Covestro AG yesterday announced an increase in local investment to expand its production of paint protection film, a protective film for vehicles for which there is soaring demand in Asia.

The expansion of a plant in Changhua County, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year, aims to increase manufacturing capacity, as well as the company’s research and development facilities, Covestro Taiwan Ltd (科思創) said in a statement.

The company has witnessed rising demand for paint protection film in Asia, Ryan Lin (林祐涵), business development manager for thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) at Covestro Taiwan, told the Taipei Times in an interview.

Photo courtesy of Covestro Taiwan Ltd

“In the West, it has been popular among car owners to install the film to give their cars extra protection, and it has gained popularity in Asia over the past decade,” Lin said.

Increased use of the product has forced downstream suppliers to improve their methods, he said, adding that suppliers used to spend a day to install the film on a car, but now it only takes three hours.

The paint protection film can be made from TPU or polyvinylchloride (PVC), but TPU is better because it does not contain halogen, and can bear the impact of small rocks, dust and acid rain, Lin said.

“Just like a plastic bag made from TPU is less likely to be penetrated than a regular plastic bag, protection film made from TPU has greater resilience because of its molecular structure,” he said.

That is why TPU film can last five to 10 years, while PVC film only lasts two years, Lin said.

Covestro Taiwan is also researching the feasibility of installing the film on wind turbine rotor blades to offer extra protection, he said, adding that the company has talked with a few developers of offshore wind power in Taiwan.

Although manufacturers of blades make their products resistant to erosion, having extra protection is good, Lin said.

After the expansion, the Changhua plant is to be Covestro’s largest production site of paint protection film worldwide, as well as its largest TPU plant in Asia, Covestro Taiwan said.

The company declined to say how many jobs the investment might create, adding only that the project had automation and production quality requirements.

“We have been automating the plant as much as possible, but the production of paint protection film cannot be fully automated, as it requires that production parameters are strictly controlled,” Lin said.

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