Specialist in selfadhesive technology Herma has begun construction of a new coating plant in Filderstadt Bonlanden, Germany. The Stuttgart based company is investing some €30M in building the “most modern plant of its kind in the world”, which is due to be operational by the end of 2007 and will enable the company to remain well ahead of market demand for its products. Herma supplies 70 per cent of its adhesive material to customers throughout the world while the balance is used for internal company processes.
Managing director Dr Baumgärtner states: "This coating plant represents the start of a new era at the company, with the potential annual production capacity for adhesive material set to triple, from 250 to 750Mm2. Herma is also set to achieve a breakthrough in terms of coating speed, with production rates increasing from 800m/min to 1,100 -1,200m/min. In the medium term we also plan to achieve higher speeds by introducing one of the latest generation of adhesive curtain coaters, as opposed to roller application. Herma was the first company working in the field to introduce this method that facilitates processing speeds of the highest order and thus, also set new standards.”
The new plant has been designed to be space saving and energy efficient. A state-of-the-art heat recovery system will reduce energy consumption considerably, whilst gas fired heating will dry the paper webs directly, instead of using thermal oil, a more complex and less direct method. An integrated material flow system will increase speed and efficiency by reducing manual transportation routes between the coater and the interim storage facility for raw materials and finished products.
“It is anticipated that the new plant will eventually create employment for up to 60 people and play a major role in safeguarding jobs at the Filderstadt site in the long term,” says Dr Baumgärtner. “
Herma has three divisions – Selfadhesive Materials, Labels, and Labelling Machines – and about 800 employees at three production locations in the Greater Stuttgart region. In the 2005 financial year it achieved total sales of €182.7M. About 53 per cent of its output was exported.
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