Huntsman Celebrates Completion of Series of Investments in TPU Production Capacity at Ringwood Plant

Huntsman, a global specialty chemicals manufacturer, held an official event at its polyurethane elastomer manufacturing facility in Ringwood, Illinois, to mark the completion of a series of strategic investments in its thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) production capabilities
.
These production capacities will be used for final products of paint protection films and safety glass
.

Huntsman is one of the oldest producers of TPU for protective films
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For more than 45 years, the company has been producing high-performance TPUs that are the basis for paint protection films, surface protection combinations and safety glass technology
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Over the past two years, Huntsman has built a dedicated TPU production facility for protective film technology at its Ringwood site, equipped with cutting-edge automation
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This investment helps increase production of Huntsman's renowned KRYSTALGRAN® and KRYSTALFLEX® TPU products, the gold standard in the global protective film portfolio
.

Steen Weien Hansen, Vice President, Worldwide Automotive and Elastomers, Huntsman Polyurethanes, and Alexis Bortoluzzi, Senior Director, Global Elastomers, Huntsman Polyurethanes, started the event with welcome remarks
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They highlighted Huntsman's strategic position as the flagship supplier to the TPU market, and that the upgrade of the Ringwood facility prepares Huntsman Polyurethanes for growth in the industry
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Steen Weien Hansen then officially cut the ribbon for the factory
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Special guests in attendance included Ringwood Chairman Rick Mack, McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, State Senator Craig Wilcox and U.
S.
Congressman Brad Schneider's Deputy Chief of Staff Greg Claus
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Guests toured Ringwood's factory and were able to see Huntsman's paint protection film technology in production
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The business has a 2022 McLaren 765LT Spider on display at the factory
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The car was loaned on behalf of the Hamilton Collection, a charity-based organization that has a fleet of supercars on display
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The surfaces of the vehicles on display were protected with a paint protector - demonstrating the protective properties of the technology, which prevents the vehicle's paint from being scratched and damaged by road gravel
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Commenting, Huntsman Elastomers global marketing director Trent Shidaker said: "Demand for surface protection solutions, especially for paint protection films, has accelerated over the past few years
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Films were once reserved for luxury vehicles.
market, now used to protect mainstream automotive makes and models from chips, scuffs, scratches and UV weathering
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These are exciting times and our recent investments reflect our commitment to the market and our customers
"This event is an opportunity to thank the teams involved in the construction, installation and commissioning of our new Surface Solutions asset in Ringwood
.
"

Huntsman KRYSTALGRAN® TPU products are trusted by some of the world's largest producers of paint protection films and are known for their exceptional flexibility, product quality and consistency, and UV resistance
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KRYSTALGRAN® TPU products are sold in pellet form and are primarily used to enhance paint protection in the automotive industry, but are also used in electronic film applications, signage, and to protect the leading edges of helicopter and wind turbine blades
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KRYSTALFLEX® films are the benchmark for interlaminar lamination applications in the glass industry, often used to strengthen bulletproof glass in military vehicles, banks and government buildings
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