Tubing manufacturer NewAge Industries readies new cleanrooms for testing

The preparation of floors, ceilings, exterior walls, electric service, and plumbing lines is nearly finished at NewAge Industries AdvantaPure’s new Warrington, PA manufacturing facility.

With the operational infrastructure approaching completion, additional cleanroom construction can move forward swiftly to help reach the goal of making and shipping tubing.

 “We purchased the building over a year ago,” said Ken Baker, CEO. “There was a lot of planning, engineering, and permitting that had to take place. It took time to order and receive the extrusion equipment, all of which is US made, and we’re glad to be moving past the prep work. The construction team has built out some of the cleanrooms and is working hard to complete others.”

The 90,000-sq. ft building, sitting on seven acres, will house several individual cleanrooms for extruding AdvantaSil high purity silicone tubing and braid-reinforced hose and AdvantaFlex biopharmaceutical-grade thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) tubing. Most finished tubing will be transported to NewAge’s Southampton operations, just a 15-minute drive away, for post-production work involving single-use tubing assemblies.

Tubing extruders and other support equipment, purchased months ago and in storage at NewAge’s headquarters and at the new facility, will be set up in stages as areas of the renovated building are readied. Equipment testing and validation of the environments is expected to take place during the coming weeks; the facility will be ISO 9001:2015 certified. Following completion of the project, the company anticipates tripling its production capabilities for silicone and TPE tubing.

Baker noted: “Like a lot of other companies, we’re hiring and need more people to join our team and help make these important products. We’re promoting our many benefits, including profit sharing, employee ownership, retirement plans, and health insurance, but it’s a challenge.”

Although the world will eventually move past the pandemic stage of COVID-19, the demand for tubing, reinforced hose, and molded assemblies will continue.

“The future need for seasonal flu shots, the ongoing need for COVID-19 vaccines and now booster shots, and the tubing used in equipment like ventilators means that our customers’ requirements will continue,” said Baker. “The steps we’re taking will help improve future supply.”