In order to meet rising demand from the booming automotive industry in Mexico, Swedish compounder Hexpol (Malmö; www.hexpol.com) is bringing on stream a new 12,000 t/y rubber compounding line at its site in Querétaro, located in northern-central Mexico. The investment cost for the added capacity, due on stream sometime in H2 this year, was not disclosed. The Querétaro site currently produces 41,000 t/y of rubber compounds and last saw output lifted in 2014 (see Plasteurope.com of 11.05.2015).

Hexpol, which purports to be the largest rubber compounder in the country, also operates a 27,000 t/y compounding line in Aguascalientes, located about 280 km northwest of Querétaro. Commenting on the decision to lift capacity, Francisco Viliesid, managing director of the Querétaro site, said, “Hexpol’s timely expansion to become a key link to the automotive chain is the result of our commitment to the Mexican automotive market.” The Swedish company first began operations in Mexico in 2000.