SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico—Preferred Compounding de Mexico plans to expand its operation with the addition of a 75-liter tilt mixer.
It will add between 15 and 25 employees in the next six months to help handle the firm's growing capabilities and the addition of the mixer. That will bring the size of the company's work force in Mexico to nearly 150.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Copley, Ohio-headquartered Preferred Compounding Corp., the company is adding the mixer to meet demand for FKM, HNBR, ECO and other performance elastomers.
It also will be used for color compounds, according to Scott Lieberman, president of Preferred Compounding de Mexico and executive vice president of the parent company.
Preferred's mixer is the first of its kind in Mexico dedicated for FKM, HNBR and other specialty elastomers that the compounder is aware of, a company spokesman said.
Its new Kneader Machinery KD75-250 tangential tilt mixer will be installed in a facility located adjacent to its main plant in San Luis Potosi.
The new site, which spans about 57,000 square feet, was leased by the company Jan. 1.
Current compounding capabilities at the firm's main San Luis Potosi plant, which is ISO 9001:2008 certified, include two F-270 Farrel Banbury N Series tangential black mixers, gear pump straining and a quality control laboratory.
Preferred Compounding de Mexico has demand for compounds for high heat and harsh chemical environments, Lieberman said.
"The new system enables us to mix HPE and color compounds at appropriate batch sizes."
He said the Mexican operation now can produce compounds from all rubber polymer types.
"This addition adds to our position as the high value-added and full service provider to our customers," Lieberman said.
When the company planned to add the new building in Mexico, it made sure space was available for additional specialty mixing capacity if and when the firm's forecasts indicate there will be increases in demand, he said.
Preferred Compounding de Mexico currently mixes natural rubber, EPDM, NBR, SBR, CR, AEM and ACM on the two F-270 mixers.
Its new specialty elastomer mixer is the third expansion in mixing capabilities at the Mexican operation since Preferred bought the business in 2012.
Lieberman said the specialty elastomer mixing operation in Mexico is benefiting from the deep HPE compounding expertise that came with Preferred Compounding Corp.'s purchase of high performance elastomer compounding specialist Trostel Compounding.
Preferred Compounding produces custom compounds and provides services primarily for the Mexican operations of U.S., Asian and European parts manufacturers.
The operation's services include flexible supply and materials agreements, compound development, improvement and testing resources, and the company's MixLoc Quality Program, which includes 24/7 online access to quality data and more, according to the company said.
Preferred's plant in Tallapoosa, Ga., also has a tilt mixer that's used for specialty and color elastomers.