Americhem Europe, a leading provider of colour and additive solutions for synthetic fibres, is completing a plant-wide renovation and redesign of the factory's workflow to give the plant a lean, first class workflow that will increase productivity and product quality, according to the company.

Thomas Weigl, vice president and managing director, EMEA said that the work at their plant is the result of a desire to serve their customers and position themselves for growth in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Part of the work involved combining two factories located across the street from one another. The manufacturing process went through a lean overhaul before any of the work began. The refurbishment will benefit the company’s nonwovens customers.

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

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.

The plant has been undergoing the renovations since 2016. It is part of Americhem’s continuous improvement philosophy, 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 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.

Americhem will be participating in Index 17, the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition to take place from April 4 to 7, 2017, at the Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland.