ESSEN, Germany - Evonik Industries, Essen, Germany, has opened another production line for specialty polyamide 12 powders (PA 12) of its VESTOSINT® brand at its largest global production site in the Marl Chemical Park, Marl, Germany. The new facility primarily produces high-performance powders for the 3-D printing market, which is expanding heavily with double-digit growth rates.

The investment volume for the new VESTOSINT plant is in the mid-double-digit million-euro range. With the new plant, Evonik is increasing its existing annual capacities for PA 12 powders by 50%. The specialty chemicals company manufactures its powders from PA 12 granulate in a proprietary process in its integrated production network for polyamide 12 products.

"The new production capacities will enable us to assume an even more prominent role in the global growth of attractive markets such as the coatings industry or 3-D printing," explained Claus Rettig, Chairman of the Board of Management of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH. "In addition, we are able to develop new customized polymer powders even faster and more flexibly in order to support our customers' strong growth and thus of our polyamide 12 powder business."