3 minute read
Investing in Innovation
DuPont’s Kalrez® and Vespel® businesses invest in manufacturing, workforce, and innovation for high-performance parts in Delaware
BY ARNOLD WONG
DUPONT HAS A RICH AND STORIED HISTORY of manufacturing innovative products and technologies in Delaware. Today, two of its key businesses, DuPont™ Kalrez® and Vespel® have been manufacturing high performance, high reliability parts for the aerospace, automotive, energy, manufacturing, and semiconductor industries at state-ofthe-art production facilities located in Newark. Over the past few years, Kalrez® and Vespel® customers have grown and the company is making investments in DuPont manufacturing sites to meet increased customer demand.
DUPONT™ KALREZ® PERFLUOROELASTOMER PARTS
DuPont™ Kalrez® has been manufacturing O-rings and custommade specialty sealants in mission-critical applications for more than 40 years. From chemical processing to semiconductor chip manufacturing, DuPont™ Kalrez® elastomers are engineered to provide more stability, resistance, and effective sealing. As global customer demand grows, DuPont has invested in the Tralee Park Annex as part of the Tralee Park manufacturing site. The Tralee Park Annex will open in the fourth quarter of 2023. Nathan Whitmoyer, Tralee Park plant manager, has hired more than 70 new employees to cover a variety of roles, including operations, maintenance, engineering, and continuous improvement—all critical to the safe operation of Kalrez® manufacturing.
The site is active in the community through the Community Action Panel (CAP) where they support local schools and other critical community partners through philanthropy and volunteerism. The site also remains committed to STEM initiatives bringing in interns, co-ops, and early career professionals through the DuPont Field Engineering program.
DUPONT™ VESPEL® PARTS AND SHAPES
DuPont™ Vespel® specializes in high temperature wear and friction materials for more than 55 years, serving customers in the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries where performance and reliability are paramount.
Nathaniel Hines, unit manager of Vespel® Pencader, leads a team focused on producing high quality precision parts at the Pencader location. Since January 2023, Hines has hired 40 new full-time DuPont operators to bolster manufacturing of finished parts— such as bushings and wear pads—and to support the increased demand for Vespel® Shapes, which are larger blocks intended for downstream machining. Adding positions has also coincided with facility expansion and investment to increase production capacity with state-of-the-art equipment and modern digital tools to improve manufacturing efficiency.
To support increased manufacturing capacity and efficiency, DuPont’s Manufacturing Technology function expanded by hiring six interns this year for continuous improvement programs. The internship program hires students from local universities, such as the University of Delaware, and provides them the opportunity to gain industrial work experience while receiving mentorship from senior engineers. Some interns joined DuPont as full-time employees after graduation. The Vespel® business also participates in the DuPont Field Engineering program to seek, hire, and develop high potential early career engineers to improve manufacturing operations and provide pathways to leadership roles in the company.
LOCAL COMMITMENT
The Kalrez® and Vespel® businesses are proud to call Delaware home. We remain committed to investing for growth in Delaware while also developing and retaining our highly skilled employees who work every day to fulfill our purpose of empowering the world with the essential innovations to thrive. We will continue to innovate and collaborate to make the world a better place for us all while solving tough challenges in rapidly growing and everchanging industries, such as energy, aerospace, and semiconductor electronics.
Arnold Wong is Americas marketing manager at DuPont Kalrez® & Vespel®
