Pittsburgh-based PPG said last week it had completed a $2.7 million expansion to its powder coatings plant in Sumare, Brazil.
The unit is expected to reach full capacity this month after the expansion project increased its manufacturing capacity by 40 percent.
“Powder coatings are one of the fastest-growing coating technologies in the world, and PPG is committed to meeting the growing global demand by investing in R&D, facility expansions, and acquisitions to develop our production capacity and expand our global presence,” said Marizeth Carvalho, PPG general manager, Latin America South and global business director, Powder Coatings. “A key factor driving the rapid adoption of powder coatings is the growing interest in more sustainable solutions.”
The plant is now equipped with new, state-of-the-art automated equipment, that allows for better process control while reducing setup time for the color matching and production. PPG said more investments in automation are planned, including integrating connectivity devices and process synchronization technology. The current project represents investment to meet its customers demand for powder coatings, especially from local manufacturers of appliance, agricultural machinery, transportation and other industries, and is part of PPG’s commitment to upgrade five powder coating facilities.
The company said that because the powder coatings do not contain volatile organic compounds and are fully recoverable, the powder is not deposited on the substrate during application and can be reused which reduces waste and increases sustainability goals for PPG and its customers.