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drymix.info Newsletter 198/2017; ISSN Number 1613-0111; 7. September 2017

1. Prof. Dr. Hummel Passed away
2. SEADMA and Promindo Present Drymix Mortars at Construction Indonesia Expo on 13.9.17
3. Registration Open for Second Iran Drymix Mortar Meeting in Tehran on 9.10.17
4. São Paulo, Brasil, 26. October 2017: Fifth Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc five
5. MDMMA and SEADMA Invite to 12th Annual Conference in Nusajaya Johor, 23.11.17
6. Second Asia Mortar Summit, Sharjah, 26.11.17: Practical session, Preliminary Program, Sponsors
7. Calls for Papers issued for Events in Australia (24.2.2018) and the US (April 26, 2018)
8. Sika Takes over KVK Holding (Czech Republic)
9. Dairen Joins SEADMA as Industrial Partner
10. AGCM Issues Sanctions for Anti-Trust Violation to Italy's Cement Industry
11. Ardex Acquires Majority Stake in Knopp Group

1. Prof. Dr. Hummel Passed away

Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Hummel, who led the research and development center of Knauf KG, Iphofen, Germany for over 25 years has recently passed away at age 63. Prof. Hummel studied Chemistry at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany and obtained his phD in 1987. He was habilitated in 1989. After a short time at Siemens, he joined Knauf in 1992. drymix.info is offering its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and staff at Knauf Group. His death is a grave loss for the global drymix mortar community, his ideas travelled with the Knauf into the world which brought modern drymix mortars even to the remotest areas all around the globe.

2. SEADMA and Promindo Present Drymix Mortars at Construction Indonesia Expo on 13.9.17

In cooperation with Pamerindo Indonesia, the organizers of Construction Indonesia Expo 2017, taking place at Jakarta International Expo (Kemayoran) from 13. to 16. September 2017, The South East Asia Drymix Mortar Association and Promindo (Indonesia Drymix Mortar Manufacturer’s Association) will present several lectures at Construction Indonesia’s public forum. The lectures take place from 15:00 to 16:00 on 13. September 2017, here is a preliminary list of topics:

drymix.info: Drymix Mortar Possibilities: An Overview of the Applications by drymix.info
SEADMA: Standards and Production Requirements for Quality Mortars in ASEAN
Promindo: Introduction to the Association of Indonesian Drymix Mortar Manufacturers
Promindo: Challenges in Designing Formulations of Drymix Mortars for Indonesia

The actual lecturers will be announced by SEADMA and Promindo during this week on Pamerindo’s website. All those having access to Construction Indonesia are being admitted free of charge to the lecturing cycle. To get advice on where the lectures take place, please enquire with us.

3. Registration Opens for Second Iran Drymix Mortar Meeting in Tehran on 9.10.17

The Second Iran Drymix Mortar Meeting takes place at Parsian Evin Hotel (Kohenoor Hall, 2nd floor), Tehran, Iran, on Monday, 9. October 2017 from 09:00 until 17:00. drymix.info is pleased to announce, that the members of The Iran Construction Chemicals Association ICCA and the Iran Mortar Association IMA will be present with delegates and also contribute lectures. also we expect a delegation from Iran's Ministry of Housing Research Center BHRC. As sponsors, we have confirmations by Evonik, Haver & Boecker, Kerneos, Mapei, m-tec, Omya, Testing Bluhm&Feuerherdt and Wacker - without them, such an event would not be possible (thanks a lot! there is room for more).

Online registration is open (Visa or Mastercard required), but there is also a possibility to pay in Iran (see our website for details). Admission to the Iran Drymix Mortar Meeting is 350 Euro, reduced admission for members of drymix.info is 270 Euro. Drymix mortar manufacturers pay only 140 Euro.

4. São Paulo, Brasil, 26. October 2017: Fifth Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc five

For the fifth time, drymix mortar experts meet in São Paulo for the Latin American Drymix Mortar Conference ladmmc five. The full day technical event takes place again at Espaço Transatlântico, São Paulo, Brasil, on 26. October 2017. The Technical Chairman of ladmmc five is Mario Kristeller, we presented the program in our last Newsletter. Sponsors for this conference are (so far: additional sponsoring is still welcome!): Actemium, Aditex, Allgaier, Cimental, Dow Construction Chemicals, Evonik, Formitex, Kerneos, Münzing, Organik Kimya, Parex, Poraver and Saint Gobain Weber. Thanks a lot!

Attention: We are planning a  casual rodisio evening on the day before the conference (Wednesday, 25. October 2017; everyone pays on his own), if you wish to join us please tell us by e-mail.

