Wacker Chemie AG announced on January 24 that it will invest tens of millions of euros to build two new dedicated silicone production facilities in Tsukuba, Japan and Jincheon, South Korea, to meet the growing demand for dedicated silicone in the automotive and construction industries.
According to reports, the WACKER Tsukuba production site is mainly aimed at customers in the automotive industry, especially in the field of electric vehicles. The new facility will have a production line for silicone thermal interface materials. The silicone thermal interface material is an silicone elastomer that is modified during the compounding process using various additives and fillers to obtain thermal conductivity. In addition to the automotive industry, silicone thermal interface materials can also be used as caulks in the electronics industry to provide efficient thermal management of electronic components.
The WACKER Chinchon site has been producing silicone sealants for the construction industry since 2010 and specialized silicone, liquid silicone rubber and silicone elastomers for the automotive and electrical industries since 2012. At present, the site's silicone sealant production capacity cannot meet the growing market demand for sealants. The establishment of the new production line will significantly increase the capacity of the Jinchuan base.
"With the expansion of WACKER's production facilities in Japan and South Korea, we will further strengthen WACKER's position as a market and technology leader in high-quality silicone solutions in the Asian market," said Christian Kirsten, director and head of the silicone business at WACKER.
Asia has become one of WACKER's most important sales regions. "Our sales in Asia account for more than 40 per cent of the group's total, with Japan and South Korea being the biggest performers." "The new production facilities in Tsukuba and Chinkawa are part of WACKER's corporate strategy to continuously strengthen our manufacturing capabilities in specific regions," stresses Angela Worl, Director and Head of Asia.
