Lin Fu, Director of Business Development and Product Development

"Our ultimate goal is to enable our clients to create their perfect surface"

Today, via different brands, Saint-Gobain designs and supplies products and services that enhance people’s well-being and improve daily life. Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning–part of Saint-Gobain ceramics–works in partnership with its customers to co-develop innovative solutions for fast material removal and an optimal surface finish. By combining their formulation knowledge and material science expertise, Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning transforms raw materials into engineered particles, compounds, and slurries that optimize surface conditioning processes in technically demanding applications. Lin Fu, Director of Business Development and Product Development at Saint-Gobain, says, “With a focus on applications ranging from automotive polishing and hard crystal substrate polishing to chemical mechanical planarization and industrial finishing, our ultimate goal is to enable our clients to create their perfect surface.”

Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning engineers a wide range of particles including diamond, CBN, alumina, and zirconia as tailored solutions based on customers’ unique performance requirements. Using these platforms, the business manufactures a wide range of diamond, alumina, zirconia and nano-abrasive slurries that offer the best combination of removal speed and surface finish in lapping and polishing applications.

We will continue to engage with customers to formulate innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs

When it comes to Saint-Gobain’s specialty chemicals, there is a range of biodegradable coolants, cleaners, lubricants, and specialty fluids that improve machining efficiency and performance in a variety of applications. “Our proprietary manufacturing processes ensure the highest level of quality and consistency through precise control of critical parameters, including size and distribution (PSD), shape/aspect ratio, coating thickness, and surface coverage,” informs Lin.

What perhaps sets Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning apart is their brand loyalty, product quality, and unique customer-centric approach. “We are vertically integrated, and that allows us to control the quality of our offerings better, select the most advanced abrasives for different applications as well as be more efficient with the supply chain management aspect,” states Lin.

Innovation is at the heart of Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning’s strategy; the firm’s R&D focuses both on breakthrough innovations and on continuously improving its products, processes, and services in a spirit of openness and attentiveness to customer needs. In a recent instance, Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning helped a client that was trying to automate their legacy manufacturing processes. One of the products used in the manufacturing process was a homebrew formulation whose consistency was subpar, and hence, the client couldn’t use it for the automation line. Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning worked in collaboration with the client to create an alternative product that met the cost targets, was more consistent and led to better performance.

“We have over 150 products that help us to address every need of our clients. Of course if there is any niche problem or new challenges that may arise, we will continue to engage with customers to formulate innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs,” mentions Lin.

Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning is also expanding its geographical footprint across Asia and Europe. No matter what new needs emerge, Lin believes Saint-Gobain will be able to meet the demands head-on with its unparalleled commitment and innovative offerings.