PPG expands fibre glass production in China to meet electronics boom

Coatings and specialty products maker PPG Industries has ramped up its fibre glass manufactuting in China.

It said today today that its Chinese joint venture with Nan Ya Plastics Corp, PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co Ltd has started a fourth furnace, with a 38,000 metric tons of annual capacity, the additional furnace will serve the expanding Asian electronics industries.

''This furnace features innovative, state-of-the-art technology,'' said Terry Fry, PPG general manager of global electronics and the company's regional fibre glass business. ''The technological advancements of its manufacturing operation enable us to maximise process efficiency while saving energy and reducing emissions.''

C F Lee, general manager of PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., said, ''The printed circuit board industry continues to grow in Asia. Nan Ya built a vertically integrated production campus in Kunshan that included resin, copper foil, glass fabrics, copper-clad laminates and printed circuit boards. With this expansion, we will continue to support the demands of our business at this location as well as the larger electronics industry.''

''Through our collaboration with Nan Ya, we have enabled PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. to maintain its position as the leader in the manufacture of fibre glass yarns for the electronics industry,'' said Tom Kerr, PPG vice president for fiber glass. ''We remain committed to our partners in Asia and to supporting the global fiber glass industry, its markets and its customers.''

PFG Fiber Glass (Kunshan) Co. Ltd. was founded in 2001 as an equal joint venture between PPG Industries and Nan Ya Plastics Corp. With its four furnaces, the annual capacity of the Chinese joint venture is 144,000 metric tons of electronic-grade glass yarn and reinforcement-grade glass fibre. The two companies also jointly own PFG Fiber Glass Corp in Taiwan, which has three furnaces with approximate production capacity of 90,000 metric tons of mainly electronic-grade glass yarn.