Dow Corning raising capacity as demand soars

By Liz White, ERJ staff

Midland, Michigan-Dow Corning Corp.'s is raising production of silicon-based products and said it will build a Chinese manufacturing plant by the end of the decade. It has already increased production by more than 15 percent in the end of the first half of 2004 and plans further increases-“in response to a surge in global demand,” according to a company statement.

The group is performing a manufacturing “stretch” at its Barry, UK, plant, to increase production of polydimethyl siloxanes by nearly 15 percent by early October. Another major expansion at the site is slated for 2006, said Dow Corning.

Longer-term, the supplier said it has plans for “significant expansion” in silicones manufacture for Asian markets, and specifically with the construction of “a world-class manufacturing facility in China by the end of the decade.”

The company is also exploring supply options in India, recently concluding an agreement to purchase land there, according to Courtney Rowe, Dow Corning global product line manager.

“Innovation in a wide range of industries, coupled with major building initiatives and infrastructure requirements in emerging markets are really driving demand for siloxanes and other core silicones,” said Rowe. “We're working hard to respond to this significant increase in demand by optimising production wherever we can,” he added.