According to Covestro's overseas disclosure, the polycarbonate specialty film production line invested and built in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Park in Thailand in March 2023 has been completed as planned. It is reported that as early as the time of investment and construction, Covestro had high hopes for the production line, with a clear purpose, mainly to meet the growing demand for innovative specialty films from customers in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the field of medical technology.
About Covestro — Covestro is the world's largest polycarbonate producer. Its main polycarbonate film products can be divided into high-performance polycarbonate film, polycarbonate blend film, TPU film and special elastomer film according to raw materials.
Polycarbonate (PC film) and TPU film
Covestro completes new polycarbonate film production line in Thailand With the mechanical completion of a new production line in Map Ta Phut Industrial Park, Thailand, Covestro has further increased its global production capacity for polycarbonate (PC film) specialty films. The project, which represented an investment of tens of millions of euros, has been completed as planned. "The new production facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to enable efficient production and thus reduce our CO2 emissions," said Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer of Covestro. "With the expanded capacity, we can meet the growing demand of our customers in the Asia-Pacific region for innovative specialty films, especially in the field of medical technology." Covestro has been operating a specialty film production facility in Thailand since 2007. The products on offer include Makrofol® polycarbonate films and Bayfol® film products made from polycarbonate blends. These high-performance specialty films are used in a variety of applications in various industries, such as healthcare, mobility and identity documents. "The new production facility is important for us because it accelerates time to market while expanding our market offering in the Asia-Pacific region. Through market-focused innovation and a stronger customer orientation, we want to drive growth for Covestro," said Aukje Doornbos, global head of Covestro's Specialty Films business. Since 2022, Covestro's Map Ta Phut plant has been ISCC PLUS certified, enabling it to produce and supply mass-balanced products. This saves fossil raw materials and reduces CO2 emissions, while the quality of the mass-balanced products is consistent with that of pure fossil products. With this solution, manufacturers can continue to use their proven recipes, equipment and processes. ISCC is an internationally recognized sustainability certification for biomass and bioenergy. The standard covers all stages of the value chain and is used worldwide. In addition, Covestro already offers a range of films that are partly made from plant-based raw materials or partly from recycled plastics.
Significance - As one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality polymers and their components, Covestro has always performed well in the field of materials. The completion of the Thailand production line is an important move for its layout in the Asia-Pacific market. With the continuous advancement of global medical technology, higher requirements are placed on the performance and quality of specialty films. For example, in the manufacture of medical equipment, the film needs to have good flexibility, stability and biocompatibility. Covestro's polycarbonate specialty film is expected to play a key role in the production of products such as medical monitoring equipment and disposable medical supplies with its own advantages. As one of the most active regions in the world's economic development, the Asia-Pacific region has a rapid development of the medical industry. Population growth, deepening aging and increased demand for health care have all prompted the continuous innovation of medical technology, which in turn has driven the demand for related materials. The newly completed production line will effectively shorten Covestro's supply cycle to customers in the Asia-Pacific region and better respond to market demand. At the same time, this will also help Covestro further consolidate its position in the Asia-Pacific specialty film market and compete more effectively with other competitors.