Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, Tenn.) announced that it is making an investment to upgrade and expand its extrusion capabilities for production of interlayers product lines at its Springfield, Massachusetts, manufacturing facility. The investment will strengthen Eastman’s supply capability to respond to regional and global demand for Saflex polyvinyl butyral (PVB) products in the automotive and architectural markets and enhance facility capabilities to enable production of specialty architecture and automotive PVB products, including thicker gauges and advanced tri-layers formulations such as Saflex acoustic interlayer products. The project is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“We are committed to supporting the growing global demand for specialty interlayers products, strengthening our regional service capabilities, and investing in asset capabilities to serve glass laminators’ needs for high-performing, high-quality products,” said Travis Smith, vice president and general manager of Eastman’s Films business. “The trends in both automotive and architectural end-use markets are driving increasing needs for high-performance interlayer products, and we are excited about the opportunities this investment creates to further enable our innovation-driven growth strategy.”
Saflex interlayers are made of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) films laminated between two sheets of glass. Eastman’s PVB interlayers enhance automotive glass lamination in a variety of ways, including head-up display technology, solar control, sound reduction, and safety, security, and UV protection. Interlayers is a part of Eastman’s Advanced Materials business segment.