The automotive division of German OEM supplier Röchling (Mannheim / Germany; www.roechling.com/uk) recently dedicated its expanded facility at Oarja, Piteşti / Romania. On space enlarged by 7,500 m² to 16,100 m², the company’s now 182 employees manufacture fuel-saving and emissions-reducing equipment, including the active grille shutter system and the SCR exhaust gas aftertreatment and filling systems belonging to the portfolio of the new joint venture with automotive hoses manufacturer Errecinque (Mappano / Italy; www.errecinque.it).

Cowl grilles, compact and lightweight intake manifold and air filter systems from Röchling Automotive as well as housing elements and precision components made by the new corporate unit Röchling Precision Components – see Plasteurope.com of 15.06.2018 – also are produced at the Romanian site and supplied to carmakers Volkswagen, Ford, Daimler and Renault/Dacia. With the unquantified new investment, Röchling said its automotive division is responding to increasing demand for its efficient technologies. The current expansion is the second since the original facility was built in 2011. In 2014, the production area was expanded by 1,600 m².

In other news, Röchling Maywo (Bad Grönenbach / Germany; www.maywo.com), which claims to be one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of single-layer and co-extruded PS and ABS sheet, has officially opened is logistics hall and a nearly 10,000 m² extension to its production facilities at the Bad Grönebach site – see Plasteurope.com of 23.10.2017. Separately, a 15,000 m² warehouse and production hall has been added. The EUR 5m investment created 25 jobs. With the expansion, the company, part of the Röchling group since 2012, said it is “setting the course for further growth” at the German location.