Kolon Industries(120110) will strengthen its automotive interior materials portfolio by expanding its polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather production line.
Kolon Industries said on the 29th that it held a completion ceremony for the PU production line at the Gimcheon Plant 1 in North Gyeongsang. The company invested about 24 billion won and built a synthetic leather production system over about 17 months from Feb. last year to June this year.
PU synthetic leather is a material that reproduces the texture and feel of natural leather while offering workability and durability. It is widely applied to major automotive interior parts such as seats, door trims, and consoles. Demand is increasing as the finished car industry expands the use of leather alternative materials.
Kolon Industries applied technology to the production line that reduces harmful substances such as benzene and toluene to strengthen product eco-friendliness. It also installed continuous process equipment that minimizes idle time between processes, improving production efficiency.
The company plans to respond quickly to customers' demands for eco-friendliness and premium quality and to accelerate its entry into overseas markets. Kolon Industries has already supplied various automotive interior materials such as fabric, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) to global customers.
A Kolon Industries official said, "This completion of the PU production line is an investment to proactively respond to the rapidly reorganizing market for automotive interior materials toward eco-friendliness and premium quality," adding, "We will continue to provide optimized automotive interior material solutions for customer demand based on differentiated process technology and a materials portfolio, and we will also work to expand new customers and strengthen business competitiveness."