Laiex is a multinational chemical company established more than fifty years in 39 countries. Experts in water-based polymerization producer of styrene-acrylic, acrylic and vinyl emulsions and compounds. Their fully automated chemical plant includes: Polymerization Plant, Mixing Plant, Custom-made Formulation Plant.
As a result of this differential value and the diversification of their production plants (Spain, Brazil and Germany), the last decade has led to the confirmation of the growth of our Company: being one of the largest producers of emulsions and compounds in the paint, construction, asphalt, textile, artificial turf, footwear, automobile, wood, inks and performance sectors.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
LAIEX: Currently, the Company manufactures more than 250 solutions in the form of products, services and technology.
Their products could be used as additives in products from a wide range of sectors and the properties of the final products are significantly improved:
- The adhesives obtained are capable of binding substrates by adhesion or cohesion, without affecting their structure or surface;
- In the construction sector, the materials produced with additives water based polymerized can have waterproof properties and be used for example for roofs or basements;
- Asphalts with less sensitivity to temperature changes can be produced, what decreases the footprint with high temperatures and increases its flexibility with low temperatures;
- In the automotive sector products can be obtained with improved properties such as stiffness, abrasion resistance, dimensional stability, hardness, deformation resistance, ageing resistance and low odor;
- In the bonding fabrics, nonwovens and foams for the footwear and textile sectors, good adhesion, tack, cohesion and aging resistance can be assured.
LAIEX belongs to a Technical Unit composed of leading companies in the polymerization sector in different countries, thus adding up research, technological advances and future trends that occur in the field of water-based acrylic polymers. These studies allow us to polymerize with a higher yield, as well as carry out continuous improvements in our production processes. These improvements are reflected in the performance of the emulsions that our customers consume; in a reduction of VOCs of between 40 and 80%, depending on the nature of the emulsion and an increase in chemical properties. LAIEX has a continuous process improvement department, which is also available for our clients for possible advice on their facilities and productions. Such advice ranges from the necessary auxiliary equipment, storage, automatisms and distribution lines, to the use of environmental regulations, transport and safety legislation, waste disposal or water purification.
By other hand, The implementation of the O.E.E. (Overall Equipment Effectiveness or General Equipment Efficiency) at LAIEX, has allowed us to achieve a comprehensive cost analysis and quality control for each product manufactured so as to achieve excellence. That’s a high level of chemical industry technology. These data allow us to standardize manufacturing procedures and continuous improvement in our chemical plants, obtaining monthly operational and performance analysis of our production lines. Aforesaid automation of plants and online quality control during production processes allows us to obtain high performance and repeatability in our emulsions. As a connected 4.0 industry, we can integrate information and knowledge systems, based on collaborative networks. A more efficient and optimized management of our value chain.
E.E: What’s the news for 2021 about new products?
LAIEX: The final materials produced using the company additives/products are characterized by improved properties compared to other similar materials in the market:
- High adhesion or cohesion without modifying the bonded materials;
- Waterproof properties;
- Improved sensitivity to thermal changes;
- Stiffness and hardness;
- Abrasion resistance;
- Deformation resistance;
- Ageing resistance;
- Recyclable products;
- Products without VOCs and without bactericides;
- Products suitable for certification with the ECO-Label;
- Products with food contact certificate.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
LAIEX: The range of products we manufacture are water-based dispersions and compounds. Manufacturers of raw material: acrylic, and vinyl versatato polymers, thermoformed latexes of styrene-butadiene and their compounds.
Producers of emulsions and compounds in the automotive, paints, construction, textile, asphalt, wood, artificial turf and one component latex foam sectors.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
LAIEX: We are stablished in thirty-nine countries with our own production plants in Spain (Valencia), Brazil (São Paulo) and Germany (Recklinghausen).
Our vision is to become the leading company at the national level and one of the five strongest in Europe in water-based polymerization.
With fifty-one years of experience, our experience supports us, increasing employment growth in recent years.
Thanks to the internationalization drive, we have managed to expand our technology throughout the different countries of the world. This is how we generate employment, both nationally and internationally, relying on highly professionals qualified in each region. Generating synergies between our staff, suppliers, collaborators, clients, agents and distributors. We are committed to gender equality in the workplace, it is part of our business strategy and prevails in our modus operandi.
We want to build in the next five years, a technology center where we can share the evolution of our environmentally friendly products and new applications, giving us the opportunity, together with clients, agents and suppliers, to exchange information.
The diversity of production plants is due to the loss of competitiveness that occurs when water-based emulsions exceed distances of 1500 km between the production plant and the end customer. Transport shoots up. With our chemical plant in Valencia, São Paulo, and the recent Recklinghausen in 2019, we have achieved by 2020 one of our short-term objectives: to reach our strategic production and distribution channel in central Europe.
The company thus manages to be one of the largest producers of emulsions and compounds, directly or under license, in:
- SBR latex: Spain, Germany and Brazil;
- Acrylic polymers: Spain, Brazil and Germany;
- Compounds: Spain, and Brazil.
In addition to the aforementioned production plants, LAIEX has an international presence with distributors and technical agents, consolidated with the new start-up of the plant in Germany, trained to comprehensively serve customers in more than thirty-nine countries.
Strategic action plan:
- By event / fair: Quantitative and qualitative importance of it.
- By product / line to promote according to event / market.
- Analysis of competitors who attend.
- Feedback.
- Notity and image.
LAIEX is constantly looking for new markets. These, in turn, lead to new opportunities for our clients.
In recent years, Laiex has managed to double its workforce and triple its turnover, thanks to its firm commitment to internationalization, technological investment and unstoppable commercial strategy abroad. In the last year, Laiex has grown by 14% reaching a turnover of 50 million euros, of which 36% of the business comes from exports.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
LAIEX: It is a difficult question to answer, but what is clear, that we are in an increasingly demanding market with quality and more respectful with the environment.
So that leads us to be working with products that comply with Eco-labels, certificates of contact with food, anti-allergenic products, with low or no odor.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
LAIEX: The main trends in which LAIEX is working in the field of innovation are:
- Production plant automation.
- Energy and resource efficiency.
- Zero paper.
- Efficient water management.
- High performance raw materials.
- Waste recovery to obtain products with greater added value.
- Respond to the growing demand for market applications from sustainable raw materials.
- Products that are in contact with human skin
All of our automated production lines they have allow them to provide a high level in the technical services, greater flexibility and immediate response to the support required by their clients. Furthermore, our facilities integrate devolatilization systems throughout the manufacturing processes what makes them more environmentally sustainable.
The technology of the company allows obtain products with very high performance, with reaching qualities and competitive.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2021?
LAIEX: We want to continue growing and establish ourselves in a new country.
To be the alternative to the European polymerization multinationals and contribute to society, in the same way that society helps us.
We have to exceed the 40 countries where we are going to be present, increasing the turnover of the Laiex group.
