 "Wacker to expand silicone sealants and specialty silicones capacity in South Korea")
Germany chemical firm Wacker Chemie AG will invest around Euro 16 million to expand its silicone elastomer production capacity in Jincheon, South Korea. The new facilities will include production plants for silicone sealants, specialty silicones and liquid silicone rubber. At the same time, existing production units in Jincheon will be transferred to the new site. Construction work will start end of July, while production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018. The new expansion project is Wacker’s response to growing regional demand for silicone elastomers in the construction, electronics and automotive industries.
“The Asian market for sealants and encapsulants is growing at an incredible rate. In order to meet increasing demand over the long term, we have decided to significantly increase our production capacity in Jincheon. In this way, we intend to secure and continue expanding our position as a leading silicone manufacturer in the region and profit from Asia’s strong growth,” noted Auguste Willems, executive board member of Wacker.
Wacker operations in Jincheon began in 2010 with the production of silicone sealants for construction applications and a variety of specialty silicone products for the electronics industry. Due to space constraints, however, capacity expansions at the existing site are not possible. For this reason, Wacker will dismantle the production facilities there late next year and transfer them to the new site in Jincheon.
For several years now, Wacker has been developing specialty silicone gels, encapsulants and thermally conductive silicone adhesives for the electronics and lighting industries. During this time, South Korea has emerged as a stronghold for automotive and consumer electronics. That makes Jincheon the ideal location for these kinds of specialty silicones, Willems added.
“The Asian market for sealants and encapsulants is growing at an incredible rate. In order to meet increasing demand over the long term, we have decided to significantly increase our production capacity in Jincheon. In this way, we intend to secure and continue expanding our position as a leading silicone manufacturer in the region and profit from Asia’s strong growth,” noted Auguste Willems, executive board member of Wacker.
Wacker operations in Jincheon began in 2010 with the production of silicone sealants for construction applications and a variety of specialty silicone products for the electronics industry. Due to space constraints, however, capacity expansions at the existing site are not possible. For this reason, Wacker will dismantle the production facilities there late next year and transfer them to the new site in Jincheon.
For several years now, Wacker has been developing specialty silicone gels, encapsulants and thermally conductive silicone adhesives for the electronics and lighting industries. During this time, South Korea has emerged as a stronghold for automotive and consumer electronics. That makes Jincheon the ideal location for these kinds of specialty silicones, Willems added.