Japan’s automotive supplier association says there is growing concern in Japan surrounding the shortage of cricital resin, Nylon 12, following the recent fatal explosion at major producer Evonik in Marl, Germany.
The issue has seen JAPIA (Japan Auto Parts Industries Association) contact its equivalents in the US and Europe to discuss the chronic lack of the PA12 chemical with US body, OESA and European association, CLEPA, in a bid to source alternatives or similar and ensure any validation process is approved.
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The Nylon 12 resin is used for coatings and connector applications for fuel handling as well as brake systems, but has become a major component headache around the world, given its critical place in the supply chain.
“We are still in touch with them [OESA, CLEPA] because PA12 is a growing concern even for Japanese companies,” JAPIA executive managing director Takehide Takahashi told just-auto from Tokyo.
“I heard several [Japanese] chemical companies produce PA12 or [a] similar kind. So they may produce PA12 if there are no intellectual property problems and [if] the capacity of the facilities is available.”
Evonik said at the end of last week it envisaged October would be the earliest possible restart date for its partially-destroyed factory – a date the JAPIA chief said was “faster than I expected,” but the issue has now crossed the Atlantic where it is taxing OESA and vehicle association, AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group).
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By GlobalDataYesterday (30 April), AIAG held the second of its emergency meetings to discuss the situation at its Southfield, Michigan headquarters.
This second – and more specialised – meeting followed a much larger session on 23 April and was designed to secure a plan for resin alternatives.
“We hope to get an agreement of the OEMs and publish a document to help speed the replacements,” AIAG director of business development, David Lalain told just-auto from Southfield.
“The approval process they hope to get would bring the minimum testing to three weeks – hopefully it is minimum disruption.”
