PPG (Pittsburgh, Pa.) announced that it has completed an expansion of its powder coatings plant in Sumaré, Brazil. The $2.7 million (13 million Brazilian reals) project increased the production capacity of the facility by 40%. The unit is expected to reach full capacity this month.
PPG employees working in the newly modernized powder coatings facility in Sumaré, Brazil. (Source: PPG)
The plant has been equipped with new, state-of-the-art, highly automated equipment, allowing for better process control and quality and less setup time for color matching and production. Additional investments in automation are planned at the site, including the integration of connectivity devices and process synchronization technology.
This investment aims to meet the growing demand for powder coatings from local manufacturers of appliances, agricultural machinery, transportation, and other industries for products such as steel furniture, storage structures, gym equipment and electrical panels and transformers.
The expansion is part of PPG’s latest global investment to upgrade five powder coatings manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Latin America, announced earlier this year to meet growing customer demand for sustainably advantaged products.
“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,” Carvalho said.
Powder coatings do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are fully recoverable. This means that the powder that is not deposited on a substrate during application can be reused in the painting system, reducing waste and contributing to the achievement of sustainability goals for PPG and its customers.