WACKER Expands Production Capacity for Specialty Silicones in Asia
27 Jan 2025
2 Min Read
CW Team
Wacker Chemie AG started up two new production facilities for specialty silicones in Japan and South Korea. The expansion strengthens the company鈥檚 activities in the Asian growth market. The new plants, located in Tsukuba, Japan and in Jincheon, South Korea, will serve the growing demand from the automotive and construction industries for these products. In total, WACKER has invested an amount in the double digit million Euro range in the capacity expansions.
鈥淲ith the expansion of our production facilities in Japan and South Korea, we are strengthening our position as a market and technology leader for high-quality silicone solutions in the important Asian growth market,鈥� said Christian Kirsten, WACKER Executive Board member responsible for the Group鈥檚 silicones business, at the opening. 鈥淭he additional capacity will help us meet growing demand, especially from the local automotive and construction industries. By doing so we continue to drive our specialties strategy in the silicones sector.鈥�
Asia is already one of WACKER鈥檚 most important sales regions. 鈥淲e generate more than 40 percent of our sales in Asia. Our business activities in Japan and South Korea are major contributors鈥�, empha-sizes WACKER鈥檚 executive board member Angela W枚rl, who is responsible for the Asia region. 鈥淭he new production lines in Tsukuba and in Jincheon support our strategy to locate our manufacturing capabilities close to our customers in the region.鈥�
The capacity expansion at WACKER鈥檚 production site in Tsukuba is targeting customers from the automotive industry, especially in the field of electromobility. The newly built plant hosts a production line for manufacturing silicone-based thermal interface materials (TIM). These materials are basically silicone elastomers that have been modified with various additives and fillers during compounding to render them thermally conductive.
Aside from the automotive industry, silicone-based TIM also serve as so called gap fillers in the electronics industry, where they provide effective thermal management of electrical components. The batteries in electric cars, for example, are embedded in silicone encapsulants. This ensures controlled dissipation of the heat generated during operation and protects the traction battery from overheating.
Wacker Chemie AG started up two new production facilities for specialty silicones in Japan and South Korea. The expansion strengthens the company鈥檚 activities in the Asian growth market. The new plants, located in Tsukuba, Japan and in Jincheon, South Korea, will serve the growing demand from the automotive and construction industries for these products. In total, WACKER has invested an amount in the double digit million Euro range in the capacity expansions.
鈥淲ith the expansion of our production facilities in Japan and South Korea, we are strengthening our position as a market and technology leader for high-quality silicone solutions in the important Asian growth market,鈥� said Christian Kirsten, WACKER Executive Board member responsible for the Group鈥檚 silicones business, at the opening. 鈥淭he additional capacity will help us meet growing demand, especially from the local automotive and construction industries. By doing so we continue to drive our specialties strategy in the silicones sector.鈥�
Asia is already one of WACKER鈥檚 most important sales regions. 鈥淲e generate more than 40 percent of our sales in Asia. Our business activities in Japan and South Korea are major contributors鈥�, empha-sizes WACKER鈥檚 executive board member Angela W枚rl, who is responsible for the Asia region. 鈥淭he new production lines in Tsukuba and in Jincheon support our strategy to locate our manufacturing capabilities close to our customers in the region.鈥�
The capacity expansion at WACKER鈥檚 production site in Tsukuba is targeting customers from the automotive industry, especially in the field of electromobility. The newly built plant hosts a production line for manufacturing silicone-based thermal interface materials (TIM). These materials are basically silicone elastomers that have been modified with various additives and fillers during compounding to render them thermally conductive.
Aside from the automotive industry, silicone-based TIM also serve as so called gap fillers in the electronics industry, where they provide effective thermal management of electrical components. The batteries in electric cars, for example, are embedded in silicone encapsulants. This ensures controlled dissipation of the heat generated during operation and protects the traction battery from overheating.
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