Has anyone heard anything regarding the closure of 3M ASD Detroit site? They run 3000 grit all the way down to 12 grit and I’m curious to know why close a place that can do what most if not any other site can’t do? Very strange choice considering the number for M10 are absolutely horrendous. But more so there’s really been no talks about the closure considering they make a huge bulk of a certain product that any other site has been able to make.. they’ve tried but nobody can do it.
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Some answers:
Detroit is now the oldest line in the coated network, 1940's vintage doesn't help with running a modern facility.
Detroit is space constrained, expansion room is basically zero unless 3M bought out the strip club next door.
M9 will run all the belt products faster due to oven length alone, plus it has a lot of line room for auxiliary equipment to handle more products. M9 coats 20+ PSG today, which is bigger and heavier than crushed 12 grit. M9's weak spot is blowdown cleanliness, but that is fixable.
Detroit's competition for survival isn't/wasn't M10. M10 is a clusterfu-k and everyone in abrasives (ASD, CHIMD, AAD, and outside of 3M) knows it. M10 will close and be sold off to a Chinese company once the capital write-off gets low enough for BB to bear.
Magic for WOD is the only process in Detroit that isn't fully replicated at another active factory. (I'm not counting hide glue, because that will go away.) Magic equipment is relatively cheap to install and M9, M10, and Sumare all have room on the line for it. Also arguably the bare WOD product itself could be re-formulated to run at either Ames or London as well. M10 already runs 734 WOD transferred from Atherstone.
I can say from a portfolio perspective that between London, Atherstone, and Detroit two of them were doomed due to overcapacity. London was picked as the winner, being able to import Chinese AO without the anti-dumping tariffs helped London make the cut.
Fairmont makes products that nobody else does but it didn’t stop them from closing the doors later this year.
OP here, meant to say HASN’T been able to make*