Sep 4 2010
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a leading global producer of glass fiber reinforcements for composite systems and residential and commercial building materials, announced today that to meet market demand, the company will increase production of continuous filament fiber glass mat reinforcements by re-starting a second production line at its manufacturing facility in Besana, Italy in October. The action will increase Owens Corning production of continuous filament mat (CFM) by nearly 40 percent compared to the current quarter.
Chuck Dana, group president, Composite Solutions at Owens Corning, said the production increases demonstrate the company's commitment to the composites industry and to supporting current market demand.
"As demand for specific glass fiber products regains strength, we will respond quickly and adjust our reinforcement production to provide the materials our customers need," explained Dana.
The second CFM line at Besana was shut down in 2008 as a result of the global economic downturn. Owens Corning also operates a CFM production line at its manufacturing facility in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Productivity was also improved earlier this year by adding fiber-forming equipment to the production lines at both Besana and Guelph.
Glass fiber CFM is used as a reinforcement in pultrusion and closed molding processes such as vacuum infusion and resin injection. The markets for end-use products made with CFM reinforcements include industrial profiles for hand rails, grating and ladder components, boat hulls, automotive bumpers and hoods, and wind blades. There are also specialty CFM products used in applications such as cold-storage.