Extrusion International USA 5-2019

27 Extrusion International 5/2019 Strech FilmProduction expanded Sigma Stretch Film announced the purchase of a state-of- the-art cast stretch filmproduction line from SML. The line will be installed at the Shelbyville facility in Kentucky and contin- ues Sigma’s strategy of both expanding production capacity and investing in the latest machine technology. State-of-the-art winding technology will allow Sigma Stretch to produce premium-quality hand-wrap films direct off the line, helping to streamline production and further reduce customer lead times. The line also allows a quick switch be- tween small hand-wrap rolls and large machine films, flexibil- ity which is anticipated to reduce warehousing needs whilst improving customer response times. SML Maschinengesellschaft mbH www.sml.at Sigma Plastics, the largest privately owned film extrusion group inNorthAmericawithanoutput of over 2billionpounds of resin and employing over 4,500 people has a commanding position in the US markets and, with its recent investment in production in the Far East, a growing presence overseas. The line, the third from Austrian machinery manufacturer SML, will be delivered 3rd quarter 2020. With automatic roll handling allowing sustained high outputs even on hand- wrap, production of approx. 45 million pounds of stretch film per year is expected. Personal Touch securesOrder WhenPuertoRicanconverterAlcoHigh-TechPlastics neededa newCorona system for the extrusion side of its business in 2018, it turned to Danishmanufacturer Vetaphone. Threemonths on, it added a second Vetaphone system because of the ‘very posi- tive’ experience it had enjoyedwith the first installation, accord- ing to Operational Manager Gilberto Nieves. Founded byMariaNieves in 1997 in Corozal, some 25miles from the island’s capital San Juan, Alco has grown from its original investment of $1.5m and 22 people to be the island’s leading manufacturer of high quality flexible packaging, all produced under the guidance of the FDA’s ‘Good Manufacturing Prac- tices’. Products produced include printed and laminated bags, films, stand-up pouches, zip lock products, and more recently flexo printed labels. The majority of the company’s output is for local consumption, but a growing export business sees Alco products finding mar- kets as far away as Spain and India, as well as more locally in the USA, Dominican Republic and Mexico. But fundamental to all the packaging is the company’s capacity for extrusion, with cur- rently seven lines in operation from a variety of manufacturers, making it the largest extruder on the island. When the time came to install a new extruder, Alco looked long and hard at what ancillary technology was available, as Gilberto Nieves explained: “We had always used American Corona sys- tems before, but poor after sales service and spare parts avail- ability prompted us to invite competitive quotes. For whatever reason, our existing supplier showed little interest, whereas Vetaphone took the time and trouble to visit us in Corozal and engage in discussions about how their technology could im- prove our efficiency.” That commitment was sufficient to earn the first order, for a two-sided 1.4m wide VE2B-A Corona system, that was fitted to a Carnevalli line in December 2018. “The commissioning went really smoothly – everythingarrived in theonebox andassembly was straightforward, since which time it’s been working really well, and incidentally uses significantly less electrical power for the same Corona output,” he added. Vetaphone’s Bmodels are designed for the slower extrusion process and this 1kW system is ideally suited to Alco’s production with its 25m/min operating speed. It also features segmented electrodes lane treating, built- in guide rollers and QC quick change electrode cassettes. Also drawing praise is Vetaphone’s modular generator, which offers easy maintenance and repair, and the first-class service support that Alco says it has received from The Works Corpo- ration, who represent Vetaphone’s service interests in North America, and who keep a stock of parts at their headquarters inWisconsin. In February 2019, a second Vetaphone Corona system was in- stalled, also fitted to a Carnevalli extruder, but this time to a machine that had extremely limited headroom. This is also a VE2B-A model but this time with a 2.2m width and with 4kW power specified to run at 60m/min. Installation of this one provedmore tricky, as TedWolski, Vetaphone’s Area SalesMan- ager for the Americas, explained: “The limited space dictated another B model to be supplied as anything larger would just not have fitted under the roofline. It’s testimony to the way we can tailor our systems to fit space limitations and other unusual requirements – that’s what Vetaphone is all about.” Most recently, Alco has installed one of the latest Bobst Firenze (Gidue) eight-colour narrow web flexo lines to offer labels and shrink sleeves, and it was no surprise that it came fitted with a Vetaphone Corona unit. It typifies the company’s commitment to re-invest its profits in new technology, and also into regular training of its staff to maximise on their effectiveness and im- prove overall production efficiency. Vetaphone www.vetaphone.com