Strictly-Extrusion

European plastic pipe systems supplier the Wavin Group is to acquire Aristovoulos G Petzetakis’s plastic pipes and fittings Greek business. Wavin has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - an agreement formalising the early stages of a deal - with Aristovoulos to purchase the business for €55m. A further £3.4m (€5m) will be paid to Aristovoulos if the business achieves certain financial targets. Due diligence and corporate approvals have yet to be given but Wavin expects to complete the purchase by the April 2007. Wavin’s company headquarters are based in Zwolle in the Netherlands and the company has 16 manufacturing sites and employs 7,300 people. Pro forma sales for 2005 hit €1.4bn.

David Finnemore has been named Director of European Sales and Service by extrusion equipment specialist Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering Co., Inc., Gloucester, Massachusetts. Based at the company’s European division, Battenfeld Gloucester Europe GmbH in Vienna, Austria, Finnemore is responsible for operations in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Middle East.

Leading film specialist Klockner Pentaplast Group has decided to expand their production capacity by adding an additional shrink film line for PVC and PETG. Based on their philosophy to manufacture their innovative products entirely on only the most modern production machines, their new line will once again come from Bruckner. Both companies hereby continue their traditional close relationship, having already successfully completed four projects in the USA and Germany.
Among the decisive factors for Klockner Pentaplast to once again rely on Bruckner were Bruckner’s proven turnkey and planning expertise - ensuring smooth, on time execution of the entire project - and of course the 3.5 m wide line’s compelling technology:
• superior oven design for optimized stretching quality and lowest energy consumption
• highest flexibility for different raw materials: PVC, PETG, PS and many more
• operating speed of up to 250 m/min
The new line will be located at Klockner Pentaplast’s plant in Rayong/Thailand. As a result, Klockner Pentaplast will be able to increase their market presence in the growing film markets of Asia and Oceania by providing high quality speciality film from 20 to 200 µm for labels and sleeves. In addition to standard film types, special qualities will be made to order upon customer’s request.

KBE Fenster-Systeme, Berlin, today a member of the Profine Group, recognized the market potential of window profiles in Eastern Europe at an early stage and established an agency in 1995, followed by a full-fledged production facility near Moscow in 2000. Extremely successful from the very beginning, the Russian plant currently processes more than 40,000 tons of dry blend resin into window profiles for the domestic market.
‘We are more than satisfied with the development of our two production plants in Berlin and Woskresensk. For 2006, we plan a further expansion of our capacity here in Berlin, with the aim of producing 90,000 tons annually, which is an increase of about 13% on the previous year’s output, and will mean a 100% increase in our production figures over the last five years’, says Berthold Lenter, plant manager in Berlin. Hans W. Neumann, plant manager in Woskresensk adds: ‘We are responding to the extremely dynamic growth of the Russian profile market by adjusting our capacity. We are also planning for further expansion in 2007. With the acquisition of additional extrusion lines we expect to increase our annual output to 80,000 tons.’
Since its foundation in 1980, KBE (Plastics processing for the building and electrical industries), one of the leading profile manufacturers, has maintained close business relations with Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik. The processor lays great store by this machine manufacturer’s complete line competence and operates exclusively extrusion lines conceived and manufactured by a single supplier, including the extruder as well as the calibration table, the cooling bath, the hauloff and the cutting saw. 55 complete lines from Bad Oeynhausen ensure continuous profile extrusion in Berlin. In the Russian plant, KBE also uses exclusively lines from Battenfeld. While Profine initially transferred used extrusion lines from Berlin to Woskresensk, the company is now steadily increasing its train of machines by adding new lines, a policy to be continued in future.
‘KBE is a global pioneer in high performance manufacturing of window profiles’, Manfred Jäcker, product manager for profiles at Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik, explains. ‘The Profine group is always ready to test newly developed equipment in everyday production and thus contributes to the continuing success of our extrusion lines in meeting the challenges of the market.’
High productivity combined with high cost efficiency is a basic necessity for this profile manufacturer, therefore extrusion lines according to latest technological standards are indispensable. High uptime and quick, efficient after sales service are essential for competent handling of the growing market as well as continuous new product development in both KBE plants. With its complete line competence and excellent service all from a single source - Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik is the ideal partner.

