United States-based polymers and fibers producer Invista has opened a manufacturing facility in
Shanghai for the production of high-tenacity nylon 6,6 fiber for automotive airbag applications.
The company has invested more than US$50 million in the new plant — the largest of its kind in
China, with an annual production capacity of 11,000 tons.
“We see great potential in the airbags market in Asia,” said Dan Stone, president,
Performance Surfaces & Materials, Invista. “The establishment of the new airbag fiber
manufacturing plant signifies our commitment to address the growing needs of airbags and other
high-tenacity nylon fibers in the region.”
Left to right: Francis Lee, managing director, Invista Asia-Pacific; Dan Stone, president,
Invista Performance Surfaces & Materials; Gao Kang, mayor, Qingpu Municipal Government; and
Zhang Wangyao, vice mayor, Qingpu Municipal Government, celebrate the opening of Invista Specialty
Fibers (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.’s airbag fiber plant.
With the new facility, located in the Shanghai Qingpu Industrial Zone in close proximity to
major automotive supply chains, Invista is the only global company that has wholly owned airbag
fiber capacity on three major continents, including North America, Europe and Asia. The company
also is building a textile research center and plans to build a nylon 6,6 intermediates plant in
Shanghai, and it is expanding its spandex operations in Foshan, China.
November/December 2008