Ten million for health

Matthias Jakob: "With the investment in new cleanrooms of ISO 4 and ISO 5 classes, the processes become even more efficient and the products are available to our customers even faster."

After the acquisition of Silcotech, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is expanding the capacity of the cleanroom manufacturing in Stein am Rhein (Stein am Rhein). The Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Silcotech AG is investing ten million Swiss francs in Stein am Rhein in the production of Life Science products. Following the acquisition of the specialist for the processing of liquid silicone by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Silcotech's manufacturing capacity for cleanroom products will be tripled. This prepares the site for the company's worldwide sales activities. Additionally, the company is responding to increased demand for ongoing products as well as rising needs for new products in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.

"With the expanded manufacturing capacities, we are creating the conditions for increased orders that will come to us through the global sales activities of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions," emphasizes Matthias Jakob. The Managing Director of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Silcotech AG in Stein am Rhein sees the company as significantly strengthened in its global market penetration after the acquisition by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions last year. "After all, Trelleborg itself is a pioneer from the early days in the processing of silicone and can attract customers and orders for our manufacturing site worldwide." However, the capacity expansion is also necessary because a large German pharmaceutical company's asthma medication is conquering more and more markets. "We recently ramped up the production of four silicone seals to a seven-day production cycle for this," Jakob explains the growth demand.

Cleanroom capacity triples

The planned investment of ten million Swiss francs will triple the capacity of the cleanroom manufacturing and increase the overall production capacity of the site by over 30 percent by 2013. On the company premises in Stein am Rhein, a new three-story complex is being built between the two existing buildings. This will house a cleanroom of ISO class 7 (10,000 particles <0.1 µm) and a cleanroom of ISO class 8 (100,000 particles <0.1 µm) according to ISO 13485. By 2013, the construction measures will be completed and will meet the most demanding production criteria. The rooms will be equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, on which components made of liquid silicone with tight tolerances are produced in automated processes.

"With the expansion of the injection molding production in the cleanroom according to the latest standards, the processes will become even more efficient and the products will be available to our customers even faster," assures Jakob. Silcotech designs tools and manufacturing processes for the production of prototype parts up to series production of customer-specific products. The new cleanrooms of the demanding ISO classes strengthen the competitiveness of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Silcotech AG on its way to market leadership in Life Science products.