The Chinese subsidiary of German machinery maker Coperion (Stuttgart; www.coperion.com) will move into a new facility in Nanjing’s Jiangning District in September this year. The 15,000 m² site, work on which began in May last year, will focus on manufacturing the company’s STS and CTE twin screw extruder series and will also have a new quality control centre. Coperion said the current production site used by its Coperion (Nanjing) Machinery subsidiary will in the future be designated for R&D and technology use only, as mandated by the Nanjing Jiangning government’s plan.

The site’s test centre, which is currently equipped with a STS 35 and a STS 50 compounder, will also be extended with both upstream and downstream equipment, including material handling, to allow customers to make process tests. Coperion plans to expand the site in late 2015 by adding a new ZSK 32 Mc twin screw extruder with 18 Nm/cm³ torque.

Commenting on the move, Coperion president Thomas Kehl said, “Coperion Nanjing will play a more important role in the Coperion network not only as an extruder manufacturing site but also from a customer service point-of-view.” Coperion Nanjing managing director Joanne Shen added that the new plant underscores the company’s “high expectations” for future development.