Damaged resin plant will be down till at least Oct.

Associated Press

DETROIT

The owner of a German factory that makes a key resin used in auto parts said Thursday that the plant will be out of commission until at least October.

The Evonik Industries AG plant was damaged badly in a March 31 explosion and fire, setting off a mad scramble by global automakers to find substitute materials. A shortage of the resin is threatening to cut global car and truck production just as the U.S. auto sales recovery is accelerating. Automakers and parts companies are testing substitutes but aren’t sure if they’ll be ready to go in time to hold off any auto-production cuts.

The Evonnik plant in western Germany made at least a quarter of the world’s PA-12, a nylon resin used in fuel and brake lines and hundreds of other auto parts.