Saint-Gobain Opens Indonesia Facility

Following successful certification for automotive manufacturing quality from International Automotive Task Force (IATF), Saint-Gobain S.A. (Courbevoie, France), producers of NORGLIDE® Bearings, has announced that its new Bekashi Plant in Jakarta, Indonesia, has moved into full production. The plant represents a great advancement for the company in the country and is their first composite bearing production facility in Indonesia, which produces sliding bearings with a self-lubricating liner of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This facility brings their state of the art technology, manufacturing processes and expertise, which has established these bearings as a market leader in bearing performance, closer to customers in the expanding Indonesian market.

Developed by IATF, ISO/TS 16949 is the globally recognized technical specification and quality management standard for the automotive industry. The certification brings together standards from across Europe and the U.S. to define best practice for design, development, manufacture, install or service of automotive products. Attaining this certification marks a landmark accomplishment for Saint-Gobain’s production in Indonesia. The occasion was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, where executives announced the commencement of full scale quality approved production.

“This is a momentous time for us and for our customers,” said Stuart Kelly, the comany marketing manager for Asia. “Achieving automotive quality certification is a great step forward for us and a testament to the hard work of our talented team on the ground in Jakarta. The significant strategic investment in this new facility demonstrates our commitment to our Tier 1 and original equipment manufacturers partners in Indonesia. Plus, it strengthens our presence in the wider pan-Asian market, allowing closer co-operation, a more responsive service and reducing customer lead times and inventory holdings. We make the small parts that make a big difference, and the new facility allows us to deliver for our customers today and gives us capacity to expand operations in line with the market going forward.”

Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populous country and the Indonesian automotive market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.3 per cent between 2015 and 2020 according to a KPMG study. The facility is initially focussing on customer demand for established NORGLIDE solutions for applications within the seat and hinge categories. Each bearing solution is custom developed with experienced Saint-Gobain engineers in partnership with the customer to deliver on OEM specification and make a big difference to the end user.

Thanks to their PTFE liners and filler compounds, NORGLIDE composite bearings are corrosion-resistant and maintenance-free, offering consistent controlled friction over the life time of the automobile. The PTFE liner compensates for misalignments and tolerances in case of thermal expansion. The composite bearings can be customised for various automotive applications to ensure optimum weight, wear and tear resistance, as well as noise and vibration dampening.

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