News Article
Saint Gobain Increase PV Capacity
Equipment increases ability to meet demand for high-performance fluoropolymer thin-film products
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics celebrated the completed expansion of its Worcester, Massachusetts, extrusion facility at a ribbon cutting ceremony today. The investment more than doubles Saint-Gobain's fluoropolymer (ETFE and FEP) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) film manufacturing capability to produce films for photovoltaic (solar) products.
The company is now capable of extruding fluoropolymer film, such as LightSwitch ETFE for the photovoltaic (PV) market, at widths up to 80 inches (two meters) with a range of thickness from .0005" (12.5 µm) to .016" (400 µm). The installation of cutting-edge extrusion equipment allows Saint-Gobain to meet an increased demand for high-performance fluoropolymer film products for the PV, architectural and composite markets.
"The completion of this expansion project allows Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to expand capacity of high-performance thin-film fluoropolymer materials for strategic growth markets that we've supported for many years," says Dave Williams, General Manager, Films Business Unit, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. "Saint-Gobain has made this investment to better serve our customers, supporting their growth, as well as our own."
As part of the expansion, Saint-Gobain has also added capacity for C-treatment, a proprietary surface treatment for fluoropolymers, and a specialized line to produce its patent-pending LightSwitch Complete product. In addition, the investment has created new jobs at the Worcester extrusion facility, providing a boost to the local economy.
