Innovation and technology centre opens in Shanghai

As part of its continual drive to meet customer requirements in Asia, Victrex has opened its Asia Innovation and Technology Centre in Shanghai.

As part of the company's continual drive to meet customer requirements in Asia, Victrex, the original manufacturer of Victrex Peek polymer, has opened its Asia Innovation and Technology Centre (AITC) in Shanghai.

The new facility will provide customers with expertise and support in materials specification, testing, research and application development.

Located in the Xinzhuang Industry Park, Phase I of the AITC complex is a state-of-the-art, US $2.5 million, 2000m2 facility that addresses the very specific needs of customers in the region, notably performance, quality and speed.

Local-language staff, including chemical analysis and formulation engineering specialists, will be able to support customers seeking to successfully develop and launch Victrex Peek-based products, with everything from just-in-time-delivery of existing or developmental products, to providing technical support in areas such as tooling and prototyping.

"We are actively expanding the markets for Victrex Peek polymer through marketing, customer-focused service, and commitment to product quality.

The new AITC will enable us to work more closely with our customers and end-users in the region, ensuring that we help to develop new markets, applications and processing methods for Victrex Peek polymer", said Richard Okupniak, General Manager of Victrex, Asia Pacific.

"We expect that, very quickly, our customers in the region will come to view the AITC as an extension of their in-house development resources.

It's why we called it the AITC, because we wanted to set an expectation for ourselves and our customers that we will seek to solve their issues with new ways of thinking and co-operating together.

At Victrex, we have always worked in close collaboration with our customers, assisting them to create innovative and differentiated end products.

We are proud of our track record in this area, and last year helped to commercialise 475 new applications.

In real terms, this means that with our assistance, our customers have been able to successfully introduce high-performance, high-quality products into their chosen markets".

Examples of new applications developed by Victrex in close collaboration with customers in the region include Mitsubishi Plastics and LG Electronics.

Mitsubishi Plastics needed to develop a high performance film suitable for the next generation in multilayer PCB development.

Working with Victrex, Mitsubishi developed the next generation of PCB substrate film using Victrex's capability to produce a custom product with outstanding purity and consistency necessary for the application.

LG Electronics knew that the regulations controlling high power consumption in domestic white goods were becoming increasingly tough, while energy prices continue to rise.

Working with Victrex, LGE created a new discharge valve for the linear compressor in side-by-side refrigerators that can reduce power consumption of a refrigerator by over 30%.

In addition to in-depth materials specification, testing, research and application development support, the AITC will also undertake key commercial functions in the region, which were previously handled by Victrex headquarters in the UK.

Customers in the Asia region will benefit from fast response by local customer representatives, easier communication in local languages, expedited ordering and co-ordinated shipment of product from local warehouses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Korea, with the eventual aim to reduce delivery times for Asian customers.

"Phases II and III of the AITC are already outlined, but we will not move forward until we have been able to assess exactly how our customers are using the facilities and services available to them", continued Okupniak.

"It's all part of the customer-first strategy that is the foundation of everything we do.

We know that at the moment, our customers in Asia are hungry for knowledge and need to gain access to the expertise that we have accumulated in diverse global markets".

"We not only advise them on their design and use of Victrex Peek, but also in certain cases can and do act as a bridge to Europe and the US for many regional companies".

"For many of our local customers, they have discovered that by working closely with us and using Victrex Peek they have been able develop reliable, high quality products that can compete in the global market".

"However, as Asian engineers gain more access to global data, their requirements are likely to change and change quickly".

"We expect that in Phases II and III we will be able to implement high-tech communications tools that will provide our local customers with real-time access and sight of product processing being undertaken at the AITC".

"With the new AITC in place, I am confident that Victrex will be able to remain flexible and respond to changes in the market and shifting customer requirements with speed and confidence".

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