Nordson building global HQ for extrusion and fluid coating die business

In what it describes as a game changing move, processing equipment maker Nordson Corp. has started construction on a new world headquarters for its EDI extrusion and Premier fluid coating product lines.

An artist’s rendering of the new Chippewa Falls facility.

The 145,000-square-foot facility will be located in an industrial park near three existing Nordson sites in Chippewa Falls, Wis., including the current EDI headquarters and extrusion die manufacturing facility; a plant for Premier dies and all aftermarket service; and a technology centre for R&D and laboratory trials.

Relocation of these operations to the new facility will begin in the summer of 2019 and be complete by late 2020.

“The new global hub for our EDI brands will redefine the way that dies are built,” said John J. Keane, executive vice president in charge of Nordson’s Polymer Processing Systems (PPS) business. “Advanced manufacturing equipment will streamline workflow and produce dies with tighter tolerances. A complete reconfiguration of our operation will integrate people and resources previously deployed in separate locations, generating collaboration and synergy that will improve the customer experience and reduce lead times.”

Further investment in the Chippewa Falls facility planned by Nordson in the next few years will purchase still more new equipment as well as paying to upgrade existing systems. The building site includes room for expansion of up to 79,200 square feet.

In addition to the Chippewa Falls operation, Nordson builds new extrusion and fluid coating dies in Shanghai and in Saitama, Japan. Remanufacturing or rework services for dies are available at these locations and in Münster, Germany.

The investment in Chippewa Falls is the latest in a series of investments by Nordson in its PPS brands. These include a new facility in Münster, Germany, serving as a global hub for BKG pelletizers, screen changers, and melt pumps; a new Americas hub in Austintown, Ohio for Xaloy extrusion and injection molding screws and barrels; and other projects in the U.S., Germany, China, Thailand, and Japan involving capacity expansion, new equipment, or new laboratory facilities for BKG, EDI, and Xaloy brands.