Expansions: Schott opens facility in Kulim, Malaysia; Evonik expands capacity for plasticisers in Germany

Germany-based optics and speciality materials supplier Schott has announced the successful completion of its new production facility in Kulim, in the state of Kedah, Malaysia.  This new site will significantly enhance Schott’s production capacity, complementing the existing facility in Penang, Malaysia, where it has been producing specialty glass for consumer electronics, semiconductors, diagnostics, and other high-tech sectors for 50 years.

Strategically located in Kulim, a bustling high-tech hub near the Penang site, the new facility is dedicated to the production of optical components that Schott supplies to global high-tech industries such as Augmented Reality. The facility, successfully completed in less than 12 months, will significantly boost Schott’s capacity in optical precision manufacturing, it adds.

"This is a great achievement for Schott,” said Andrea Frenzel, Board Member who attended the new site inauguration. “Half a century ago, Schott established our first production site in Asia right here in Penang. Today, we are very thrilled to continue this journey by expanding and strengthening our presence in Malaysia."

"We are excited to see Schott’s continued investment in Malaysia, aligning perfectly with the vision outlined in the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030," said Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, CEO of MIDA (Malaysian Investment Development Authority). "NIMP 2030 aims to transform Malaysia into a high-income economy, and Schott's new facility in Kulim underscores the country’s appeal as a hub for high-tech industries. This expansion will not only create valuable job opportunities but also drive economic growth in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship."

Schott adds that its advanced optics business unit has many years of experience in delivering high precision optical components. Malaysia is part of its global manufacturing network, which works with centres of excellence in Germany, North America, Switzerland, and China to mass-produce products.

Augmented Reality is set to become a transformative technology across various industries. For example, the entertainment and gaming industries can create new forms of interactive experiences by blending digital and physical worlds. Additionally, AR can enhance remote collaboration by enabling virtual meetings with interactive 3D models. As this technology advances, its applications will expand, driving innovation and efficiency across multiple sectors, especially when integrated with other emerging technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT.

Registered in 1974, the site in Penang was Schott’s first production site in Asia. It has grown to a highly advanced plant that employs and trains over 1,300 skilled engineers and production workers. The site manufactures cutting-edge optical components and specialty materials, including glass wafers and MEMS packaging for the semiconductor market. The new Kulim site reinforces Malaysia as a global manufacturing hub for Schott to supply high-end specialty glass solutions.

In other news, Germany-based materials supplier Evonik adds it is “significantly” expanding its production capacities for the INA-based plasticisers in Germany. These products, Elatur CH (DINCH) and Elatur DINCD, introduced in recent years, have both now established themselves as new standard plasticisers with its customers, it adds.

“The capacity expansion marks another important milestone in the diversification of our plasticiser portfolio,” said the Managing Director of Evonik Oxeno, Frank Beißmann.  “To meet the growing demand for these products, we will begin work this year.”

The capacity expansions will be integrated into the existing network of C4 plants in Marl. “With the expanded capacity, we can ensure our customers a high level of delivery reliability and quality from European production,” said Roland Pietz, Vice President of Oxo Alcohols & Plasticizers at Evonik Oxeno.

In addition to the Elatur product line, Vestinol 9 (DINP) remains a crucial component of Evonik’s Oxeno portfolio. Evonik Oxeno is dedicated to the strict scientific evaluation of this and all other plasticisers, ensuring a high level of supply security for its customers, it adds.

Evonik furthers that its products can also be produced and supplied using mass-balanced methods from biobased, biocircular, circular raw materials, or utilising green energy.

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