PERNIK, Bulgaria—Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, a business unit of Trelleborg A.B., will expand its manufacturing presence in Bulgaria by bolstering its liquid silicone rubber injection molding capacity for food and beverage applications.
The firm said in a news release that the latest investment will increase manufacturing floor space by 150 percent and the capacity of the tool room will be more than doubled. Trelleborg said these moves will allow future growth in small-to-medium sized technical LSR, especially over molded parts for food, beverage, baby care, sanitary, industrial and automotive electronics markets.
A significantly increased area is dedicated to operation under the stricter hygienic requirements of the food and beverage industry.
“Our investment in Bulgaria follows significant investments in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland, and Northborough, Mass.,” Ursula Nollenberger, product director of liquid silicone rubber components, said in the release. “It is part of Trelleborg's strategy to strengthen its positions in selective attractive market segments.”
Trelleborg said silicone accounts for about 2 percent of the total market for rubber and that the advanced LSR segment currently represents about 15 percent of that silicone production. The firm added, however, that silicone is seeing exponential growth in high-tech fields where the technology can meet the manufacturing and design challenges thrown up by complex applications.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions operates more than 20 production facilities and more than 40 marketing companies globally. The unit develops and manufactures precision seals supporting the aerospace, industrial and automotive markets.
Trelleborg is an engineered polymer solutions provider that reported annual sales of $3.29 billion, doing operations in more than 40 countries.