The largest diameter low pressure treatment plant in the world was unveiled this week at BalticPine, Penzance.
The £600,000 treatment plant, opened by Giles Chichester MEP, has the capacity to treat the equivalent of 200 of BalticPine’s self-assembly conservatories per week.
Osmose designed the 2m diameter, 10.5m long plant and its software, with construction by IWT of Denmark.
Its gross internal capacity of 56,000 litres is created by closed baffles within the vessel.
Mike Jackson, marketing director of BalticPine, said: ‘In the UK conservatory industry 70% is PVCu. For us to compete on equal terms for price and longevity of product the treatment plant is critical.’
The plant enables the com-pany to extend its conservatory guarantees from 10 to 15 years.
Protim Solignum’s Clearchoice treatment is being used, formulated for the joinery industry to give fast drying times. The Pre Vac process ensures preserved joinery complies with European standards.
BalticPine claims to be the largest timber conservatory manufacturer in Europe with 20% of the UK market and nearly 7,000 sold last year.
Its next investment of up to £1m over the next two years will be on production machinery to increase weekly capacity from 145 to 200 conservatories.
