traceability of raw
materials and product batch.
The MGPs also comply with
REACH and RoHS requirements.
In addition, Thermolast M
is listed in the FDA Drug Master Files. In alignment with VDI
2017, this ensures that manufacturing processes are included in the product management
system. This means the original
formulation will remain available alongside any new formulation for a minimum of 24
months after introduction.
The regulation should offer
customers in the healthcare,
pharmaceutical and medical
industries assurance with regards to formulation and supply security.

http://WWW.PRW.COM

Plastics & Rubber World - September/October 2019

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