WENZHOU, China—Huafon Thermoplastic Polyurethane held a trial production run at its newly expanded facility, capable of producing an additional 30,000 metric tons of TPU each year.
The $9 million expansion project—which involved the addition of six new production lines, each with 5,000 tons of annual capacity—will bring the site's total annual capacity to 42,000 tons. It is expected to come on stream once regulatory approval has been issued, bringing an additional 48 jobs.
The TPU maker broke ground on the expansion in 2016 in Wenzhou's Rui'an Economic Zone, where its parent company, chemical conglomerate Huafon Group, has its headquarters.
Huafon Thermoplastic Polyurethane operates a second plant in Wenzhou's Xincheng Industrial Zone. It has 28,000 tons of annual capacity of TPU, as well as 2,000 tons of annual capacity for hot melt adhesive.
The company produces more than 100 TPU products with hardness ranging from 60 Shore A to 70 Shore D. Its products are used in footwear, electronics, automotive parts and membranes.