Stahl open laboratory in Shanghai
31 January 2008Stahl have recently opened a brand new, purpose-designed application laboratory in Shanghai for the specific purpose of enhancing the technical service provided to customers in China. Stahl have long recognised the importance of the China market. Following on from the building of their new manufacturing plant which began production in Suzhou in 2006, the establishment of a number of application facilities based in close proximity to their customers, of which Shanghai is the first, has become a strategic necessity.
This well equipped laboratory enables a higher level of services to be provided to customers, including the possibility of developing new exclusive articles specific to their local needs to be formulated and applied under controlled conditions. As new products are developed in the Research and Development facility in Suzhou, they will be applied under controlled conditions and tested prior to launch in the China market. The facility will be available for customer training to expand experience and understanding of product and application technology. Plans are also in place to use the new facility to produce finished leather fashion collections that are related to the precise requirements of the China leather industry for Stahl's displays at the Shanghai and Guangzhou leather fairs. The laboratory has been equipped with chemical milling, GeMaTa Starplus and Starlab roller coating machines and an hydraulic press with a mix of fashionable and commercial embossing roller plates. Modern spraying, drying, buffing and polishing facilities have also been installed. To support the development of new products and articles, a well-equipped physical testing laboratory has been set up with facilities for testing and evaluating cold flex resistance, finish adhesion, wet and dry flex resistance, Maeser water resistance, Taber abrasion resistance and wet and dry rub fastness. Detailed reports can be prepared on leather finishes produced both by customers and in-house. In addition to these facilities, extensive space has also been provided for support staff offices and meeting rooms while a showroom is currently being completed for displaying the latest fashion articles and technological developments in leather finishing. Two members of Stahl's technical service team from Singapore have been relocated to Shanghai to run the day to day operations which will be managed by Fabrizio Ugolini who has many years of experience in producing both fashionable and commercial leathers around the world. Additional technical support will be provided through visits by technical experts selected from around the world. Stahl's new applications laboratory is located on the ground floor of the same building as Stahl Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd from where financial, customer and administration support is provided for Stahl's Chinese businesses.
