Xiamen Photo Film Plant

Fluor provided project management, engineering, design, procurement and construction management assistance on behalf of Eastman Kodak to develop the Xiamen Photo Film Plant. The facility was owned by Xiamen Photographic Materials Company (XPMC), with Eastman Kodak providing the equipment and technology.

The project included emulsion making and finishing, melt/delivery, coating machine, pilot coater, silver recovery and waste treatment, silver nitrate purification and finishing operations.

Client's Challenge

The process technology to make color film and photo paper consists of emulsion preparation wherein 89 different chemicals are mixed into various coating solutions for application to either paper or acetate-backed film. From the emulsions-making area, four to five materials are coated onto the paper or film material in a coating machine.

The coating line coats and dries the layers, and then the material is rolled onto large master rolls. These are then taken to the finishing section for conversion to consumer products such as movie film, 35mm film or photographic paper. All operations are performed in the dark.

Fluor's Solution

Starting in 1983, Fluor assisted Eastman Kodak in preparation of the technical and commercial proposals that served as the basis for Kodak's contract with XPMC. Once the project was released, Fluor provided the detailed engineering for the making and finishing building, incinerator building and waste treatment area.

Fluor provided on-site technical advisors in Xiamen and project and material management assistance in Rochester, New York, where engineering activities and offshore procurement of major equipment took place.

Fluor's Houston, Texas office also performed engineering and procurement for the emulsions-making section and the silver-recovery section. The Houston office assisted its Chinese client partners in developing the design of the buildings to house the processes and handling all internal utility piping and HVAC installation.

Conclusion

Fluor began proposal development work with Eastman Kodak in 1983. Project management activities were completed in 1988.

Fluor later worked with Kodak on a major China film program management project at three locations, including Xiamen, which completed in 2000.