Incorporated in 1987, Thai Acrylic Fibre (TAF) ranks among the top three quality acrylic fibre producers globally. It is one of the top two service providers of acrylic application development. The company has also been rated as a top class acrylic producer for the manufacture of special blanket applications. Most of the spinners in China have named TAF as one of the world’s best fibre producers for the manufacture of hand knitting yarn.

From an installed capacity of 14,000tpa, the company has grown consistently to reach 100,000tpa. Advanced technology, automation, computerised process control systems and captive power, make the operations of Thai Acrylic extremely efficient and reliable. The company has a strong focus on systems improvement and has established comprehensive standards of ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18000 and SA 8000.

Thai Acrylic produces more than 30 different types of fibre including speciality fibres for high-end applications. Marketed under the Birla Acrylic brand, the product range comprises a variety of acrylic fibres used for making sweaters, jogging suits, socks, stuffed toys, blankets, carpets and upholstery. The finished fibre can be easily adapted to cotton, modified cotton, worsted and woollen spinning systems. In blends, it possesses excellent compatibility with other synthetic and natural fibres.

Manufacturing operations are supported by a fully-equipped application development centre and a customer technical service team comprising experts in textile technology. Eighty-five per cent of its acrylic fibre is exported to Australia, Africa, China, Iran, Indonesia, India, Nepal and other Asian countries, who in turn, market their products to customers in Europe and the US in the product value chain. Thai Acrylic’s superior product quality, ongoing process improvements and unmatched technical services have made the company one of the world’s lowest-cost producers of acrylic fibre.

Indisputably the customer’s first choice, Thai Acrylic Fibre is one of the greenest, cleanest and the most environment-friendly acrylic fibre plants in the world. With enhanced focus on new value-added product development and application development, Thai Acrylic has established a fully-equipped research and development facility at its plant in Sarabuti, Thailand. The R&D facility is manned by highly-experienced chemical and textile engineers who are involved in accomplishing breakthrough improvements in technology for quality improvement and cost reduction and for developing new value-added products for high-end applications.

Thai Acrylic has successfully integrated world-proven management systems such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) of Japan, International Quality Rating System (IQRS) of Norway and the Malcolm Baldrige criterion of performance excellence, US, and has established its unique business excellence framework. It has effectively capitalised on the diversity of these systems and work culture, while also benefitting from its own diverse pool of human resources. The company has successfully deployed this framework to achieve business performance excellence. The unit’s commitment to performance excellence through Total Quality Management has been recognised and is reflected in it consistently winning national and international recognition.

Thai Acrylic has achieved the highest recognition for Total Quality Management in the world – the Japan Quality Medal from Deming Prize committee, Japan. This recognition makes Thai Acrylic the first company in South East Asia and the third company in the world outside Japan, to have achieved this distinction in 37 years of the award history. The unit has also been conferred the Deming Prize from the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) in 2001; the International Asia Pacific Quality Award 2002 by the International Asia Pacific Quality Organisation; the Ramkrishna Bajaj Award – a National Quality Award from India in the year 2000 and the TPM Special Award – 2005 from JIPM Japan.

Thai Acrylic became the first and the only winner of the prestigious Thailand Quality Award – 2002 presented by the Prime Minister of Thailand. The company has achieved Level 7 in the International Quality Rating System (IQRS) of DNV, Norway and has received the Qimpro Benchmark Award 2001 and 2003; the Golden Peacock Global Quality Award – 2003; the National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2003 and the Golden Peacock Global Environment Management Award 2004. The unit has also been a recipient of many prestigious awards in productivity, quality and environment management.