Continental Structural Plastics Moves to New World Headquarters Facility

Continental Structural Plastics (CSP), a global leader in light-weight composite solutions, announced today it has moved into its new 70,000 square-foot world headquarters facility. Located at 255 Rex Boulevard in Auburn Hills, Mich., the new facility expands and enhances CSP’s composite material research, formulation and design capabilities. In addition to an expanded research and development center, the building includes executive, sales and administrative offices; an employee fitness center; several state-of-the-art conference rooms; and a 3,300 square-foot showroom and visitor center.

“The goal is to better serve our customers domestically and around the world,” said Frank Macher, chairman and CEO of CSP. “The new facility allows us to accommodate growing customer needs in durable, light-weight solutions, diversified-composite formulation and sustainability. Our expert staff is continually seeking ways to make our structural composites lighter and stronger, making the new R&D center that much more important.”

CSP’s 29,000 square-foot R&D and Prototype Center is staffed by a dedicated team of chemists, chemical engineers, polymer engineers, materials scientists and technicians, including four Ph.D., four master of science, and five bachelor of science-degreed scientists. The facility features expanded capability for the continued development of advanced composites, including the prototype SMC line, which has been refurbished and upgraded to properly handle and introduce carbon fiber. Also in-house are a 50-ton, 100-ton, and a new 200-ton press suitable for molding test plaques and parts.

Provisions are also being made to expand capabilities into RTM and thermoplastic composite development and to acquire additional equipment including a larger press for molding of prototype automotive parts and a second compounding line for fabrication of carbon fiber SMC and pre-preg.

CSP’s world-class Polymer Development and Analysis lab includes thermal analysis testing (DSC, DMA, TMA, and TGA), Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), chemical property testing (FTIR/Infrared Spectroscopy and EDS/Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) and a fully-equipped mechanical and physical property test area. In addition, the center contains a wet lab suitable for polymer synthesis and chemical testing. The Engineering and Prototype area is equipped with paint booths, conditioning ovens, environmental and salt-spray chambers, CMM tables, and a machining area for building test fixtures.

About Continental Structural Plastics
For more than 40 years, Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has provided leading-edge technologies in light-weight materials and composite solutions for the automotive, heavy truck, HVAC and construction industries. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, CSP holds more than 50 patents covering materials development and manufacturing processes in composite materials formulation, design and manufacturing technologies. For more information, visit www.cspplastics.com.