SAERTEX multiCom GmbH Expands Production Capacities
SAERTEX multiCom GmbH has seen encouraging increases in orders in recent years. To continue warranting its usual short-term deliveries and its high level of flexibility in the production of SAERTEX-LINER, the SAERTEX Group decided to expand the facilities of its Saerbeck plant.
New operating premises are gradually being built on the SAERTEX-owned neighboring property with its 25,000 sq m, including 11,000 sq m of manufacturing and office space. After the beginning of construction in September 2010, the first phase has now been completed, covering some 4,500 sq m. This first hall will focus on the impregnation of pipe liners and will have three impregnation lines. “The new, third impregnation line will be set up first. As well as gaining an enormous increase in production capacity, this new and larger facility will enable us to impregnate GRP pipe liners of up to DN 1500,” says Norbert Osterhoff, operations manager at SAERTEX multiCom. The new technology is also suitable for the impregnation of new products such as the SAERTEX TwinTec liner with integrated inner lining.
The new building features the latest technology and a sophisticated, streamlined workflow: a new, computer-controlled storage tank and a fully automatic resin mixer which both set quality standards in liner impregnation – standards that have so far been absent in the industry. For instance, the temperature-controlled storage tanks are pressurized with nitrogen to eliminate variations in humidity, as this might have a negative impact on the high-quality resins and on other chemicals that are used.
The new generation resin mixer has been installed, allowing a high level of precision in the mixing of chemicals. Furthermore, complete documentation of the mixing process ensures ongoing control and traceability.
As soon as pipe liner impregnation has moved to its new premises, the in-house laboratory will move next door where it will continue to conduct quality assurance readings. The lab will have state-of-the-art measuring and test equipment that meets the latest standards.
The entire impregnation hall will be equipped with the latest energy-saving air conditioning. By installing a photovoltaic system on the roofs, SAERTEX multiCom is helping toward climate protection. The company from the Münsterland region is therefore making a good contribution at the local community level, as Saerbeck has been an “
Another highlight on the premises will be a company-owned training center, covering some 2,000 sq m. It will be used for the professional training of equipment operators at annual intervals and also for training new customers. Pipe liners between DN 100 and DN 1200 can be cured with the use of UV light or steam in separable, partly re-usable tubes. In addition, a range of special profiles will be available for test and training purposes, such as egg-shaped and box-shaped profiles.
The next phase is already being planned: the administrative wing and the manufacturing hall will be started soon. The hall, made for the production of dry material, will be used for making SAERTEX-LINER from glass fiber. The SAERTEX Group, which specializes in glass fiber rovings, is a technology leader in large parts of the composites industry and coordinates the worldwide procurement of glass. Glass procurement is therefore backed up by ongoing long-term security, helping SAERTEX multiCom in the development of its innovative range of proprietary developments, using glass fiber rovings.
