Links in a chain

April 19, 2012 7:15 AM

A fire that closed an obscure chemical plant in a small German town last month barely made European news. However, its biggest impact was felt in Detroit, Michigan. The global car industry's supply chain is so tight that one break in a small link threatens the lot. *

The braking and the fuel systems in cars depend on a resin called PA-12, made out of the chemical CDT (cyclododecatriene), and Evonik Industries' plant in Germany was responsible for possibly a third of the world's supply. There are potential alternatives to CDT, but they may take time to reach the market, especially with a closed factory.

Last year's tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster, which devastated Japanese industry also highlighted * how manufacturers worldwide rely on component suppliers.


_{*Main articles}

posted by Petrot (3 comments total)

Damn, I must have been writing this at the same time as the previous post!
posted by Petrot at 7:16 AM on April 19, 2012

Hmm. So it's to be a front-page showdown then, is it? Well, I beat you to the draw but your aim may have been slightly more on center...
posted by saulgoodman at 7:17 AM on April 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Well, you were first! I put a couple of my links as a comment in your post, so yours should stand now.
posted by Petrot at 7:20 AM on April 19, 2012 [2 favorites]