BOPP film manufacturer Treofan is investing around €30 million in a new production line at its largest manufacturing site, at Neunkirchen, Germany. The 8.7m line, which has been specially designed by Andritz, will enable Treofan to manufacture packaging and label films in a wide range of thicknesses and densities. The plant is expected to produce around 1 billion m²/year of film from mid-2015.
Five-layer extrusion will allow the production of films with a great variety of properties and "structured with exact precision". This will allow special functionalities to be integrated directly into the film, leading to greater sustainability and efficiency for converters and brand-owners - for example, by eliminating the need for certain laminations.
The ability to switch quickly between products will boost flexibility in manufacturing. Provisions for a possible extension of the plant and the addition of further process innovations and new products, including outside the food industry, are already built into the design.
According to Treofan, the new line also provides "a quantum leap in terms of energy efficiency". Specific energy consumption, measured in kWh per kg of manufactured film, will be at least 20 per cent below the existing local assets, the company states.
Installation of the equipment at Neunkirchen will start at the end of 2014; as it will occupy its own building, existing production will continue without interruption.
