Axel Americas manufacturing plant in Rosedale, Mississippi is operating at normal capacity after repairing damage that a Feb. 29 fire caused to new process equipment.
Deliveries of finished goods were carried out the same week of the fire, and production on the existing equipment resumed within 10 working days, Johan Stureson, managing director for Axel Christiernsson International, told Lube Report.
He added that the company also managed to catch up with the delivery backlog caused by the fire, and has kept customers updated through the process of returning to normal operations.
There are many components, mainly all electrical equipment in the new process equipment, that must be replaced, as well as structural elements of the mezzanine floor, walls, and roof, said Stureson. Existing process equipment, as well as the warehouse, offices and laboratory were not damaged in the fire.
However, the main process equipment is likely to be fully operational when the damaged infrastructure in these areas is re-established, he added. Contractors are busy [doing repairs], and it is expected that commissioning of these new process lines can be made in June.
The cost of damage from the fire will be substantial, said Stureson, but Axels insurers have not disclosed any numbers. The cause of the fire is still to be determined, however it was accidental in nature and was the result of the work a contractor was doing on the hot oil system for an additional planned expansion, he added.
Recently, the company completed two production lines to make calcium sulfonate and polyurea greases. Equipment installed for this expansion was not involved in the fire.
Axel Americas LLC is part of Nol, Sweden-based Axel Christiernsson, which has grease plants in Sweden, the Netherlands, France and the United States. The company manufactures industrial and automotive lubricating grease for numerous applications.