Trelleborg Makes Further Investment in Bulgaria

Date: 06.10.15
</br><b>Trelleborg Makes Further Investment in Advanced Liquid Silicone Rubber Injection Molding in Bulgaria</b>

In April this year, Trelleborg utilized an option from 2011 to acquire the outstanding 50 percent of the shares in the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions LSR operation in Bulgaria. This latest investment will increase manufacturing floor space by 150% and the capacity of the tool room will be more than doubled. This expansion will allow future growth in small- to medium-sized technical LSR, especially over molded parts for food, beverage, baby care, sanitary, industrial and automotive electronics markets. A significantly increased area is dedicated to operation under the stricter hygienic requirements of the food and beverage industry.

Continued investment

Ursula Nollenberger, Product Director, Liquid Silicone Rubber Components, says: “Our investment in Bulgaria follows significant investments in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland and Northborough in the U.S. It is part of Trelleborg’s strategy to strengthen its positions in selected attractive market segments.

“Silicone rubber is a specialized material, accounting for just two percent of the total market for rubber. The advanced LSR segment currently represents around 15 percent of that silicone production. However, it is seeing exponential growth, particularly into high‐tech fields where the technology can meet the manufacturing and design challenges thrown up by complex applications.

Specialized production

“Operating in this emergent niche, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is the world’s leading exponent of precision LSR and 2-component (2C) processing. Complex geometries, including multi‐components, are produced at our strategically positioned global manufacturing facilities in the same consistent way, with the same processes worldwide.”

The Trelleborg Sealing Solutions facility in Pernik, Bulgaria is one of three sites where Trelleborg Sealing Solutions specializes in Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) injection molding. In addition to the Pernik, Bulgaria site, these are strategically located in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland, Northborough, Massachusetts, U.S.