“The work at our plant is the result of a desire to serve our customers and position ourselves for growth in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region,” commented Thomas Weigl, vice president and managing director, EMEA.

“These renovations will allow us to better control efficiency from product design through manufacturing to end-product quality control. We want customers to visit to see the difference for themselves.”

Combining two factories

Part of the work involved combining two factories located across the street from one another. The manufacturing process went through an overhaul before any of the work began. The refurbishment aims to benefit the company's nonwovens customers but also customers from the automotive, synthetic fibres, packaging and film and sheet industries.

Due to increased demand for its products, Americhem has installed a new extrusion line in the renovated production hall. A second extruder has been ordered. These new lines will be capable of producing any of the company's masterbatch products, but they are especially adept at creating polymeric additive masterbatch, which can contain one or more additives, such as nDuramax ultraviolet stabilisers, nShield antimicrobials, mBrace softening additives, hydrophilics, hydrophobics, and more.

Continuous improvement

The plant has been undergoing the renovations since 2016. It is part of Americhem's continuous improvement strategy, which extends to improvements in inventory management and strategy. “The renovation and expansion will result in a significant increase in the plant's manufacturing capacity and there is room for future expansion including the soon to be installed production line,” the company explains.

The renovations also included a complete rebuild of the company's existing production equipment, ensuring the highest quality products for Americhem's customers.

In addition, the Manchester plant's laboratories are being expanded and fitted with new equipment, including a new high speed spin line and a polymeric film line. Other manufacturing pilot lines in the lab include injection moulding, extrusion and blow moulding.

www.americhem.com