Walbro Thailand facility ribbon cutting (left to right): Christopher Quick, GM, Global Fuel Storage Systems, Walbro Engine Management; Roy Greenwood, GM; Rec/Marine, Walbro Engine Management;Mr. & Mrs. Tony Martin, CEO, Walbro Engine Management;Mr. Akares Chuchuay, Managing Director, Amata Facility Co.;Mr. & Mrs. Yukio Goto, VP, Lawn & Garden, Walbro Japan;Jeff Sensmeier, VP, Lawn & Garden, Walbro Engine Management;Steve Thomson, CFO, Walbro Engine Management
Tucson, AZ – Responding to the growing demand for fuel tanks that meet increasingly stringent clean air standards, Walbro Engine Management recently opened a new multi-layer fuel tank blow-molding plant in Chonburi, Thailand.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony in Chonburi was attended by over 90 people, including ranking government officials, Walbro customers, and top Walbro executives. While the ribbon cutting marked the official opening of the facility, it is already running production quality parts.
The 20,000 sq. ft. (1880 sq. meter) facility was established in support of Walbro’s global customers in the Asia-Pacific Region. Walbro will supply several customers from the facility, which is designed for future expansion with room for additional molding machines.
Walbro multilayer fuel tanks are used in lawn and garden, recreational and marine applications ranging from small tanks for hand-held trimmers to larger tanks for riding mowers and recreational applications such as ATVs, two-wheeled vehicles and snowmobiles.
The success of Walbro’s fuel tank line is based on six-layer construction with a vapor barrier that effectively contains hydrocarbon emissions, allowing it to meet strict evaporative emissions standards. In addition, Walbro’s multi-layer tanks are virtually unaffected by ethanol, an important durability issue as the use of ethanol fuels increases in the coming years.
“Multilayer tanks are a well proven technology,” notes Christopher Quick, General Manager of Global Fuel Systems, Walbro Engine Management. “Millions of multi-layer tanks are used in global automotive production annually, with a proven record of safety, emissions and durability, over a vehicle life of up to 150,000 miles or 15 years.”
“Multi-layer tanks are a cost effective and reliable solution to meet product end-of-life requirements within the markets we serve,” notes Quick. “An extremely robust technology compared with other approaches, multilayer tanks eliminate a lot of worry and uncertainty in terms of long term durability compliance. In fact, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Air resources Board (CARB) permit Walbro’s multilayer tank technology products to be certified without the need for extensive, costly and time-consuming testing.”
Walbro Engine Management is a global market leader of engine management systems for the lawn and garden, recreational and marine, outdoor power equipment, and two-wheel small engine markets. Walbro Engine Management manufactures ignition systems, fuel injection, air/fuel management systems and fuel storage and distribution systems. Walbro Engine Management is a global organization with manufacturing and engineering facilities in China, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and the United States, with headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. Additional information regarding Walbro Engine Management is available at www.walbro.com/.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Quick
Walbro Engine Management
(248)879-7656
