The expansion project is intended to offer more sustainable PSA solutions for the tape, label, medical, and graphics film markets to meet the growing demand
Henkel has completed the expansion of its Salisbury, North Carolina plant. (Credit: PR Newswire/ Henkel)
German adhesive technologies firm Henkel has announced the completion of the expansion project of operations of its existing site in Salisbury, North Carolina.
The site now has a new 10,000ft², advanced production area for UV-curable acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA).
According to Henkel North America, the expansion also broadens the firm’s capacity to offer more sustainable PSA solutions for the tape, label, medical, and graphics film markets to meet the growing demand.
Henkel UV Hot Melt Pressure Sensitive Adhesives global project manager Bruno Motta said: “The new production area at the Salisbury facility is a major investment for Henkel and represents the first large-scale UV hotmelt production plant outside of Europe, creating a tremendous resource for our customers in North America.
“Being closer to our customers brings supply chain efficiencies and offers additional collaboration opportunities to develop customized, innovative solutions for their high performance and high-value applications.”
Henkel said that hot melt UV-curable adhesives adapt is made to coat a range of facestocks and cater to all pressure-sensitive market segments.
The adhesive technologies firm offers a range of adhesive chemistries from this new plant under the LOCTITE DURO-TAK UV brand, creating its own polymers and offering several curing processes.
Henkel’s cationic cured UV PSAs use a curing technique that enables through-curing of extraordinarily high coat weights while using less energy.
The brand LOCTITE, which is produced by Henkel in Salisbury, is used widely in the packaging, consumer products, and electronics industries.
Following the company’s purchase of the National Starch adhesives division in 2008, the Salisbury facility joined the Henkel manufacturing network.
The facility, which includes the new UV acrylics operation, has more than 217,000ft² of manufacturing space and currently employs 230 people. Twenty more jobs are anticipated to be added there in 2023.
Construction started in August 2020 after Henkel announced the investment in Salisbury in July 2019.