Delegate registration is available online now (Visa or Mastercard required). Admission to ladmmc five is 310 Euro per person, reduced for members of drymix.info to 270 Euro, there is again a specially reduced admission for Mortar Manufacturers which is only 190 Euro per person . We also offer the possibility to pay via bank transfer in Brasil. Concerning group admissions for sponsors, please enquire with us.

5. MDMMA and SEADMA Invite to 12th Annual Conference in Nusajaya Johor, Malaysia, 23.11.17

The 12th Annual SEADMA Conference takes place at Jen Hotel Puteri Harbor, Nusajaya Johor, Malaysia (just across the second link from Singapore) on Thursday, 23. November 2017, from 11:00 to 19:00. The newly formed Malaysia Drymix Mortar Manufacturer's Association MDMMA (we reported earlier) and SEADMA are proud to welcome the international delegates.

Important: you must know that Jen Hotel is a brand new venue by the Shangri-Là Group and Lego Land is just around the corner (bring your family ;-), so please reserve your room early and maybe stay overnight after the conference - we are planning a casual gettogether on the harbour in the evening. We are arranging a shuttle service from Singapore (leaving early on 23. November, returning in the morning on 24. November), please tell us if you wish to book this service immediately. Here is a glimpse at our preliminary program (subject to change without notice, in alphabetical order by lecturer):

Valérie Audiau, Actemium, France: A Software Suite Dedicated to Piloting of drymix Mortar Plants
Hongfang Chen, Kerneos: Minimizing SLU Drying Time Using Fast-setting Binders
Keunjae Lee, Lottechem, Korea: Experimental Study on the Properties of Self-leveling Mortar with Various Cellulosic Thickeners
Matthias Leeke, AML, Germany: Product Presentation: Automated Production of Drymix Mortar
Jamal Malik, Wacker, Singapore: Formulation of Skim Coats Using Dispersible Polymer Powders
Ian Shaw, m-tec, Germany: (working title) The Use of Mortar Machines on the Jobsite
Claus Ohlmeyer, Haver & Boecker, Germany: Evolution In Packing Technologies For Dust Reductions – From The Manufacturing Plant To The End-User.
Hans-Heinrich Reuter, Testing Bluhm & Feuerherdt, Germany: Quality and Abrasion Testing of Mortars and Screeds - A Laboratory Procedure in Accordance with Euronorm
tbd., Dairen: Enhancing the hydrophobicity of mortar via terpolymer vinyl acetate-ethylene-vinyl chloride
tbd., SEADMA & MDMMA: Formation of Malaysia DMMA
tbd., SEADMA: ASEAN Task force on the Standardisation of Drymix Mortars
various speakers: SEADMA Annual General Meeting AGM

Admission to the 12th Annual SEADMA Conference is Asia Mortar Summit is 350 Euro, reduced admission for members SEADMA is 270 Euro. Drymix mortar manufacturers pay only 150 Euro or enquire with your suppliers. Please book online using your credit card (Visa, Master only).

6. Second Asia Mortar Summit, Sharjah, 26.11.17: Practical session, Preliminary Program, Sponsors

The 2nd Asia Mortar Summit takes place on 26. November 2017 from 09:00 until 17:30. We will start with practical sessions, for which active participation of the students of the Universities on and near the campus will be required (program will be published once fixed). Then the Dean of Sharjah University and Prof. Mufid Samarai, Head of Sharjah Research Academy will greet the assembly. Our sponsors so far include Mapei (Platinum) and Wacker (Platinum) as well as Actemium, Berolan, Frigmaires, Haver&Boecker, Kerneos, Poraver, Schleibinger and Synthomer. The Technical Committee has invited the following lectures for presentation (subject to change without notice, in alphabetical order by lecturer):

Valérie Audiau, Actemium, France: Flexiplant – Smart modular and flexible mixing plant for dry mortar
Dr. Goutam Bhattacharya, Kerneos, India: Fire Protection through Ettringite Materials
Dr. Charles Bobichon, Synthomer, Belgium: New Re-dispersible Powders - The Heat is on!
Dr. Stefano Carrà, Mapei UAE, Dubai: (training session and lecturing title tbd.)
Dr. Michael Monz, Poraver: (working title) Usage of Porous Lightweight Aggregates in Sealing Slurries
K. K. Rajithkumar, Conmix, Sharjah: Sustainable Premix Render: an Economical Way to Protect the Buildings.
Eng. Jalil Al-Sairafi, Nasir Construction, Bahrain: (working title) Experiences with Thermal Insulation in the GCC Nations
Mohammed Sanaobar, Wacker Chemie, Dubai: (working title) Development of Efflorescence-Free Decorative Plaster Formulation Based upon Local Raw Materials (practical session topic still tbd.)

