PPG Industries recently announced it has upgraded aerospace sealants manufacturing operations at its Shildon, England, facility with installation of new equipment to increase capacity and efficiency to meet growing demand.

The state-of-the-art equipment gives PPG flexibility to respond quickly to higher demand by being able to increase capacity several times, adjusting batch sizes and shift operation, according to Sean Lambourne, PPG Market manager, Sealants, in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region.

“This is a significant expansion for Shildon and positions us well for expected growth of aerospace sealants in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa,” Lambourne said. “The added capacity expands PPG’s global sealants manufacturing footprint, complementing the sealants product line made at Mojave, Calif.”

The first phase of the expansion was completed on the cell that produces accelerators used in two-component sealants for high-performance aerospace fuel tank and fuselage applications, Lambourne said. The second phase was on the cell that produces the base compound, supporting all polysulfide and polythioether polymer production for those same high-performance products, he said.

For more information, visit www.ppgaerospace.com.