BASF will set up a new Catamold production facility at its Kuanyin site in Taiwan. The new plant will have an annual production capacity of more than 5,000 tons and will start-up in the second half of 2013. BASF has also opened a new technical service lab for the company’s MIM feedstock business in Shanghai, China. The new technical service lab for Catamold is located within BASF’s Innovation Campus Asia Pacific in Pudong, providing technical support as well as customer training. BASF says that it plans to strengthen its MIM activities in the Asia Pacific region with this move. Currently, the Asia Pacific region represents approximately 50% share of the global MIM market. “At BASF, we expect that this share will increase to 60% by the year 2020,” said Dr Stefan Koser, vice president of BASF’s metal systems business unit. “The Asian market is, therefore, one of the major growth drivers for our Catamold business. The investment shows our strong commitment towards the metal injection moulding industry in Asia and will enable further substantial growth potential for this technology."
Steven Hung, head of regional business management metal systems Asia Pacific, said the new lab allows BASF to provide faster, improved service.
Catamold is BASF's ready-to-mould feedstock for MIM and ceramic injection moulding (CIM), offering a portfolio of low-alloy steels, stainless steels, special alloys and ceramics.
