An Interview with Mr. Cliff Zhang, Head of Foam Division, Vice President, Useon Technology Limited, at Chinaplas 2024

Mr. Zhang, we notice that the first and second days of the Chinaplas trade fair are quite busy. Could you please share a few words about your focus and key areas of interest at Chinaplas?

Our company focuses on five main areas. The first one is compounding. We specialize in twin-screw extruders designed for polymer compounding. As the second we can name foam extrusion. We offer commercialized foam extrusion products including XPS, XPET, and EPLA. Additionally, we produce other foam extrusion products such as XPE. The third one is polyolefin pelletizers. Our extruders are known for their high capacity, typically exceeding 20 tons per hour. As for the fourth, it is circular economy: We employ model-to-model technology for EPS and other circular solutions, enhancing sustainability. The fifth one is sheet-directed extrusion: Our advanced technology simplifies PET sheet production by eliminating the need for pre-drying. Instead of the traditional two-step process, we directly feed PET chips or flakes into our twin-screw extruder, producing PET sheets efficiently.

Which visitors are you hoping to connect with at Chinaplas, and from which countries do you expect them to come? Additionally, what are the most appealing exhibits for them at the fair?

Our primary customers are from the Middle East and Eastern Europe, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece. In recent years, we’ve also seen increasing interest from Western Europe, including the UK, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal.
Our cost-effective solutions are particularly attractive to these customers. For instance, our foam extrusion machines are often priced at less than 50% of European machines. We have customers who compare our machines with high-end German models and find no significant difference in the final product, which leads them to purchase more from us due to the cost savings.
Additionally, our service and spare parts availability stand out. We maintain high standardization and keep a large stock of parts—such as 300 or 400 different diameters—that are often not readily available in Europe. We achieve this by delivering seven to eight lines per year and preparing two or three semi-finished products for quick shipment. In contrast, European companies may deliver only one or two lines annually and cannot afford to keep such a stock. Our ability to maintain inventory and deliver quickly sets us apart from our competitors.

Service is a crucial factor as it directly impacts the customer experience. When machines are comparable, exceptional service can set you apart from competitors. This is where we excel compared to European companies. We have a larger team of service engineers and local partners in various regions, including Brazil, the UK, India, and Turkey.
In these locations, we maintain service offices and small warehouses stocked with essential spare parts, such as screw elements and shafts. This local presence ensures we can provide prompt support and reduce downtime for our customers.
Although we are a Chinese company, we are committed to the international market and strive to operate as a global enterprise. We source many components from Europe, including gearboxes, shafts, and steel from Germany. Unlike many Chinese companies that focus on in-house production to save costs, we believe in leveraging international expertise. For instance, we use European sensors, blowing agents, pumps, and mass flow meters in our machines, which are then exported back to Europe. This approach underscores our commitment to being a truly international company.

How are you finding the trade show?

We appreciate the trade show for its international scope. With over 50% of our market outside China, we value events like this, which is the largest in China and possibly the second largest in the world. From my experience, over 20% of the visitors to our booth are international, and more than 70% are returning customers.
What are your upcoming plans for expanding your global market presence or advancing your technologies?
Our primary focus is on circular economy solutions. We recently introduced our EPS-to-EPS technology last year, but we haven't yet received many orders. This technology is quite promising, especially given the prevalence of EPS waste in home packaging. While most EPS is typically repurposed for other applications, such as IPS or other extrusion processes, our technology can recycle EPS back into EPS. This approach enhances its value and supports a circular polystyrene system, a solution that has not been widely implemented before.