Covestro has begun construction of a new Vulkollan® raw material production plant in the Map Ta Phut Industrial Zone in Thailand. Through the new plant, the company aims to meet the growing demand for high-performance elastomers and provide services for a wider range of applications of the product. The investment amount is in the mid-to-high double-digit million euro range. Production at the new plant is scheduled to start at the end of 2022. It will employ more than 25 employees.
"Through this strategic investment, Covestro hopes to further improve its infrastructure and customer proximity, and strengthen its position in the Asia-Pacific region," said Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Covestro. After the production capacity of polycarbonate film, we are now expanding the production range of our Map Ta Phut plant through a new investment project."
"With this additional production line, we not only support the needs of our customers," explains Michael Friede, head of the coatings, adhesives, and specialty products department. "We are also investing in future global growth applications and industries with high-end requirements."
"Due to its extremely high mechanical strength and dynamic load capacity, this elastomer is the engineering material of choice for demanding applications," explained Dr. Thomas Braig, Director of Elastomers. "In addition, compared with other elastomers, its long-term reliability optimizes the total cost. This makes Vulkollan® a perfect material not only in the material handling industry, but also in more and more engineering applications."
This product is one of the most powerful elastomers on the market. It is mainly used where the highest mechanical strength and wear resistance are required. For example, forklift wheels and couplings and seals in the engineering industry.