Extrusion International 1-2024-USA

16 Extrusion International 1/2024 INDUSTRY NEWS Four Carbon Black Plants Awarded ISCC PLUS  Orion announced a fourth plant has earned International Sustainabil- ity and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS). The company now leads its in- dustry with the number of certified carbon black production sites. Orion’s facility in Cologne, Germa- ny, was the company’s latest plant to pass extensive audits confirming the site’s compliance with rigorous ISCC PLUS sustainability requirements. The plant was certified for produc - ing circular and bio-circular raw ma- terials. “Orion has long been a leading innovator developing circular solu- tions and sustainable products for customers,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “ISCC PLUS verifies the transparency and traceability of sus- tainable raw materials in our value chain. It also shows our dedication to sustainability.” In 2022, Orion was the first to achieve ISCC PLUS for multiple car- bon black grades made from dif- ferent feedstocks at plants in two regions of the world. The facilities were in Borger, Texas; Belpre, Ohio; and Jaslo, Poland. The three facili- ties were recertified this year. “In addition to recognizing the sustainable grades for rubber ap- plications produced in the three plants, the certification of our Co - logne plant is an important mile- stone for Orion’s sustainability ef- forts because the facility produces a wide variety of specialty products for several applications, including batteries, coatings, printing and polymers,” Painter said. A decade ago, Orion was the first major producer to develop and commercialize carbon black made from renewable feedstocks, such as industrial-grade vegetable oils or other oils derived from waste and residues of biological origin from agriculture or forestry. Orion is also the only carbon black producer in the BlackCycle initiative, an EU-funded project focused on developing the production of circu- lar carbon black. The ISCC PLUS certification is granted by the Cologne-based ISCC Association, which promotes the sustainable production of biomass, circular and bio-based materials and renewables. Orion S.A. orioncarbons.com Expansion with Additional Services in Malaysia  MAAG Group has again expanded its operations in Asia, announcing new services in Malaysia for MAAG Ettlinger melt filters. Now, in addition to, cutting rotor regrinding, MAAG Malaysia can also provide vacuum pyrolysis oven cleaning. In plastics processing some components have to be re- paired, upgraded, or replaced during the long plant life- cycle. MAAGMalaysia offers our customers comprehen- sive repair services for their polymer production plants. The facility serves most of Asia. Ueli Thuerig, President of MAAG Group, said: “We are excited about our new Malaysian growth. This project marks another important milestone in the implementa- tion of the company’s plan to grow capacity in strategic markets where we expect strong long-term demand.” These additional services are the latest example of MAAG’s commitment to the Asian market. MAAG Group www.maag.com Team MAAG Malaysia Setting the Course for the Future  Effective January 1, 2024, Mat- thias Ruff became an authorized signatory at the SKZ Plastics Center in Würzburg. Equipped with this power of attorney, Ruff will be able to perform his duties as Sales Man- ager Education and Research even more intensively and flexibly. "By grantingMatthias [Ruff] power of attorney, we are underscoring his professional expertise, performance and high level of personal commit- ment. We are thus creating the con- ditions for further healthy national and international growth in our edu- cation and research activities," says Benjamin Baudrit, Deputy Managing Director Education and Research. Matthias Ruff is pleased and re- ports: "In recent years, the SKZ has continued to develop professionally with new research groups, for ex- ample in the areas of recycling man- agement and digitalization. The establishment of the TZQ (Training Center Quality) and the develop- ment of newdigital learning formats such as WBTs (web-based training) have also created various new train- ing options. I am very much looking