Admission to the Second Asia Mortar Summit is 350 Euro, reduced admission for members of drymix.info, SEADMA or MEDMA is 270 Euro. Drymix mortar manufacturers pay only 150 Euro. There is also a special admission of 90 Euro available only for students and faculty of University of Sharjah and American University Sharjah. In order to encourage mortar manufacturers coming from Europe, South-East or Eastern Asia, we are preparing special travel packages with our sponsors, please enquire with us.

7. Calls for Papers issued for Events in Australia (24.2.2018) and the US (April 26, 2018)

The 4th Australian Drymix Mortar Meeting will take place on Friday, 24. February 2018 in beautiful Hunter Valley to the North of Sydney, NSW. We are still looking for a suitable location to host us - recommendations are welcome within this month. Sponsors are of course welcome at this early stage - signing on as a sponsor now will yield a substantial rebate (money saved for a glass of wine in February next year! ; - ). Please note that the deadline for submission of lecturing proposals is 31. October 2017, the program will be presented in November.

As announced earlier the 6th American Drymix Mortar Conference admmc six will take place in Chicago, Illinois, USA on Thursday, April 26th, 2018 at the same location we were at in 2010 (so much for continuity!): Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Hotel. This particular Call for Papers is also asking for submissions to be published in Drymix Mortar Yearbook 2018, we will inform potential authors about the particulars later. Please note that this Call for Papers expires on 15. November 2017, too. Together with Prof. Dr. Johann Plank (Technische Universität München TUM), Technical Chairman of admmc six, we will announce the program in December 2017.

8. Sika Takes over KVK Holding (Czech Republic)

Sika AG, Baar (Switzerland), has acquired KVK Holding a.s, headquartered in Prague (Czech Republic). KVK is a manufacturer of waterproofing and roofing systems as well as a wide range of drymix mortar products. The company has in six production locations thoughout the Czech Republic  – three for mortars, two for bituminous membranes and one for expanded polystyrene insulation panels (EPS ). A transaction value was not disclosed. KVK Holding had a sales turnover of close to 37 mio in 2016. The transaction is still subject to clearance by anti-trust authorities.

9. Dairen Joins SEADMA as Industrial Partner

Dairen Chemical (M) Sdn Bhd, Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia (DCC) has decided to join SEADMA as industrial partner. The company is a subsidiary of Chang Chun Petrochemical Company, Taipeh, Taiwan. DCC manufactures VinylAcetate Monomers, Vinyl Acetate/Ethylene (VAc/E) copolymer dispersions and redispersible powders based on this technology in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and Jurong, Singapore.

We warmly welcome DCC to our community.

10. AGCM Issues Sanctions for Anti-Trust Violation to Italy's Cement Industry

Late in 2015, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM, Rome, Italy; Italian Anti-Trust Authority) had opened a probe into alledged coordinated price increases by the Italian cement industry, namely by the top producers Buzzi Unicem, Cementir Italia, Industria Cementi Giovanni Rossi and Holcim Italia. The price fixing was suspected to have been conducted via Assoziazione Italiana Economico Tecnico Cemento (AITEC, Rome, Italy) from 2011 to 2015. In August 2017, fines were issued to 12 cement manufacturers including Buzzi Unicem (59 mio Euro), Cementir (5 mio Euro), Colacem (18 mio Euro), Holcim (2 mio Euro), G. Rossi (6 mio Euro), Italcementi (84 mio Euro) and Zillo (4 mio euro), AITEC itself was fined with close to 150.000 Euro.

Italcementi (Bergamo, Italy, part of Heidelberg Cement) has already annouced to appeal the fine and informed the former controlling shareholder of Italcementi S.p.A. as the Share Purchase Agreement (of 2016) includes customary protection against such risks.

11. Ardex Acquires Majority Stake in Knopp Group

Ardex GmbH, Witten, Germany has recently acquired a majority stake in Knopp Group (Knopp-Chemie GmbH, MTC GmbH, Knopp Vertriebs-GmbH), Dettelbach, Franconia, Germany. Knopp is an independent producer of construction chemicals such as additives and binders for concrete and (flooring) screeds based on cement or calcium sulfate as well as epoxy, polyurethane and acrylate-based floor coverings. „Ardex and Knopp complement each other in the field of flooring systems“, says Mark Eslamlooy, CEO of the Ardex Group. Both companies will keep on acting independently. Harald und Ellen Knopp (also Knopp shareholders) remain active in the management of Knopp Group. Knopp employs over 100 people. A transaction value was not disclosed.


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Sincerely Yours, Ferdinand Leopolder