Stahl commissions polyurethane emulsion facility
Stahl Europe bv has successfully developed and started up a new reactor train, based on in-line reaction technology, for the production of specialised polyurethane dispersions. These are used in downstream formulations for Stahl’s Leather Finish and Permuthane product lines. The official opening of the new facilities at Waalwijk, the
The new plant includes many new features. In-line reaction technology is said to allow production in a highly flexible and efficient manner and minimises operator exposure to chemicals, thereby eliminating the need for protective clothing. Walk-in weighing booths and piggable line systems further enhance the working conditions and reduce waste. Both the technology and product quality have been tested during recent years in laboratories, pilot plant and on a limited commercial scale. They have now been expanded with confidence to a full-scale plant. Stahl intends moving all polyurethane dispersion production from the old production facility to the new one as part of an overall plan to upgrade the Waalwijk site from an environmental and efficiency point of view.
Stahl supplies leather processing products and other market niches. The company, which also has its headquarters at Waalwijk, operates nine manufacturing sites worldwide and has 33 strategically located technical service laboratory facilities with technical experts based at the application laboratories.
