Solutia begins design of Saflex manufacturing line at Ghent, Belgium
02 Nov '06
3 min read
At the Glasstec 2006 exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, the Saflex unit of Solutia Inc, which is the world leader in the production and sale of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers, announced it has begun the design and engineering of a new manufacturing line for its Saflex PVB interlayers at its plant in Ghent, Belgium.
Upon the successful completion of the design and engineering phase, the company would begin the construction phase, targeting startup during the second half of 2008. This expansion will bring the total number of Saflex production lines at the plant to three.
"We are making significant investments across our Saflex business in order to meet the growing demands of our customers worldwide," said Luc De Temmerman, President, Performance Products, Solutia Inc.
"This project is a key part of our global growth strategy for the Saflex business, which also includes our recent acquisition of a plant in Puebla, Mexico, and the construction of our new plant in Suzhou, China."
The new Ghent manufacturing line is being designed to produce 3.2-meter-wide rolls of Saflex PVB interlayers. These specific interlayers are used primarily to make laminated glass for the growing European architectural market. The new line also will provide the Saflex business with greater flexibility in how it operates its plants worldwide.
"By designing a third manufacturing line at Ghent, we are taking a key step forward in our strategy to optimize our production on a global scale in order to provide the highest degree of responsiveness, quality and innovation to our customers," said Dirk Duquet, Director of manufacturing for the Saflex business.
marketing@alchempro.com
