Strictly-Extrusion

Davis-Standard, LLC recently relocated the Extrusion Systems portion of its European business from Erkrath, Germany to the D-S Brookes facility in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Converting Systems business will remain in Erkrath. The move is part of a reorganization effort that will enable Davis-Standard to focus on its core customer base in Europe and key heritage brands, Betol and Repiquet.
‘The relocation will provide customers with extensive facilities for final machine assembly and machine acceptance testing,’ said Jim Murphy, President of Davis-Standard’s Extrusion Systems Group. ‘This facility is also undergoing a lean manufacturing transformation to improve cycle times on barrels and screws. Once this is complete, we will do the same for our machine building operation in order to meet customer demands for shorter lead times. We believe this is a good move from both a business and customer service perspective and emphasizes our determination to strengthen our position in the European market.’
In addition to serving as the European base for Betol and Repiquet equipment and Davis-Standard pipe and profile systems, this facility will continue to manufacture screws and barrels. Under the leadership of Mark Woodgate, Business Director, and Ivor Watts, Manufacturing Manager, Davis-Standard’s Extrusion Systems team in Europe will focus on future growth with a strong technical and sales effort.

Klockner Pentaplast Group, a global leader of film products, announced that it has reached agreement for the sale of its flexible film business with Wipak, the packaging division of Finland-based Wihuri Group, subject to final due-diligence process and anti-trust clearance. The following production sites are affected by this agreement:
• Betzigau, Germany
• Avanspack, Finland and Nordpak, Finland
‘The flexible film divestiture is a relatively small share (3%) of total Klockner Pentaplast Group turnover. Our divestitures will enable us to focus even more on our core growth portfolio in the future’, says Joachim Kreuzburg, President and COO/Europe & Asia. ‘The flexible films segment can now be better developed in an environment where it is part of the core business.’

Flexible packaging specialist General Films Inc. will broaden its production capabilities with the installation of a nine-layer blown film line by summer. The line, to be supplied by Battenfeld Gloucester Engineering Co., will permit the processor to more than double its output of high-barrier films and expand business by offering more advanced film structures for a range of markets. General Films has been manufacturing custom barrier films for two decades.

Johns Manville (JM), a leading manufacturer of building and engineered products, announced the recent inauguration of a new nonwoven spunbond mat production line in Luoyang, China.
Located in the Henan province, this new state-of-the-art line underscores JM’s commitment to its roofing, specialty and geotextiles customers. ‘We are delighted to inaugurate this major investment, which demonstrates our continued commitment to our valued customers and the global nonwoven market,’ said Zain Mahmood, vice president and general manager, Construction Materials and Systems. ‘We especially look forward to supporting the growth plans - and the accompanying spunbond-mat needs - of our customers in Asia and the Middle East.’
The new line will also enable JM to support its strategic focus on the Asian market, especially China. ‘We are adding both capacity and nonwovens capability in Asia, one of the fastest growing regions of the world,’ said NG Sow Kam, vice president and general manager, Johns Manville, Asia. ‘Johns Manville is committed to its customers and the markets of Asia; this new investment underscores our goal to significantly grow our presence in Asia.’