Plastics tubing group Essel Propack has acquired fellow Indian company Packaging India Private Ltd (PIPL), which makes pouches, shrink sleeves and other plastic packaging.

Essel Propack vice chairman and managing director, Ashok Goel, said: “This is a significant step in our product diversification strategy. With the pharma and retail market poised for tremendous growth, the demand for speciality packaging materials is slated to rise high.”

Essel Propack is acquiring PIPL from major brand owner CavinKare, which said PIPL could better realise its growth potential as part of another packaging group.

PIPL’s capability includes gravure printing machines, lamination, slitters/rewinders, pouching machines and shrink sleeve equipment. Production capacity at its Pondicherry facility has expanded from 300tpa in 1991, when the company was launched, to 6,000tpa in recent years.

Essel Propack said there are many synergies with PIPL, including high-end lamination technology for speciality materials, and barrier property technology.

Enercon will introduce a new Compak™ 2000 power supply to the wide web surface treating market at Pack Expo booth S766 for the benefit of CPP visitors. The new system features an advanced graphic display interface that simplifies installation and operation by integrating many functions such as Watt Density Control and Station Diagnostics with standard operations into a single operator interface. The new interface also offers data logging and supports multiple languages for Enercon’s customers around the world.
Complimenting the new power supply will be a new interactive corona treating exhibit allowing converters to examine industry leading electrode and ground roll designs. A wide variety of ceramic and metal electrode configurations will be on display. Unique solutions for blown and cast film applications will be exhibited. In addition visitors will learn how new technologies such as Plasma3™ atmospheric plasma treaters and PowerFlame™ flame treaters can benefit their operations.
Enercon will also represent its technological solutions for the treatment of three-dimensional objects which require cleaning and/or adhesion improving surface treatment. In operation will be the Dyne-A-Mite HP™ which provides highly-effective and economical air plasma surface treatment. The system allows for easier application and improved adhesion of coatings, adhesives, inks, labels and markings of all types. In-line treatment eliminates the need for costly chemical priming, etching and vacuum processes.
Enercon Industries Corporation, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI, is a major manufacturer of equipment for the plastics and packaging industries. The company supplies custom built corona, flame and atmospheric plasma treating systems, and 3D plasma treaters for the plastics and rubber industries.

Simona has added to its semi-finished plastics business with the acquisition of Dehoplast in Germany. Deutsche Holzveredelung has sold its plastics business to Simona for an undisclosed amount, effective from 1 October. Deutsche Holzveredelung will retain operations in compressed laminated wood. Dehoplast manufactures and supplies pressed sheets, extruded sheets, solid rods, profiles and finished parts made principally of polyethylene and polypropylene. Its annual turnover is approximately €18m. Simona will take on all 100 staff members employed at Dehoplast’s two factories, located in Kirchhundem-Würdinghausen and in Hilchenbach-Lützel, Siegerland region. “As part of the takeover, the technical expertise associated with the various locations of Dehoplast and Simona is to be further extended within the framework of a new business location concept yet to be drawn up,” Simona said.

The share price of Cincinnati-based Milacron has fallen below the minimum share price standard for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The NYSE standard requires a company’s stock price to close at a minimum average of $1.00 during any consecutive 30-day trading period. Milacron’s stock closed at 88 cents per share (28 August 2006), and has a 52-week high of $1.93. A global supplier of plastics-processing technology and industrial fluids, Milacron has six months to remedy the situation following notification by the NYSE. The company aims to do this through restructuring initiatives, which it expects to generate $15m in “annualised benefits”, and return to profitability in 2007. At the beginning of August, Milacron announced its second quarter results for 2006. It incurred a net loss of $14.3m, compared with a net loss of $3.8m in the second quarter of 2005. Sales for this period were slightly up – $211m against $209m for the second quarter of last year. The company said that it took approximately $30m in orders at the NPE 2006 show, which will appear in the results for the third quarter of this year. As a result, year-on-year growth is expected during this period. Milacron has 3,500 employees and manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia.

Bayer Sheet Europe has added a new, 10-millimetre-thick sheet to its innovative i-LINE product portfolio: the Makrolon® multi UV 4-wall sheet (Makrolon® multi UV 4/10-6). Similar to the other i-LINE polycarbonate sheets, the material has superior heat insulation properties, which makes it an energy-saving material particularly suited for roofs, façades, and window rows in public and private buildings.