PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) has upgraded aerospace sealants manufacturing operations at its facility in Shildon, England, with the installation of new equipment to increase capacity and meet growing demand.
The Shildon facility has been in operation since 1967 and also produces aerospace coatings.
PPG market manager for sealants in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region Sean Lambourne, believes the state-of-the-art equipment gives the company flexibility to respond quickly to higher demand by being able to increase capacity several times, adjusting batch sizes and shift operation.
Lambourne said: "This is a significant expansion for Shildon and positions us well for expected growth of aerospace sealants in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa.
"The added capacity expands PPG’s global sealants manufacturing footprint, complementing the sealants product line made at Mojave, California."
The first phase of the expansion was completed on the cell that produces accelerators, which are used in two-component sealants for high-performance aerospace fuel tank and fuselage applications, Lambourne said. The second phase was on the cell that produces the base compound, supporting all polysulfide and polythioether polymer production for those same high-performance products.
The Shildon facility predominantly services the EMEA region through PPG application support centres (ASC) in Shildon, Hamburg, Germany; Gonfreville, France; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The ASCs repackage sealants in SEMCO(R) packaging and application systems with value-added packaging, including premixed, frozen sealant and SEMKIT(R) packages, which provide mixed sealant at customised fill weights. They also work with customers to develop and produce customised sealant solutions such as PRC(R) seal caps, which are used to dome-seal fasteners.
Image: Sealant operator Kelly Lyons produces accelerators used in two-component sealants. Photo: courtesy of PPG Aerospace.
