Sirmax Group at Fakuma 2024:60 Years of History and a Focus on Green Products for the Automotive Sector
Poised for the Large-Scale Commercialization of Eco-Friendly Compounds with 30% Post-Consumer Recycled Material for Automotive Interiors Massimo Pavin, President and CEO: “We are a robust company and project new investments of €30 million.”
Sirmax Group, an Italian company specializing in the production of thermoplastic granules for sectors such as automotive, appliances, furniture, electrical, and construction, will participate in the Fakuma event (booth 2209 – Hall 2B). Celebrating 60 years of success, Sirmax will present its ever-expanding range of high-performance, eco- friendly products for the automotive industry.
Upcycling for Automotive Interior Components
Fakuma, one of the most important trade fairs for the plastics industry, will take place in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from October 15 to 19. It will provide Sirmax Group with an opportunity to showcase its latest developments on sustainable materials for the automotive market, particularly for aesthetic interior components such as door panels. Sirmax already supplies a range of certified products on an industrial scale that incorporate 10% to 30% post-consumer recycled material, depending on the application and specifications required. These products have successfully passed all internal laboratory tests and have been validated to meet the standards of leading European OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. This marks just the beginning of the Group’s upcycling journey in the automotive sector. Sirmax aims to further increase the recycled content in its compounds, with ongoing developments to achieve 40%, and the potential for an additional increase to 50% of the total.
The goal is to promote the transformation of waste materials and the conversion of polypropylene from urban separate collection into a new generation of high-performance compounds through the development of an advanced production system. This is the aim of the “Aurora” project, developed with the consultancy of the University of Padua, La Sapienza University of Rome, Ghent University in Belgium, and Smart Mold, the University of Padua spin-off specializing in technology and research in injection molding, in which Sirmax holds a 50% stake.
With a focus on sustainability, efficiency, and safety in the automotive sector, Sirmax will bring two products to Fakuma that effectively combine high performance, reduced environmental impact, and flame retardancy: A V0 class self-extinguishing ABS (1.5 mm) and a V2 class self- extinguishing PS (0.8 mm), both exemplified in applications such as charging stations for electric vehicles. Available in both traditional and circular versions, these products contain a percentage of recycled material from pre-consumer sources and are free from antimony trioxide (ATO), which is typically added to halogenated self-extinguishing compounds to suppress, reduce, and delay flame propagation. The range also includes 5 VA certified, halogen-free PC/ABS, designed for electrical applications.
In line with sustainability, Sirmax Group has recently achieved several certifications, such as the CSTB QB certification for its Xelter S TPEs used for window profiles and seals in the building sector. The Xelter S family of thermoplastic elastomers has successfully passed physical and chemical checks, as well as resistance tests, confirming its high elastomechanical properties, excellent weather resistance, and durability over time.
Also significant is the Yellow Card HB certification obtained for Sirmax’s entire range of circular compounds, including Green Isofil, Green Isoglass (PP filled), and Green Isoter (ABS), which contain post-consumer polypropylene. Issued by UL, the independent US agency for certification and safety, this certification evaluates the flame behavior of plastic materials following specific laboratory tests. Sirmax is among the first companies to receive the certification for such a wide range of materials, including non-filled polypropylenes, mineral-filled (calcium carbonate/talc), and reinforced (glass fiber or mixed fiber/talc) variants, with PCR recycled content ranging from 10% to 99%.
60 Years of Success, Looking to the Future
2024 marked the sixtieth anniversary of Sirmax Group, celebrated with an event at the headquarters in Cittadella (Padua, Italy), attended by many local institutions, including the President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia; Member of the European Parliament Elena Donazzan; the Regional Councillor for Economic Development Roberto Marcato; and local leaders from Confindustria.
The event provided an opportunity to announce a new three-year industrial plan. The company is reaping the benefits of investments made over the past four years, totaling €180 million, which include internal growth with the doubling of facilities in the U.S. and Poland, a 10% increase in production capacity in Europe, and acquisitions in recycling (S.E.R., now Sirmax New Life) and bio plastics (Microtec, now Sirmax).
The new industrial plan for 2025-27 includes investments of €30 million, following the multi- country and multi-product strategy outlined by Massimo Pavin, President and CEO, and focusing on expansion into foreign markets. Among the objectives is the completion of the Group’s 14th production facility in Hosur (India) by 2026, which will complement the two existing facilities in India, as well as the expansion of the facility in Anderson, United States.
“Our strength lies in our diversification, both geographically and in terms of products,” says Sirmax President and CEO Massimo Pavin. “Additionally, our localized value chain consists of short supply chains directly in the regions where we operate internationally. This allows us to mitigate the impact of geopolitical issues, shipping costs, and tariff policies. Currently, the company is solid and has excellent growth prospects in foreign markets, where we anticipate further investments.
The Fakuma trade show will be a valuable opportunity to showcase all our initiatives, particularly in sustainability, in which we believe and invest significantly regarding both our products and corporate policies.”
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