Mexican roll and sheet extruder Laminados Extruidos Plásticos SA de CV sped up its purchase of a sheet extrusion line from Processing Technologies International LLC in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
There was "some urgency" to deliver the equipment because of the coronavirus pandemic, PTi Marketing Manager Kathleen Flannery told Plastics News in a May 19 phone interview.
Laminex, as the Mexican company is commonly known, will install the line in Guadalajara, where it was founded in 1992, a move that will reduce its dependency on imported PET sheet, according to a PTi news release. The purchase price was not revealed.
The global health emergency prompted Laminex to move into new markets including sneeze guards, face shields and other medical supply plastic sheet, PTi said in the news release.
"The new extrusion line will eventually support Laminex's production of sheet for a wide range of industries, including packaging, automotive, point of purchase, refrigeration and construction," PTi said.
The system was one of two unique demonstration lines running at PTi's technical development center, the Aurora, Ill.-based company said. It includes a high vacuum twin screw extruder, a sheet take-off unit and a dual position differential shaft winding system that will be used to produce COVID-19-related personal protection equipment.
Laminex has two manufacturing plants in Guadalajara and one in Fort Worth, Texas, in addition to warehouses in Mexico City and Monterrey.
The sale to Laminex was conducted through PTi's agent in Mexico Grupo Janfrex SA de CV, also of Guadalajara, which began working with the American supplier in October 2019, PTi said.
Laminex was No. 126 in Plastics News' film and sheet ranking, with estimated sales of $22 million in 2018.
PTi said it is in the advanced stages of manufacturing the next version of its TDC Line 1 sheet extrusion system, which will feature its latest state-of-the-art technology for multi-resin capabilities including the ability to process several polymers including PET, polylactic acid, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene.