Saint-Gobain starts full Indonesia bearings production

Norglide Bearings producer, Saint-Gobain, says its new Bekashi Plant in Jakarta, Indonesia, has moved into full production, following certification from the International Automotive Task Force (IATF).

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Saint-Gobain executives and personnel celebrated the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Left to right: Dona Rivai, HR Country Manager Indonesia; Jim Smith, Vice President Performance Plastics ASIA; and Vincent Monziols, General Manager Bearings SBU.

It is the company’s first composite bearing production facility in Indonesia, which produces sliding bearings with a self-lubricating liner of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

Developed by IATF, ISO/TS 16949 is the recognized technical specification and quality management standard for the automotive industry.

The certification brings together standards from across Europe and the US to define best practice for design, development, manufacture, installation or service of automotive products.

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Local production brings Saint-Gobain automotive component technology, manufacturing processes and expertise closer to Indonesian customers.

“This is a momentous time for us at Saint-Gobain and for our customers”, said marketing manager Asia, Stuart Kelly

“Achieving automotive quality certification is a great step forward for us. The significant investment in this new facility demonstrates our commitment to our Tier 1 and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) partners in Indonesia.

“Plus, it strengthens our presence in the wider pan-Asian market, allowing closer co-operation, a more responsive service and reducing customer lead times and inventory holdings.”

Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populous country and the domestic automotive market is expected to expand by 7.3% between 2015 and 2020 (1) according to KPMG.

The facility is initially focusing on customer demand for established Norglide solutions for applications within the seat and hinge categories.