Owens Corning Converts Italian Plant to Proprietary Advantex(R) Glass Fiber Technology
10 Setembro 2009 - 6:05PM
PR Newswire (US)
Production Will Resume with Smaller Environmental Footprint
BRUSSELS, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Owens Corning today
announced the company will re-start its glass fiber reinforcement
manufacturing facility in Vado, Italy, during the fourth quarter,
which has been converted to the company's patented boron and
fluorine-free Advantex technology platform. The platform offers a
higher performing glass fiber and a significantly smaller
environmental footprint compared with standard E-glass processes.
The Advantex glass fiber process is more energy efficient,
resulting in less demand for fossil fuel and emissions reductions
of up to: (1) -- 40 percent carbon dioxide -- 75 percent nitrogen
oxides -- 40 percent sulfur oxide -- 90 percent particulates "As
business activity regains strength in the region and globally,
we're excited to not only be re-starting capacity to meet customer
demand, but also to be bringing technology online that's great for
our customers, great for our company, and great for the planet,"
said Arnaud Genis, vice president and managing director, Europe,
OCV(TM) Reinforcements. Owens Corning Chief Sustainability Officer
Frank O'Brien Bernini added, "Reducing the environmental footprint
and energy intensity of our manufacturing facilities underscores
our commitment to sustainability while providing products that
benefit our customers." The Vado conversion is part of a previously
announced plan to install Advantex glass technology in composites
facilities acquired from Saint-Gobain in 2007. The Vado plant
produces chopped glass fiber strands primarily used to reinforce
thermoplastics in a variety of applications for the transportation,
consumer and electronics markets. For other glass fiber
applications and markets, Advantex glass also provides improved
product corrosion resistance, higher softening-point temperatures
and higher tensile modulus. Better product performance in aqueous
environments is a benefit for such composite applications as pipe
and storage tanks, oil field equipment, sea walls, cooling towers
and pollution control facilities. About Owens Corning Owens Corning
(NYSE:OC) is a leading global producer of glass fiber
reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems and
residential and commercial building materials. A Fortune 500
Company for 55 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to
driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming
markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning had
sales of $6 billion in 2008 and about 16,500 employees in 30
countries. OCV(TM) Reinforcements, OCV(TM) Technical Fabrics and
OCV(TM) Non-Woven Technologies are the three main business units
that make up the Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business. The
business delivers a broad range of reinforcement products that
provide lightweight alternatives to steel, wood and aluminum,
thereby reducing weight and improving energy efficiency. Additional
information is available at http://www.owenscorning.com/. . (1) The
comparison is typical for OCV plant conversions. Actual results
vary from plant to plant. DATASOURCE: Owens Corning CONTACT: Kerry
Desberg of Owens Corning, +1-419-248-5939, Web Site:
http://www.owenscorning.com/
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