NSV

Quadrupled headquarters and factory size in the last year
Automated production lines, facilities, etc.

Yoon Eun-joong, CEO of NSV, explains polyurethane mats at the company's headquarters in Incheon. /Reporter Kang Jun-wan

NSV, a manufacturer specializing in dust and soundproofing facilities in Incheon's Namdong Industrial Complex, announced on the 28th that it will import a mat testing machine worth 500 million won per unit from the United States to strengthen the competitiveness of its polyurethane mat business. The equipment, which was ordered from MTS, a U.S. manufacturer specializing in equipment testing machines, last month, will be installed at the company's headquarters in Namdong Industrial Complex in October. The company aims to improve the quality of its polyurethane mats to expand its export markets in Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong and Vietnam, to Japan and Europe.

The Mat Tester is a dynamic characterization device that can analyze material changes found during the manufacturing process of polyurethane mats. The deformation and deterioration that occurs when mats are subjected to external shocks such as pressure and vibration can be immediately identified, allowing for rapid quality improvement. If the finished product is entrusted to a testing center, only the results can be obtained, which slows down quality improvement time and increases production costs, according to the company.

Polyurethane is a material that has excellent rubber elasticity and is resistant to noise and vibration. Because it has a greater dust and soundproofing effect than ordinary mats, it is installed in floor structures between floors in factories and shopping centers and on top of train stations. "To enter the Japanese and European markets, we need to improve our quality and establish a mass production system," said Yoon Eun-joong.

The company built its headquarters and factory in Namdong Industrial Complex in March last year with a project cost of 21 billion won. The four-story building with a total area of 13,900 square meters, four times larger than the previous factory, was equipped with an automated mat production line and mass production facilities such as a rubber molding machine and a 450-ton power press, with an additional 5 billion won invested until last month. The polyurethane mat production line is 30 meters long, and the production capacity has increased to 1,000 sheets per day, five times more than the previous 200 sheets. "Having a testing machine that can check quality abnormalities on-site will help us strengthen our product competitiveness and reduce production costs," said Woo Kyung-ha, head of the production team.

NSV recently signed a technology agreement and exclusive sales agreement for polyurethane mats with Kurashiki, a Japanese company specializing in vibration isolation. Due to the high frequency of earthquakes in Japan, there is a high demand for earthquake-resistant and anti-vibration design of buildings. Starting this year, the two companies will jointly develop products that reduce the load of earthquakes and develop the sales market for polyurethane mats in Japan.

The company plans to launch its polyurethane mats in Europe next year. The company aims to challenge Austria's Getzner, which accounts for 70 percent of the global polyurethane mat market. "We will make polyurethane mats that are recognized in Japan and Europe," says Yoon.

Incheon=Kang Jun Wan Reporter jeffkang@hankyung.com