PPG Industries has begun operation of a new packaging unit installed at its Gonfreville, France, coatings plant and aerospace application support center. With the new equipment, PPG is able to offer customers in aerospace, automotive, rail, electronics and general industrial markets in South Europe the benefits of proprietary SEMCO(R) packaging and application systems.

According to Dirk Thelen, PPG business manager, ASC-South Europe, the new equipment enables PPG to supply its coatings and sealants as well as adhesives and other third-party chemicals in value-added, “customer-friendly” packaging.

“PPG is capitalizing on our expertise to offer customers in South Europe value-added packaging solutions from a local source,” Thelen said. “With SEMCO packaging and application systems, we are able to deliver products for convenient storage, mixing and use to afford higher quality and lower system costs. PPG has a team of experts to work with customers and identify the best packaging for a specific application.”

As part of the Gonfreville operations, the repackaging unit meets quality qualifications such as ISO 9001 and EN 9100 standards, according to Thelen. “The repackaging unit has been approved by several aerospace customers. The benefits of integration into the Gonfreville site include conformance to chemical control and product stewardship requirements and European labeling.”

In addition to aerospace coatings manufactured on site, coatings products from PPG's recently acquired Deft Incorporated portfolio have been integrated into the repackaging activity at Gonfreville for European customers.

The complete line of SEMCO packaging and application systems is available at Gonfreville, according to Thelen. “Among the many options are SEMKIT(R) packages that are popular in the aerospace industry, where optimizing material performance is important.”

SEMKIT packages are ready-to-use, disposable cartridges for storing, mixing and applying multiple-component adhesives, sealants, epoxies, polysulfides, polyurethanes and other materials that require dynamic mixing. “They provide the quality assurance of delivering the material at the ratio needed and contaminant-free, with labor and time savings related to mixing and applying the material,” Thelen said.

Also popular are SEMPEN(R) applicators that contain touch-up quantities of coatings and assembly fluids.

PPG also plans to add premixed and frozen sealants packaging to the portfolio at Gonfreville for customers' convenience, Thelen said.

The Gonfreville facility has 150 employees, began operations in 1980 and manufactures coatings for aerospace as well as packaging applications. Its ASC is one of 16 PPG operates around the world to provide local sales, customer service and technical support for aerospace OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers, airlines and aftermarket customers for PPG Aerospace sealants, coatings and transparencies. PPG's aerospace regional office in Colomiers, France, near Toulouse, provides regional support to OEM and maintenance customers in commercial, business and military aviation as well as military land-based transportation.