Sri Lankan tire manufacturer GRI has commenced work on a new compound mixing facility in the country’s Mirigama Export Processing Zone (MEPZ). The facility will have the capacity to produce 200 tons of compounds per day – a considerable advancement from its current capacity of 50-60 tons.
“We opted for a new mixing plant to meet the current demand and facilitate further expansion. We are in the process of ramping up our tire production and gradually increasing capacity to better serve our customers worldwide,” explained Ananda Caldera, executive director of GRI.
The company claims the site will be equipped to support sustainable and consistent high-quality manufacturing of its specialty tires, not least, though the use of class-leading weighing equipment to ensure repeatability in production of its compounds.
The plant will also feature auto-feeding systems for fillers to minimize carbon black dust production. With silo systems and dust collection mechanisms at every stage, GRI claims the production process at the facility will ensure there is no wastage or by-products as any dust collected is re-used.
“We are proud to announce that the new facility will be constructed with an eye on future demand for specialty pneumatic and solid tires. In the backdrop of challenging circumstances, we remain steadfast in our goal in taking GRI and high-quality Sri Lankan-made specialty tires to the world,” concluded Dr Mahesha Ranasoma, CEO of GRI.
