The new facility sets standards in the manufacture of high-purity silicones. It meets WACKER's novel Clean Operations principles and thus fulfills quality and purity standards otherwise only typical of the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. "In general, this plant is operating according to selected Good Manufacturing Practice principles, which makes it one of a kind worldwide," said Dr. Bernd Pachaly, head of the Engineering Silicones business unit, at the start of production in early July.
Production, filling and logistics are housed separately and can only be accessed from outside via special airlocks. Particularly strict regulations apply to filling operations. Here, aside from special stipulations regarding clothing and hygiene, air and particle filters ensure compliance with the international ISO standard for class 8 cleanrooms. Also, nothing about quality assurance has been left to chance. Every single production step is monitored and documented constantly. "This is how we can make sure that our products leave the plant in top condition and meet all required quality standards," explained Pachaly.
The new clean-operations facility produces SILPURAN® and ELASTOSIL® silicone elastomers for medical applications, as well as highly specialized LUMISIL®, SEMICOSIL®, and WACKER SilGel® silicone products for encapsulating and coating electronic components. There is also a production line for UV silicones. "In many areas, such as medical technology and electronics, demands on the materials used will continue to become tougher and tougher," the silicones expert added. "Our new product lines and expanded clean room capacity enable us to provide customers with even better and longer-lasting support in meeting the rising material requirements encountered in individual industrial sectors."