Entek International, battery separator designer and producer, signed an agreement on January 31 with Separindo, the Indonesia-based polyethylene battery separator producer, to make and sell PE separators for flooded lead acid batteries in Asia.

“The partnership… provides battery producers in the region with expanded access to quality separator products for batteries in the starting, lighting and ignition, traction and stationary power markets,” Entek said.

The company said the decision to partner up was driven by a rapport between the management and operations teams of both firms, which both aim to expand their presence into Indian, Chinese, Korean and south-east Asian markets.

“Separindo has high-quality equipment and the experience to run the complex process to make battery separators.  Entek brings its in-house engineering, fabrication and process team to the partnership,” Entek marketing manager Carri Moffat told BESB. “Together, the Entek-Separindo partnership will have more resources to expand capacity, implement improved production practices and serve more customers with a broader portfolio of products.

“By partnering with Entek, one of the world’s largest separator manufacturers, Separindo gains access to the economies of scale that Entek, as the larger partner, has. Entek designs and builds the world’s largest, most productive lead acid battery separator lines. Separindo will be a full beneficiary of Entek’s ability to provide the most efficient separator production technology in the world. And Entek benefits from Separindo’s strong base of operations and excellent reputation in Asia.”

Entek CEO Larry Keith said: “This agreement fulfills the promise I made at the 2015 Asian Battery Conference that Entek would expand its manufacturing footprint to Asia. Entek’s partnership with Separindo enables us to reach Asian customers with quality products from our product portfolios.”

Moffat said the joint venture had already begun to work on capacity-enhancing projects, specific timing for which would be announced in the months ahead.

In January Daramic, the other major battery separator manufacturer, announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations in India.