New business for Thomas Swan following £300k investment in UK manufacturing site

Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd., one of the UK’s leading independent speciality chemical manufacturers, has announced that following significant investment in its Pepton^® manufacturing facilities, it has secured significant new business from one of its main customers. The global tyre manufacturer, with whom Thomas Swan has a relationship spanning over 25 years, have allocated the majority of their global DBD (Dibenzamido Diphenyl Disulphide) demand to the company.

This investment reflects the company’s strategy to implement world class manufacturing practices and procedures. The project has helped to improve the drying, milling and forming of the material, which is part of Thomas Swans range of viscosity-reduction additives used in rubber processing, and will assist Thomas Swan in satisfying the growing demand for these products. The investments have also allowed improvements in design, operation, and maintenance and will improve plant efficiencies and minimise nuisance dust levels. Overarching objectives within the project included OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) improvement, significant reductions in dust emissions, and providing a ‘showcase’ example in housekeeping standards.Specific improvements within the process include reduced forklift truck movement and bag lift requirements, which have led to improved safety, reduced manual handling, and enhanced ergonomics.

Gabriele Benzi, Technical Sales Manager at Thomas Swan said “We are delighted to extend our partnership with our key customer and to have the opportunity to supply our product across multiple sites globally. This comes at a time when we have made significant investment to upgrade our Pepton manufacturing plant to offer our customers the best quality material. We believe these developments will provide Thomas Swan with the ability to strengthen our position in the Tyre and Rubber additives, market and continue our collaboration with leading organisations”.