International Converting Industry News
- Published: May 31, 2004, By Edited by Deborah Donberg, Associate Managing Editor
Covering the Full Spectrum of International Industry News, Events & Activities
Supplier News
Malt Whisky Displayed in Stylish New Carton
The distinctive malt whisky bottle is on view in a new giftpack carton developed by Chesapeake Corp., Richmond, VA, USA.
The carton features a cocooning effect with a vertical opening in the carton revealing the bottle, held inside by an internal vacuum form. The black matte carton board is debossed with William Grant's logo and brand ID. A six-color, varnished and embossed sleeve wraps and seals the carton until opened.
Cheaspeake's Field Group subsidiary produces the package at its plant in Bradford, England.
Bringing Sheeting In-House
South African converter Paarl Print chose an SHM 1450 SR sheeter from Pemco, part of the Körber PaperLink Group, when it decided to “insource” the sheeting operation rather than buying pre-cut paper from a mill.
Products include wine labels, business cards, and commercial printing applications. “Our business is more and more a just-in-time-production operation. Integrating the sheet converting process into our production chain gives us the flexibility we need and makes us more independent,” says Callie de Wet, Paarl's managing director.
Cost savings have resulted, de Wet notes, adding, “The SHM 1450 was installed and commissioned in days and requires little space. [It] is very user-friendly. We went straight into effective production.”
The 1450 can cut sheets from 295-1,500 mm in length. Standard pile height is 1,200 mm with a stack weight of 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). It processes a wide range of materials at speeds to 984.25 fpm.
Supplier Information:
Körber PaperLink— kplna.kpl.net
Battenfeld Installs CPP Line in China
Fuzhou GT, located in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China, is a growing producer of cast PP (CPP) film, as well as PVC, PE, and metallizing film. With CPP a growing, competitive market in China, Fuzhou head Ng Hing Shui wants to improve his company's process capabilities and expand its product line with a range of high-performance films. Helping to accomplish this is a five-layer cast film line from Battenfeld Gloucester.
The line will produce films for metallizing, laminating, and retort packaging, as well as candy wrap. Battenfeld is assisting the company in the development of these films.
The line, which can produce 2.6-m-wide film, includes a five-layer feedblock with AutoGauge die from Cloeren that allows production of barrier film using polyamide or EVOH as the barrier layer, PP or PE as skin layers, and suitable tie layers. CPP throughput on the new line is rated at 1,540 lb/hr.
Supplier Information
Battenfeld Gloucester— bge.battenfeld.com
Cloeren— cloeren.com
F&K Delivers at Cascades
A nine-station CI flexo press from Fischer & Krecke is doubling production capacity at Cascades Boxboard, Cobourg, ON, Canada.
According to Yves Menard, VP manufacturing folding cartons, it is expected the press "will offer customers enhanced quality and speed, particularly for short and medium runs."
Featuring in-line embossing and die-cutting capabilities, the press reportedly is designed to minimize waste and reduce lead times.
Supplier Information
Fischer & Krecke— fischer-krecke.biz
Brückner Has Good News
SIEGSDORF, GERMANY—The Brückner Group reports orders in 2003 totaled €495 million, almost doubling the turnover of 2002. The company expects the turnover for 2004 to exceed €400 million.
The company was able to increase its world market share for film stretching lines from 50% in 2002 to more than 60% in 2003.
Brückner anticipates some consolidation of the world market for film production and film consumption. Future plans include new alliances with technology-related companies.
Show News
New Dates, Site for Milan Shows
MILAN, ITALY—New dates have been finalized for Grafitalia 2005 and Converflex Europe 2005. The two exhibitions will take place on the same dates, Tuesday, October 11-Saturday, October 15, at Milan Fair's new complex outside the city in Rho-Pero.
The new facility is due to be completed in 2005 and will offer a gross surface area of 530,000 sq m, all on one level. Centrexpo, the organizer of both shows, reports subway, rail, and highway connections with Milan, as well as the rest of Italy, will be improved and will connect the exhibition complex to international routes leading to northern Europe.
For more information visit centrexpo.it.
PACex Moves to New Digs
TORONTO, ON, CANADA—PACex Intl., Canada's biennial packaging, food process, material handling, and logistics exhibition, will move to the National Trade Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto, May 24-26, 2005.
According to PACex president Alan M. Robinson, the new venue, with more than 1 million sq ft of space and state-of-the-art infrastructure, "provides an unbeatable exhibition platform with an unparalleled location in the heart of downtown Toronto from which to grow."
PACex is operated by PAC-Exhibition and owned jointly by the Packaging Association of Canada and Paris-based Group Exposium. For more information, visit pacexinternational.com.
Alliances
Eckart Now a MetalFX Licensee
NUREMBERG, GERMANY—Eckart GmbH & Co., a manufacturer of metallic and special-effect printing inks and pigments, reports a "Strategic Partner" alliance with MetalFX Technology, Leeds, England. MetalFX is the developer of the MFX metallic color system.
Eckart, as the first officially licensed supplier of silver base inks for the MetalFX system, will offer two versions of the inks: a premium silver based on innovative vacuum metallized technology for what is said to be an ultra-brilliant metallic silver; and a standard silver based on conventional metallic pigment.
Acquisitions
Rexroth Adds Korean Company
HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL, USA—Bosch Rexroth AG, parent company of Bosch Rexroth Corp. in the US, is increasing its activities in the growing market of Korea by acquiring a 100% share of Skatec Co. Ltd., an automation specialist based in Ansan, near Seoul.
Skatec, which employs 35 people and specializes in fitting industrial plants and machinery with drive and control technology, was integrated into Bosch Rexroth Korea Ltd. of Busan, June 1, increasing the workforce at Bosch Rexroth Korea to 130.
Industry Studies
A Look at the European PE Market
BRISTOL, UK—PE film extruders are increasing in size as a result of market growth combined with restructuring and consolidation among manufacturers, reports Applied Market Information (AMI), a European consultant.
AMI has published the information in the 7th edition of its guide to the PE film industry in Europe, which lists all PE film extruders in Western and Central Europe. In 1999 the average film producer in the AMI database was processing just under 5,000 tonnes of PE/yr for film. By 2003 the average had increased to almost 5,800 tonnes/yr. According to the guide, the average film extruder operates eight blown lines.
Consumption of PE for film extrusion has been growing at just over 2%/yr for the period of 2000-2003. However, AMI's reports since 1999 there has been a 2.6% drop in the overall number of PE film operations in Europe. This trend has affected only Western Europe; in Central Europe the number of film extruders has grown by more than 20%, and there are opportunities for new companies to set up in that area, says AMI.
For more information call +44 (0) 1179249442 or visit amiplastics.com.
