Treofan Group, a maker of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films, is investing around 30 million euros ($40.7 million) in a new production plant for five-layer film at its Neunkirchen facility in Germany.
Treofan said it aims to produce approximately 1 billion square meters of film per year at the plant, starting from mid-2015 after the building has been constructed.
The 8.7-meter production line has been specially designed by Andritz Group of Graz, Austria, and will be used to produce premium packaging and label films with a wide range of thicknesses and densities.
"Together with Andritz, we have jointly developed a sophisticated overall concept spanning everything from raw material supply to a differentiated film portfolio," said Treofan CEO Peter Vanacker. "The design also includes close integration with our innovation centre on the same site."
The benefits of this approach, such as short distances between product development and production, will help drive quality and efficiency, he said.
Treofan said five-layer extrusion enables the production of films with a wide variety of properties and makes it possible to structure films with exact precision. The plant's ability to quickly switch between products will boost flexibility in manufacturing.
The design of the plant allows for a possible extension and the addition of further process innovations and new products, including outside the food industry.
The Neunkirchen facility was chosen for the investment because its central European location is suited to rapid continent-wide deliveries.
In addition, Vanacker said, "The Neunkirchen team has near-unrivalled expertise in complex production processes and the corresponding industrial processes."
The plant has been designed with energy efficiency in mind. Treofan said specific energy consumption, measured in kilowatts per kilogram of manufactured film, will be at least 20 percent below the existing production lines at the facility.
The company said construction work on the new building will start in spring, and the equipment will be installed starting at the end of 2014. Production will continue as normal at the existing lines in Neunkirchen, while construction work is carried out.
"The new production line is another step – and certainly not the last – in implementing our growth strategy of manufacturing sophisticated, complex film solutions characterized by innovation, quality and efficiency," Vanacker, said.