In response to growing global demand for reverse osmosis (RO) elements and membrane systems, Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., Wilmington, Mass., and Toray Membrane USA, Inc., Poway, Calif., have separately announced plans to expand production capacity for their respective RO product lines.
Koch said that it is investing in a new production line to double capacity at its Wilmington facility for RO and nanofiltration elements. The planned production line will supplement the existing RO element production lines at the company’s manufacturing facility in San Diego, Calif., and is scheduled to be fully operational in mid-2009.
Toray said that its Poway manufacturing plant has recently received a fourth automatic rolling system for the production of spiral-wound RO membranes and elements. Toray has also added two new warehouse office buildings to its production campus to improve the company’s ability to deliver on short lead times. The company said that these facility improvements will help keep prices from rising drastically even though component costs have risen steadily with the ongoing increase in petroleum prices.
