POLYMERS FOR INDUSTRY - vinavil

The VINAVIL Engineering team designs new facilities andcooperates with the production to improve technical assets, to startnew plants and to optimize yeld of the sites. This is possible alsothanks to the full integration between Engineering and ProductionManagers, who are physically sitting next to each other.MANUFACTURINGCAPACITYIn 2011, Vinavil production atthe Villadossola and Ravennafacilities was over 202,500 tonnes,and a 2,5 increase is expected in2012. Since Mapei acquired thecompany, significant investments havebeen made to expand manufacturingand services. To quote an example,the Villadossola ethylene copolymerproduction was immediately restarted,reaching maximum site capacity withina short time. Also in Villadossola, a newpowder plant was built and at the sametime in the two sites five new emulsionpolymerisation reactors were installed.Manufacturing capacity doubled, bothfor homopolymers and for vinyl-versaticcopolymers. In Villadossola, a newacrylic copolymer production line wasadded. In Ravenna, Vinavil startedmanufacturing processing deals for itsparent company, Mapei, in the areaof concrete super-plasticisers and setaccelerators.The site, opened in Egypt in 2002,was originally equipped with tworeactors to which a third one was lateradded. It has an annual manufacturingcapacity of 35,000 t/year. The NorthAmerican plants (Laval, Canada andChicago, USA) have been equippedwith new polymerisation reactorsto achieve a total capacity of over80,000 t/year, and two powder plantswith a manufacturing capacity ofapproximately 20,000 t/year. Today,Vinavil’s total capacity worldwidestands at some 400,000 tonnes, withMapei Group alone absorbing almost50% of Italian production.THE ENGINEERINGTEAMVinavil has a dedicated engineeringteam in place made up of professionalsspecialised in the area of manufacturingsystems and processes. The teamreviews, recommends and createsthrough specialised companies themost innovative engineering solutionsfor the design, construction and testingof new manufacturing plants and theautomation and better efficiency ofexisting plants in all Vinavil sites.Villadossola plant.Left. Detail of the loop reactorfor the production of highpressureethylene copolymers.Right. Cooling tower.manufacturing and engineering41