PERI open new coating facility in Weißenhorn

German formwork manufacturer PERI have inaugurated a cutting-edge surface coating facility at their headquarters in Weißenhorn. 

The opening ceremony, attended by around 600 guests, including the entire workforce of the Weißenhorn plant, marks a significant milestone in the company’s ambitious modernisation programme.

This new facility is the centrepiece of a €60 million (£51 million) investment aimed at enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability, and technological capabilities of the Weißenhorn plant. Over the past three years, PERI has focused on integrating new technologies and sustainable production methods.

Christian Schwörer, CEO of PERI, said: "With this major investment, we are modernising our Weißenhorn formwork plant and leading the industry with this facility. Our customers will now receive formwork elements with PERIskin, an innovative and unique coating in our industry that offers superior corrosion protection and sets new standards for sustainability and energy efficiency."

PERIskin is a multi-stage coating process that envelops formwork frames or other metal components like a second skin, providing seamless and robust corrosion protection. The process is centred around VIANT, a technology developed by Chemetall, a global business unit of BASF's Coatings division, and further refined in collaboration with PERI for use in the new facility.

A key feature of the PERIskin dip coating is its room temperature application (20°C), which eliminates the need for electricity in the coating process. This method is significantly more energy-efficient than conventional techniques such as galvanising, requiring only about 5% of the energy typically used. Additionally, the energy needed for the PERIskin application is entirely sourced from PERI’s own biomass cogeneration plant.

Dr. Carsten Weiß, managing director of the PERI Group's Formwork Business Area, emphasised the environmental benefits: "With much lower resource consumption and a greatly reduced environmental impact, this facility represents a significant step towards more sustainable and eco-friendly production, all while maintaining competitive manufacturing costs."

Schwörer added, "Our €60 million investment secures the future, competitiveness, and innovative capacity of PERI. This new facility ensures that we stay ahead of the competition and continue to offer our customers new, innovative products made right here in Weißenhorn."