BASF opened a new Center of Excellence laboratory for its Catamold business in Shanghai, China. The new facility will serve as the hub of expertise for solutions and products for the metal injection molding (MIM) market in China and the rest of Asia. “The establishment of the new lab in Shanghai marks a key milestone for our Catamold business to speed up the co-development of products with our customers in China.” said Lothar Laupichler, Business Unit Head Electronic Materials. “BASF has consistently demonstrated dedication and leadership in providing MIM feedstock for reliable, high volume metal parts production globally. Innovation and customer focus have always been mission-critical for us and is well embedded in our DNA. The new investment strengthens our capability to turn product ideas of our customers into customized “ready-to-use” MIM feedstocks for large scale production at metal injection molders.” said Timo Schollmeier, Director Global Business Management Metal Systems BASF SE.
“We are committed to drive growth in collaboration with our MIM customers in the region through involving customers early in the development process. Leveraging our global R&D knowhow, the new lab allows our team to serve our customers faster with localized R&D capabilities.” said Dr. Thorsten Staudt, Head of Global Center of Excellence Metal Systems BASF SE. Our expertise in sinter-process-specific material development combined with our strong know-how in formulations and material characterization allows us to develop new materials with exceptional properties such as light weight, high strength and polish-capabilities. “We see tremendous growth in the Automotive and Information & Communications Technology (ICT) sectors in China, which are dynamic and fast-paced. We want to serve our customers in these industries with speed and the right innovation for success.” said Dr. Oliver Zhang, Head of Sales Metal Systems Greater China. Catamold are ready-to-use pellets for powder injection molding. It consists of metal powder and a tailor-made binding agent. Geometrically complex parts can be produced economically on conventional machines with Catamold.
