CARBOCHIM Cluj-Napoca Relocated. 5 Million Euroupgrade Investments

CARBOCHIM SA, whose majority shareholder is Carbo Europe SRL, part of IULIUS Group, is the largest manufacturer of professional abrasives in Romania. The Cluj-based manufacturing facility recently completed the relocation and technological upgrade process, an endeavor that required a 5-plus million Euro investment, aiming to streamline its industrial activity and optimize costs.

The new facilities provide better work conditions for the 160 employees, highly efficient and energy saving machinery was purchased and replaced 50-plus year old equipment, and the facility was fitted with photovoltaic panels that can achieve an estimated 18% energy saving. The company plans to grow its business by 20% in the next 3 years, considering the substantial reduction in manufacture costs.

VIDEO – The history of CARBOCHIM is still being written today, in a new location

CARBOCHIM SA was established in 1949 in Cluj-Napoca. Last year, the company kickstarted a relocation and upgrade process from the former platform, where only 30% of the area was used for the industrial activity, while the rest was either underused or residual.

“The departments we currently operate are the ones in charge of finished products. More precisely, the coated abrasives department, which manufactures the well-known sand paper, the abrasive items with ceramic binders department and the abrasive items with organic binders and cutting wheels department. The other departments, namely the silicon carbide and steel electrodes department and the electrocorundum department have been shut down since 1996 and 1999, respectively. Both were highly polluting and very energy intensive, so they became unprofitable. Plus, the city developed around the factory and the future clearly showed us that we could not keep making such a highly polluting product in the heart of the city. The decision was to shut down what was unprofitable so as to salvage the rest of the factory. Few companies in the country have managed to keep their business going and we believe that we are a positive example in this respect, all the more as the relocation allows the development of a new project for the city” says Viorel Popoviciu, General Manager of CARBOCHIM SA.

The relocation was carried out in stages, so as not to disrupt the production activity. The departments in charge of abrasive items with ceramic binders, abrasive items with organic binders and cutting wheels are currently operating in the new location on 18 Muncii Boulevard, while the coated abrasives department is located on Orăștiei Street. The new locations are adapted to industrial activity and provide the approximately 160 employees a superior level of comfort, with more abundant natural light and an optimal indoor climate.

“In addition to streamlining costs and relieving the financial pressure of auxiliary losses related to the inactive spaces, the goal was to develop the business of CARBOCHIM SA in a competitive manner. We optimized the entire production flow, keeping our current and still well-performing equipment, and bringing in new automatic or semi–automatic machinery, which translates into low electricity and gas consumption and a higher performance of the products in our portfolio,” added Viorel Popoviciu.

The new technologies include automatic abrasive granules dispensing installations, 300 ton press for abrasive items (which will replace four 50-year old presses) and polycondensation kilns (electric ovens for drying and burning abrasive items), fully automated and consuming up to 50% less electricity than existing ones.