PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) has begun operation of a new packaging unit installed at its Gonfreville coatings plant and aerospace application support centre in France.
With the new equipment, PPG is able to offer customers in aerospace, automotive, rail, electronics and general industrial markets in Southern Europe the benefits of proprietary SEMCO (R) packaging and application systems.
PPG business manager ASC-South Europe Dirk Thelen said the new equipment enables PPG to supply its coatings and sealants, as well as adhesives and other third-party chemicals, in value-added, ‘customer-friendly’ packaging.
"PPG is capitalising on our expertise to offer customers in South Europe value-added packaging solutions from a local source," Thelen said.
"With SEMCO packaging and application systems, we are able to deliver products for convenient storage, mixing and use to afford higher quality and lower system costs. PPG has a team of experts to work with customers and identify the best packaging for a specific application."
As part of the Gonfreville operations, the repackaging unit meets quality qualifications such as ISO:9001 and EN:9100 standards,
"The repackaging unit has been approved by several aerospace customers. The benefits of integration into the Gonfreville site include conformance to chemical control and product stewardship requirements and European labelling," Thelen added.
In addition to aerospace coatings manufactured on site, coatings products from PPG’s recently acquired Deft Incorporated portfolio have been integrated into the repackaging activity at Gonfreville for European customers.
The complete line of SEMCO packaging and application systems is available at Gonfreville, according to Thelen. "Among the many options are SEMKIT (R) packages that are popular in the aerospace industry, where optimising material performance is important."
SEMKIT packages are ready-to-use, disposable cartridges for storing, mixing and applying multiple-component adhesives, sealants, epoxies, polysulfides, polyurethanes and other materials that require dynamic mixing.
"They provide the quality assurance of delivering the material at the ratio needed and contaminant-free, with labour and time savings related to mixing and applying the material," Thelen said.
Also popular are SEMPEN (R) applicators that contain touch-up quantities of coatings and assembly fluids. PPG Aerospace also adds packaging capabilities at the site in France.
PPG plans to add premixed and frozen sealants packaging to the portfolio at Gonfreville for customers’ convenience, Thelen added..
The Gonfreville facility, which has 150 employees, began operations in 1980 and manufactures coatings for aerospace, as well as packaging applications.
Its ASC is one of 16 that PPG operates around the world to provide local sales, customer service and technical support for aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers, airlines and aftermarket customers for PPG Aerospace sealants, coatings and transparencies.
PPG’s aerospace regional office in Colomiers, France, near Toulouse, provides regional support to OEM and maintenance customers in commercial, business and military aviation, as well as military land-based transportation.
Image: Value-added packaging. Operator Severine Duprey fills a cartridge with sealant in the new repackaging cell at PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) Gonfreville, France, coatings plant and aerospace application support centre. Cartridges enable accurate and efficient application of materials, and they are among the many configurations available with SEMCO(R) packaging and application systems.
