Zimmer AG, a member of the GEA Group, has won two new orders from Italy and Poland. It is to construct a polyester plant on the Italian island of Sardinia. The plant will produce an annual 175,000 tonnes of polyester chips for PET bottles using a process developed by Zimmer.

In Poland, Zimmer has been asked to upgrade a polyamide plant that it built in 1995. This extension will increase the plant''s annual production capacity of polyamide chips from approximately 23,000 tonnes at present to 45,000 tonnes. The polyamide chips produced at the plant will be processed to make engineering plastics and film products. The parties to these deals have agreed not to disclose the value of the orders.

Besides the technology, Zimmer will provide the engineering services and the equipment for the plant in Sardinia. It will also be responsible for supervising the erection and start-up of the plant, which is scheduled to go on-stream in the first quarter of 2007. The contract has been awarded by the Milan-based firm Equipolymers s.r.l. This project will be the third of its kind that Zimmer has completed for this client. The other two plants are located at Schkopau in Germany.

For the plant upgrade in the Polish town of Tarnow, Zimmer will be supplying the technology, basic engineering services and key equipment. It will also be responsible for overseeing the erection and start-up of the plant, which is scheduled to go on-stream in the fourth quarter of 2006. This contract has been awarded by Zaklady Azotowe W Tarnowie-Moscicach S.A.

GEA stands for Global Engineering Alliance and underlines the fact that the company is a multinational technology group. As roughly three-quarters of the mg Group''s revenue was generated by companies belonging to its former subsidiary GEA AG, mg''s change of name was a logical consequence of the restructuring process launched in 2003. Having sold most of its Chemicals activities, GEA Group now focuses on specialty mechanical engineering - especially process engineering and equipment - and plant engineering.
 
GEA Group