Celanese and Vigor sign deal for plastic robot joints

Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE) and Vigor Precision Ltd. signed a strategic partnership agreement on August 14 at Celanese's Shanghai Commercial and Technology Center, aimed at developing lightweight plastic joint solutions for humanoid robots.

Under the agreement, Celanese will supply Vigor with high-performance plastic materials and technical support. Vigor, which specializes in precision plastic gears and components, will use those materials to pursue a core development target of reducing the weight of humanoid robot joint modules by more than 30% compared to traditional metal components, while maintaining transmission precision and long-term reliability.

The partnership covers material selection through mass production, with Celanese committing to customized material solutions aligned with Vigor's technical specifications, full lifecycle validation, and consistent performance at scale.

Vigor CEO Hoi-sang Chan and Todd Elliott, Senior Vice President of Engineered Materials at Celanese, attended the signing ceremony.

"Robotics is an increasingly important growth area for engineered materials, with customers seeking compact, durable, lightweight and low-noise solutions that can perform reliably in demanding applications," Elliott said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Vigor, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Hong Kong, operates four manufacturing facilities in Dongguan, China, with approximately 3,000 employees and a production area of 230,000 square meters. Celanese, based in Dallas, reported 2025 net sales of $9.5 billion and employs more than 11,000 people worldwide.

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