FPMI To Set Up Manufacturing Facility By 2020

A leading supplier of innovative technical textiles offering differentiated value propositions to a wide range of applications, including automotive and building materials, Freudenberg Performance Materials India (FPMI), is looking at opening a local manufacturing facility.

FPMI does not have a manufacturing setup to produce performance materials for automotive use. “We have plans to invest as the market develops in India. It depends on how quickly we get a few more projects,” Milind Karkhanis, Business Head, Technical Nonwovens, FPMI, told AutoParts Asia. “There are a few local manufacturers, but they have limitations on quality. Today, we offer non-woven for the headliner for interiors since we ourselves manufacture dopedyed polyester fibre for the auto interior. We have a coarse fibre and a thin fibre; we make the non-woven with the thin fibre to give the product uniformity and good coverage. Our intention is to make the fabric lighter to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle which would help lower emissions. It makes more sense for EVs,” he said.