Viridian's multi-million dollar investment in an upgrade of its glass manufacturing plant in Dandenong, Victoria, is on track to deliver a new range of high quality energy efficient products for commercial and residential buildings.
The plant upgrade is following swiftly upon the acquisition last year of the former Pilkington plant by CSR and a subsequent grant from the Victorian government.
It includes a relining of the furnace and the installation of an advanced CVD Coater. When complete, the plant will be unique to the region.
Steve Choat, General Manager Manufacturing, said two years of planning by a dedicated stock build project team has ensured that appropriate reserves of the company's range of existing glass products will be available during the 17-week plant upgrade.
"Viridian customers can be confident that our products will continue to be available during the period that the Dandenong plant will be off-line,” said Steve Choat.
“We have undertaken detailed logistics planning to meet anticipated market demand, such as increasing our product inventory substantially, introducing additional warehousing space, and increasing the capacity loading of our Sydney floatline," Steve Choat said.
Civil works to accommodate the new high technology CVD glass coating plant at Dandenong began last October, with the new batch plant now nearing completion. The main float line shut for its upgrade in May, as planned, but all the processing operations will continue to run.
When the new plant is commissioned later this year, it will provide the industry with glass products that will develop the function, performance and aesthetics of glazing within the overall design of the building fabric.
"The new products we are bringing to the market will be truly remarkable and will inspire the glazing industry and building designers to use glass in extraordinary ways," Steve Choat said.
"The new plant will have the capability of producing hard coat Low E products, allowing for special performance coatings to bond to the surface of the glass.”
“There is a wide range of coatings we can apply for different applications, but all are very tough and durable and being locally made we can provide prompt delivery. That's what the Australian building industry wants, and that's what Viridian is going to provide," Steve Choat said.