Outlook 2021 for Rubber: Technology innovations to support key sectors

 Asia Pacific retains its position as the largest market in the global rubber industry due to the rapid expansion of the automobile industry alongside rising demand for rubber in the production of medical supplies, household goods, industrial products, building and construction materials, among others. While the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the supply chain for rubber products manufacturing in 2020, operations of rubber producers in the region have re-started as countries set health protocols in place. Judging by the importance that rubber played in the fight against the coronavirus, the industry is widely projected to sustain its growth momentum in 2021 and beyond. The global rubber market size is expected to surge from 2020 to 2025, with annual growth of 7.7% during the period to reach $54.9 billion by 2025, according to Market Research Reports.  In Asia Pacific, innovations, strategic market expansion and product diversification are key factors that are expected to push the rubber industry into sustained growth. Representatives of two leading companies engaged in rubber production share their views on market trends and industry directions in 2021.

Medical sector drives demand for efficient systems

The huge demand for rubber and silicone moulded products for medical device components with the requirement in several industries such as automotive, electronics, motorcycle and sport equipment industries, have given impetus for machinery manufacturers to innovate. In the area of rubber and silicone injection moulding, Jing Day Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd. saw demand for rubber products escalating during the pandemic which also pushed requirements for customised production systems. “The requirements of today’s rubber manufacturers call for high level of customisation, in-depth knowledge in the manufacturing process to provide excellent solutions to the end users. Particularly, the recent needs for medical applications such as breathing masks and bags, nebulizers, medical membrane keypads, O-rings, prefilled syringes reveal the importance of skilled manufacturers in this field. Thus, there is a crucial need for LSR injection moulding machines which can process medical grade silicones,” according to Mr. Daniel Yang, Manager at Jing Day Machinery Industrial Co., Ltd (JING DAY). The company has been in the forefront of silicone and rubber injection moulding machine sector in Taiwan and its rubber and silicone processing machinery portfolio helps to create solutions not only for the medical equipment industry, but also for many industries like automotive, electronics, motorcycle parts and sports equipment in various parts of the world.

JING DAY also expects the Industry 4.0 and digitalisation trends to retain their importance among manufacturers in 2021 and beyond. “As we see sustained move towards achieving Industry 4.0 and digitalisation, JING DAY aims to meet these future trends by investing 30% of the mechanical production capacity on technology research and development in terms of Industry 4.0, in order for us to quickly respond to customers’ requirements for customised machinery for various industries, particularly the medical industry,” Mr. Yang shares.

 

JING DAY’s silicone rubber injection moulding machines and hydraulic moulding machines for the applications of various industries run in 60 different countries including Europe and America today, and market share is growing day by day. Since 80% of the production has been exported to the world, the custom design machines are mostly demanded among JING DAY’s customers. The regional markets and the industries JING DAY serves require high precision and stable production output.  HMI and PLC features come as machine standard. “Besides, customisable nozzle design helps customers to control material flow and achieve stable outputs. JING DAY’s machines are suitable for natural and synthetic rubber, oil-resistant rubber, heat resistant rubber, and reclaimed rubber. Moreover, the company can also help customers with upgrading old moulds to integrate JING DAY’s machines, which saves the customer 20% to 30% of the production and labour costs,” Mr. Yan explains. 

 

The company sees continued reliance on strategic customer support as the pandemic remains unabated. “Buying machinery especially during the outbreak is a sensitive process; international buyers have several concerns like the installation of the machinery, after-sales services, part and maintenance requirements. All of these are being addressed by JING DAY as we expect to meet customers’ concerns continuously through different ways to overcome the obstacles,” Mr. Yang says. 

Silicones as game-changers

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives and work environment in ways we have never experienced before, according to Christian Gimber, Vice President Engineering Silicones at WACKER. “However, the company quickly adopted every measure necessary to keep operations up and running. Our sites have been subject to strict hygiene and distancing rules. We are continuously adjusting regulations on business travel and many of us are working from home to avoid taking risks,” Mr. Gimber relates. Compared with companies in other sectors and given the difficult conditions amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, WACKER has weathered the crisis reasonably well. The company also started an efficiency program called Shape the Future. The aim is to strengthen its competitive edge, make WACKER leaner, faster and more flexible and cut costs significantly.

 

Electromobility, digitalisation and advanced medical applications were major trends in 2020 and will remain in place in 2021. High performance materials such as silicones are important game changers in these industries. For example, silicone based gap fillers have become indispensible thermal interface materials in electric vehicles. They improve heat dissipation and thus ensure an effective thermal management of batteries and electronic components. “Silicones are also used in sophisticated applications such as large instrument-panel displays, restaurant-menu touchscreens, multi-functional sports watches and, above all, in the automotive industry. In every vehicle class, car makers are increasingly turning to ever-larger displays which are increasingly bonded with silicone adhesives due to their stability and resistance to environmental influences,” Mr. Gimber explains. Two experts of the Centre of Electronics Excellence in Seoul were recently awarded WACKER’s Innovation Award for developing novel UV-crosslinkable silicone gels for high-quality non-reflective displays.

 

The industry will have to deal with rising regulatory requirements in the future. “Let me give you an example: Last year, we developed a new flame-retardant solid silicone rubber which meets the new European fire-safety codes for rolling-stock components. This was a real breakthrough. Fabricators now have a certified compound approved for this new standard. The need to reduce the content of volatile components is another example. In 2016, WACKER was one of the first companies to start an initiative to cut VOC levels in its liquid silicone rubber grades by approx. 90 percent. Our efforts were extremely successful. Since 2019, all LSR grades manufactured at our German sites meet this threshold which redefines industrial standards for liquid silicone rubber globally,” according to Mr. Gimber.

 

For 2021, WACKER’s focus was and continues to be on high growth sectors such as automotive with electronics and e-mobility as its main drivers as well as the medical industry and energy. These industries are highly innovative and need materials that offer outstanding mechanical properties, can be tailored to specific needs, meet regulatory requirements and enable cost-efficient industrial scale production of components. Silicone is often the material of choice for manufacturers who are juggling with these requirements and wish to find a reliable and competitive solution. For example, WACKER recently developed the first self-adhesive silicone rubber which offers low friction surfaces after curing. This is an advantage for parts such as plugs or connectors which need smooth, but oil-free surfaces for mounting or assembly purposes or even components for food contact applications. Our two-in-one grade is an ideal solution as it is self-bonding, offers low-friction surfaces and enables cost-effective large-scale production of injection-moulded hard/soft composites.

 

“One of the innovations we will continue to pursue in 2021 are our electroactive silicone laminates. They consist of several ultrathin silicone film layers. Each layer is coated with an electrically conductive material prior to lamination. The result is a flexible electroactive capacitor which changes its size when electrical voltage is applied. This principle can be used in valves, switches, sensor-actor components or in interactive game consoles. We are currently setting up an industrial scale manufacturing line for these laminates and intend to ramp up the facility in 2021,” Mr. Gimber shares. Being the first chemical company to produce silicone films as well as laminates, WACKER will be able to close the existing gap in the supply chain for this innovative technology.

 

WACKER repeatedly expanded its foothold in several regions. This includes investments in its technical centres and in production facilities in Korea, China and India as well as in Germany where it operates two fully integrated production sites. WACKER global growth strategy remains in place, despite the economic uncertainties the world is currently facing.