French automotive OEM supplier Novares (Paris; www.novaresteam.com) has expanded its production space for complex plastic components at Zrenjanin / Serbia by around a third – 3,000 m² – and added a clean room with capacity of 1m parts per year. The company said the additional space is outfitted with the latest technology and robotics, including five injection presses. The cleanroom boasts two production lines for engine components with infrared welding, automatic component assembly and leak testing sections.

The plant located in the Vojvodina region of northern Serbia supplies automakers Fiat, PSA, Jaguar Land Rover, Suzuki and Dacia. The expansion project cost EUR 5.25m and was supported by the Vojvodina regional government with a cash injection of EUR 200,000 as well as the Serbian government with EUR 300,000. Parallel to the expansion, Novares plans to increase its workforce from 190 currently to 240 by 2019.

In September, the company formerly known as Mecaplast opened its first production facility in North Africa, at Kenitra / Morocco – see Plasteurope.com of 08.06.2017. The 10,700 m² plant primarily supplying a nearby PSA assembly line is equipped with a painting zone with a cleanroom and a clear coat application line.

Components and systems produced at the Moroccan site will include engine components such as air filters and acoustic covers, along with exterior parts such as pillars, mudguards and roof bars in addition to interior parts such as instrument panel components. Initially, 140 people will be employed at the new facility, with the workforce projected to expand to 225 by 2020.