For a number of years, GF Automotive has been producing aluminum
castings in China for the Chinese automotive industry. Now the Swiss
company's foundry will also manufacture cast iron components locally.
On May 15, the Kunshan iron foundry started up its regular
production.
GF is one of the few manufacturers in China offering safety components
made of spheroidal graphite. The manufacturing process used in the
new plant produces light-weight components to the highest Swiss
standards and is unique in China. The plant has already received
numerous orders from Chinese and international customers, ensuring
that it will run at high capacity from the outset. GF customers and
business partners, together with the Executive Committee and employees
of Georg Fischer, inaugurated the facility.
According to the company, the new plant in Kunshan is a further
milestone in the strategy ongoing expansion of Georg Fischer in the
fast-growing Asian markets. The first step along this road was the
light-metal foundry opened in Suzhou in 2005. The 300 employees in
Suzhou manufacture aluminum products by pressure die casting primarily
for the Chinese market. The new iron foundry in Kunshan is located
only 30 kilometers away, creating synergies between the two plants.
Georg Fischer Automotive has invested CHF 50 million (RMB 320
million) in the new facility. The Chinese market, which is growing
despite the economic crisis, has substantial demand for spheroidal
graphite safety parts such as swivel bearings, wheel mounts and
transverse rods. In addition, new Chinese legal provisions on exhaust
gases and vehicle fuel consumption levels are driving demand for
light-weight components manufactured to the latest standards.
The
foundry in Kunshan, which will initially work one shift with 110
employees, will introduce a second shift in September with 170
employees. Next year, the plant will go over to a three-shift
operation with 250 employees. The facility has a total of 140,000 sq.
meters of land earmarked for construction, where another four modules
can be built.
Georg Fischer is
focused on its three core businesses GF Automotive, GF Piping Systems
and GF AgieCharmilles. Founded in 1802, the company is headquartered
in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and has over 140 locations worldwide
including 50 production facilities. With some 14,000 employees, it
generated annual sales of 4.5 billion Swiss francs in 2008.
For more
information, visit
www.georgfischer.com.