DuPont opens new Kalrez production site in Delaware

NEWARK, Del.—DuPont has inaugurated a production facility for perfluoroelastomers in Newark to meet growing demand within the semiconductor and industrial sectors.

The new facility, located at DuPont's Tralee Park Annex will "significantly expand" the U.S. supplier's capacity for Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts.

The site also features "a high-end ISO class 6 cleanroom, upgraded manufacturing equipment, optimized facility layout and space to support future business growth," said DuPont said in a Nov. 6 statement.

In addition to more capacity, DuPont said the facility enables faster cycle times and offers expanded areas for finishing, inspection, packaging and shipping. These will then support higher capacity for customers globally, it added.

DuPont unveiled its plans for the new site in 2018, stating that it intended to relocate Kalrez operations from an existing site in Newark to a facility twice the size.

At the time, the company said it was investing $45 million in the 118,400-sq.-ft. plant to grow product lines for customers in the semiconductor, electronics and industrial markets.

According to the group, Kalrez elastomers are engineered to provide stability, resistance and effective sealing for various applications, from chemical processing to chip manufacturing.

Furthermore, the facility advances the group's "sustainability agenda," said Brian Ammons, global business director for Kalrez.

The unit, according to Ammons, integrates energy, IT infrastructure and a building layout to "minimize energy consumption and maximize efficiency and productivity."

The site will create 50 new positions, including operations, maintenance, engineering and "continuous improvement roles."

Many of the roles will be "STEM-related and critical to safe manufacturing operations," said Nathan Whitmoyer, plant manager for Tralee Park and Tralee Park Annex.

Kalrez elastomer parts, he said, "add value" and offer "reliable and innovative" solutions to customers and the industries they serve.