PPG announces $1.4M automotive A&S plant investment

PPG (NYSE: PPG)  announced the completion of a $1.4 million investment at its automotive adhesives and sealants (A&S) manufacturing and research and development (R&D) center in Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, France.

The upgrades to the facility include new structural adhesives and waterborne LASD (liquid applied sound damper) manufacturing cells, improved laboratory and testing space, upgraded equipment to simulate automotive body shop conditions, and improved technical capabilities. This facility enhances the link between PPG’s R&D efforts and customer needs with integrated services and increased resources.

“As the automotive industry goes through rapid changes, we’re innovating to support our clients beyond manufacturing and product development,” said Gary Danowski, PPG vice president, automotive coatings. “This investment is a continuation of our ambition to support customers in solving some of their biggest challenges.”

The investment at PPG’s automotive adhesives and sealants center showcases the following improvements:

*         Application Centre of Development trial areas have been upgraded to recreate the factory line conditions of customers’ paint and body shops more accurately with state-of-the-art robots, sophisticated dispense systems, flow meters and regulation equipment.

*         The facility’s updated equipment reduces the number of steps between laboratory formulations and manufacturing batches before trials at customer facilities.

*         A dedicated PPG team now guides customers through product development stages and the transition into customer manufacturing, which shows customers efficient processes that minimize time and cost.

*         The improvements allow the Saint-Just-en-Chaussée facility to produce all of PPG’s A&S technologies.

“The site has played an instrumental role in strengthening PPG’s position as a reliable and innovative partner for automakers,” said Jean-Marc Pinel, PPG technical director, automotive adhesives and sealants. “Our support to customers from start to finish is unmatched in the industry and will allow us to continue to grow both in Europe and globally.”

Saint-Just-en-Chaussée is PPG’s leading automotive adhesives and sealants facility in Europe and has been in operation for over 30 years.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™

At PPG (NYSE: PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 130 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $14.3 billion in 2016. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com