Grohe AG will be implementing PVD technology by the end of 2019 at its Lahr site, as revealed by Thomas Fuhr, GROHE CEO and COO during a recent visit. The investment, amounting to approximately 5 million euros, will also be creating 27 new jobs.
“With the PVD coating technique we bring a high-end technology to Lahr that’s in line with a global consumer trend and also serves a growth segment: hand showers and shower systems in beautiful colors for customized designs in bathrooms. With this investment we’re increasing the manufacturing scope of the plant, which puts us in a better position to bring the hand showers and shower systems in GROHE colors to market faster”, says Thomas Fuhr.
GROHE is firmly committed to sustainability. In September, when being conferred the 2019 B.A.U.M. Environmental Award in the category “large enterprises”, Thomas Fuhr announced the company’s goal of CO2-neutral production at all five GROHE production plants worldwide starting next year.
Investing more into sustainability – CO2-neutral production target for 2020 As CEO of Grohe AG, Thomas Fuhr is also responsible for the areas of technology and sustainability. “Technology and sustainability are interdependent. Whenever we invest in technology, it’s important for us to know that this investment can also make a positive contribution to our environmental balance sheet. This is a process that necessitates considerable investments. With regards to Lahr, in the past five years over 60 measures for increasing energy efficiency have been implemented”, summarises Thomas Fuhr.
What is PVD technology?
PVD is the abbreviation for Physical Vapor Deposition. The technology originates from the aerospace industry and has set a new standard for the quality of finishes. During the first step, the pre-treatment, the components are carefully cleaned and heat-treated in an oven where the plastic components undergo a degassing process. During the second step, the PVD coating is applied. This process takes place in a high vacuum environment and consists of three steps: First, the substrate is cleaned, then the base coat is applied followed by the paint coat. The process ensures a broader range of colours while at the same time making it possible for the finishes to be three times harder and ten times more scratch-resistant than galvanized finishes.
PVD ie eco-friendly, unlike chrome which uses toxic chemicals such as hexavalent chromium.
