Tuesday, March, 19, 2024 03:39:38

Solvay S.A., the Belgian specialty chemicals company has officially announced the inauguration of its new production plant for aerospace structural adhesives and surfacing in U.K. The company website has confirmed that the plant was inaugurated on Thursday, 20 September at Wrexham, the largest town in Wales.

According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the Wrexham plant is equipped with automation technology and several digital as well as robotic systems. Apparently, a step-change in the manufacturing process, it is expected to optimize the production and supply chain security of aerospace structural adhesives, lightning strike protection and surfacing films for composite aircraft structures, the sources mentioned.

As the project approaches its completion, the company’s capacity for structural adhesives is supposedly anticipated to increase for supporting the accelerated activities in the aerospace industry. While the sources have suggested the Wrexham plant could reach the full commercialization stage by this year’s end, records show that the company also manufactures aerospace structural adhesives and another site in Havre De Grace in Maryland, USA.

Solvay’s head of Composite Materials global business unit, Carmelo Lo Faro said the company’s new production center, which boasts of cutting edge technologies, is industrializing its manufacturing capabilities for structural adhesives and surfacing materials. Aerospace customers demand products that have quality and are reliable, and the new plant will help to meet these needs for the increased rate of aircraft programs, supporting their production system, he added.

Separately, in July this year Powder & Bulk Solids had stated that Solvay had performed a groundbreaking ceremony marking the commencement of an expansion project at its Greenville, Texas aerospace composites manufacturing facility to boost the plant’s resin mixing capacity. As per company records, its innovative products are also utilized by other industry segments including cars, batteries, medical devices and oil & gas extraction.