Performance Fibers has announced it will increase the capacity for high modulus, low shrinkage polyester fiber and fabric at its Kaiping, China plant to meet the ongoing demand from the tire industry.
The latest expansion will increase combined production of dimensionally stable polyester fiber and fabric production by 50 percent. The investment is the latest in a multi-phase expansion plan over the past four years that has continuously added capacity to support Performance Fibers' DSP yarn and fabric used in the reinforcement of tires.
Greg Rogowski, president and CEO of Performance Fibers said that this latest investment demonstrates their ongoing commitment to meet the global demand of the tire industry, which continues to experience strong growth.
Performance Fibers will add new advanced spinning machines to produce greater quantities of its high modulus, low shrinkage fiber, continuing a plan that added the infrastructure for this new equipment in 2006. The first part of this expansion is expected to come online in November 2008, with the following stage to begin production in early 2009.
The company also will add direct cablers and air jet looms to increase fabric capacity. Construction on a second level of its existing facility to house the new, state-of-the-art equipment will begin this quarter, with production to begin next year.
Performance Fibers is one of the leading suppliers of HMLS polyester fibers in China and entered China more than a decade ago in 1993. With manufacturing facilities in North America, Asia and Europe, its products are used in a wide range of consumer and industrial applications. Performance Fibers is owned by Performance Fibers Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc.