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The article reports that Akzo Nobel NV's pulp and paper chemicals business, Eka Chemicals AB, has opened a new site in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, south-eastern China. The facility represents the latest milestone in Akzo's growth strategy for the rapidly expanding Chinese paper industry. Goteberg, Sweden-based Eka Chemicals is a global leader in bleaching technology and paper chemistry.

The article reports that a resin manufacturer in the Netherlands reduced maintenance costs by 10 to 20 percent throughout its plant after installing a plant-automation system that ferrets out and helps fix problems on the lines. Eka Chamicals of Maastricht makes resins used by the rubber, pulp, and paper industries. The production process requires melting and reacting resins at high temperatures. The company recently installed PlantWeb from Emerson Process Management of St. Louis. Since the system's implementation, unplanned plant shutdowns have decreased by 10 percent, said Peter Montforts of Eka.