Metso broke ground on its first polymer filter plate factory globally, in Irapuato, in the central region of Mexico, on May 26. The filter plate factory it says will offer state-of-the-art production process efficiency, quality, and service capability to support customers’ sustainability and operative targets.
The approximately €28 million investment was announced in September 2022. In early 2023, Metso decided to make an additional investment of €9 million, which will increase the new factory’s planned production capacity by 30%. With these investments, Metso says it is increasing its capacity to deliver high-quality polymer filter plates for its mining customers’ filter presses, in response to global market demand.
“The demand for high-quality filters, filter spares, and services is on the rise. The investment is an important step towards further strengthening Metso’s strong position in mining concentrate and tailings filtration solutions. With the start of construction on this new production facility in Mexico, Metso is committed to continuing to fulfill the increasing capacity demands, while providing our customers with shorter lead times and transportation distances, especially in the Americas,” says Tomas Hakala, Senior Vice President, Beneficiation, Dewatering and Hydrometallurgy Services business line, Metso.
The first filter plates are estimated to be manufactured in the second half of 2024 and full production capacity is expected during the first half of 2025. Once fully operational, the factory will have the capacity to serve the full filter portfolio.
The new factory is located on an 18,000+ m2 lot and it will have a factory and warehouse area of over 8,500 m2. In the same industrial area in Irapuato, Metso has rubber and Poly-Met and screening media factories, bringing synergies and operative efficiency. Today, Metso has about 730 employees working in production, sales, and field service in Mexico. At the beginning of 2023, Metso also received recognition as a Great Place to Work in Mexico.
“Irapuato is an important center of excellence for high-quality products for our mining and aggregates customers. All our factories in Irapuato are modern, and safety and employee wellbeing, as well as continuous development are important to Metso. We are very proud to be able to offer new jobs and career opportunities and thus strengthen Metso’s presence and reputation as an attractive workplace in Mexico. The new factory will employ around 70 skilled workers,” says Alfredo Monreal, Vice President, Sales and Service, Mexico and Central America, Metso.
Metso’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and comprehensive services for hundreds of applications. Over 80% of the Metso filters are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, primarily thanks to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water. The company has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide. Many of the filters are sold under the Larox® product name along with Metso corporate branding.