Federal-Mogul Powertrain today announced the opening of a new sealing facility in China, Federal-Mogul Sealing Systems Co., Ltd.. Relocated from its previous Nanchang address, the new site offers triple the available space and is located in the Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone. Investment in the new facility will meet increasing demand from domestic automotive OEMs for high-performance sealing products, in line with market demands for higher fuel economy and lower engine emissions.
“China is an important market and manufacturing base for Federal-Mogul Powertrain. Operation of the new Nanchang facility provides a complete technology portfolio and significantly increases capacity in line with our global business focus,” said Andrea Pappagallo, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Sealing and Gaskets, Federal-Mogul Powertrain. “The investment in this site demonstrates our confidence in the Chinese market, and ambition to achieve sustained growth in the country. For their role in enabling a successful relocation process, we are grateful for the support from local officials at the Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone.”
New production lines will manufacture Federal-Mogul’s award-winning MicroTorq® low-friction dynamic seal, which meets car manufacturers’ demands in reducing power loss. MicroTorq® complements the Nanchang site’s comprehensive range of gaskets and sealing products, including cylinder head gaskets and exhaust gaskets made from multiple layers of metal or mixtures of metal and rubber, as well Nimbus® heat shields and Unipiston® bonded clutch piston products.
“The previous sealing facility in Nanchang marked the first manufacturing investment for Federal-Mogul in China,” explained Felix Cheng, Vice President and General Manager, Federal-Mogul Powertrain China and Korea. “This new site is an important addition to our China and Asia business. The newly installed technology and capacity paves the way for stronger growth of our business in this dynamic market.”
By providing a significant capacity increase for gasket products, the new facility improves production capacity for current heavy-duty diesel engine gaskets to meet future production demands. In response to the industry trend of engine lightweighting, the new facility has also introduced advanced aluminum production technology, which can be applied to dynamic seals and a variety of rubber cold gaskets, helping to reduce weight and meet customer demand for anti-corrosion products.
Investment in the new plant, including new equipment, production lines and technologies, ensures that the state-of-the-art Nanchang facility is at the leading edge of the global sealing industry. For example, the new facility’s cleaning laboratory is equipped with air showers and is able to analyze particle weight, size, quantity and type to ensure precise monitoring and control of cleanliness during the manufacturing process of high quality products.
Today, Federal-Mogul Powertrain operates 11 wholly-owned or joint venture operations in eight Chinese cities, with the Asia Pacific Technical Center in Shanghai providing leading technology and services to vehicle manufacturers in China as well as other countries worldwide.