Trelleborg expands recently acquired silicone operations in US

Delano, Minnesota – Trelleborg Healthcare and Medical has completed an expansion project at its Delano facility to increase manufacturing capabilities at the site.

The total investment, which included both equipment and additional cleanroom space, was not disclosed, but Trelleborg said the move was intended to improve daily operations and position the company to better meet growing demand for silicone moulded components.

"We have increased our capacity for silicone moulding while also refining the setup to leverage existing capabilities, such as the in-house tool room, to reduce lead times," Dave Pool, general manager for the Delano facility, said in a news release.

The added space, he said, also enables the company to expand contract manufacturing capabilities and to accommodate the increasing demand for product development.

Trelleborg added 6,000 square feet of ISO Class 7 cleanroom space at the Delano facility, and upgraded the equipment, adding new presses, a material mixing station, clean room silicone storage, alcohol wash, tumbling machines and a packaging cell.

Trelleborg acquired the Minnesota facility through the purchase of the silicone operations of Delano-based Sil-Pro LLC in early 2019.

The recent upgrades, the company said, are in addition to the investment made by Sil-Pro shortly before it was sold to Trelleborg. 

At that time, Sil-Pro repurposed a portion of the 35,000-sq.-ft. site with the intention of adding as many as 10 silicone moulding machines.

Registered as an ISO 9001:2016 and ISO 13485 certified facility, the Delano location's services include moulding, assembly and secondary operations, in-house tool making and high-precision machining for micro moulding and automation.