sia Abrasives opens new plant
sia Abrasives has opened a new manufacturing plant for coated abrasives at its headquarters in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.
Officially opened on May 2, the factory took two years to complete and cost $60 million, making it one of the most significant investments by sia Abrasives in its 135-year history.
The new factory can produce over 430 million square feet of abrasives in one year, enough for a 10-foot roll of material to completely circle the globe. Designed with an eye toward growth, this capacity can potentially be doubled to meet future demand. Additionally, with a longer manufacturing width of up to 77 inches, sia Abrasives can readily expand into new market segments requiring larger sized sanding belts with a minimal number of belt joints.
New process concept increases flexibility
The new abrasives manufacturing plant enables sia Abrasives to improve its ability to serve the customer while at the same time providing a consistently high level of quality, the company said. Integral to the project was the new work-flow process which ensures production is almost entirely free of interruption. The high-tech manufacturing systems use precise, laser controlled and ultrasonically monitored measuring procedures, regulating more than 1,000 process parameters.
The plant was constructed according to strict ecological guidelines. For example, new preparation methods for binder resin have eliminated industrial wastewater. Additionally, air conduction and heat recovery processes have been optimized to reduce heat consumption considerably. Furthermore, all harmful substances are destroyed in an exhaust air cleaning plant.
This new investment will accelerate the aggressive growth plans that sia Abrasives has for the U.S. market, the company said.
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