Invista celebrated the start-up of its recently expanded air bag fiber manufacturing plant in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. With this expansion, Invista becomes the first air bag fiber producer in Asia to exceed the 20 kiloton-per-year production capacity for a single site.

Invista established its air bag fiber presence in this location in 2008 to manufacture super-high-tenacity nylon 6,6 fibers for automotive air bag applications. With the rapid growth of automotive air bag demand in Asia, Invista announced the expansion plan in 2011. In April 2013, the new expansion was completed and production started.

“On the sixth day of the sixth month, we are pleased to celebrate doubling the size of our Anlon nylon 6,6 air bag fiber manufacturing facility,” says Jeff Brown, executive vice president Invista Performance Surfaces & Materials. “This is now the largest facility of its kind in Asia, and we are pleased to share the celebration with so many distinguished guests.”

Senior leaders of the Shanghai Qingpu District Government and the Shanghai Qingpu Industrial Zone, as well as several Invista customers attended the ceremony along with Brown and other Invista representatives.

The air bag fiber plant expansion is one of many investments that Invista is making in China and around the world. In May, Invista announced that it signed a Land Reservation Agreement with the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Development Company for a nylon 6,6 polymer facility at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park.