After two years of construction, WACKER officially opened a new production site for specialty silicones in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

WACKER’s new silicone production site in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

WACKER held an opening ceremony with around 100 guests from politics, business and industry.

The first production line officially went on stream, and it produces customized silicones for the automotive, household appliances and medical technology industries as well as for the energy sector will be manufactured.

Reconstructing WACKER’s silicone business network in Europe

With the commissioning of the new site, WACKER is reorganizing its silicone activities in Europe.

In the future, liquid silicone rubber will be manufactured in Burghausen, Germany, while thermally conductive silicones, potting compounds for the automotive industry and silicone gels for wound care will be produced in Plzeň, Czech Republic. Room-temperature-curing silicones and solid silicone rubber will be located in Karlovy Vary.

Megatrends driving WACKER’s silicone business

The main drivers for the silicone business are megatrends such as electromobility, medical technology, renewable energy, grid expansion, and digitalization.

Customized silicone elastomers are especially needed where conventional materials cannot meet the high and ever-increasing requirements, such as in thermal management in electric vehicles, wound care and power engineering.