CHICAGO (July 10, 4:50 p.m. EDT) — Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering Co. Inc. finalized the sale of two extrusion systems at NPE 2000 in Chicago.
The Gloucester, Mass., firm sold a blown film line to Plásticos Pola SA of Mexico City for an undisclosed price, Jorge Goldschmied, sales director for Latin America, said in an interview at Battenfeld´s booth.
The monolayer line can produce 1,100 pounds per hour of low density polyethylene film per hour, according to Goldschmied. Film width can be up to 120 inches. The customer will use it to make industrial packaging and mattress bags.
Goldschmied said his firm closed the deal amid stiff competing bids from German and Canadian equipment manufacturers. Plásticos Pola, the largest producer of vinyl cloth in Mexico, currently has a small PE film operation.
Battenfeld sold a tandem foam extrusion line, also to a firm in Mexico, that officials would not identify. The line will make expanded polystyrene foam sheet for food packaging. Bill Joyce, Battenfeld product manager for cast film and foam, said the purchase price was just more than $1 million for the line, which is capable of producing 1,100 pounds per hour.
The foam line includes a 4½-inch primary extruder where butane blowing agent is injected, and a 6-inch secondary extruder for rapid cooling of the material. Battenfeld´s recently developed Opticel annual foam sheet die will be installed on the line. The company claimed the Opticell die enhances gauge control and eliminates spider weld lines and striations from breaker-plate holes.
Battenfeld also has improved its foamed plastics technology for systems based on carbon dioxide blowing agent.
Battenfeld showed for the first time its Model 1005 dual turret winder that provides more flexibility to film makers that produce for a range of applications.