W&H casts its net in China

From film trading house to specialized packaging film manufacturer – this is how Xiang Fu (Zhong Shan) Film Packaging, a China based company with about 100 employees, located in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, has developed over recent years. Equipped with the most advanced co-ex cast film technology, it is now able to produce the high quality barrier films demanded for food and medical packaging.

The company started production using two five-layer cast film lines in a newly constructed building. And, since December, 2003, following an extra- ordinarily short installation, commissioning and acceptance phase of less than 60 working days, a new Filmex seven-layer cast film line from Windmöller and Hölscher has started production in the Chinese palnt. With the line fitted with several advanced measuring units designed to ensure film quality, Xiang Fu (Zhong Shan) Film Packaging has reached an output of 8,000t/year.

The Filmex installation at Zhong Shan Xiang Fu is believed to be the first seven layer cast film line currently in operation in the Chinese marketplace, says W&H. It has been specifically designed to produce vacuum forming film for food packaging applications and works in conjunction with a Filmatic M winder, also from Windmöller and Hölscher, capable of winding speeds up to 200m/min, claims the company.

Fast response

Depending on the product, films in thicknesses from 20 to 250 micron and in widths of up to 2,200mm can be produced on the new line. In addition to the field proven Procontrol operating concept, the extrusion system features W&H's novel control technology for fast controller response. It is known as a 'profile booster'. This innovative feature results in a noticeably shorter start-up time for the extrusion line and consequently in considerably reduced scrap rates, explains the company.

At present, the Filmex line is mainly producing barrier films for the food industry, specifically for meat products. However, future plans include the production of films for medical applications. These are products that obviously involve the most exacting demands on the production process as far as hygiene requirements are concerned.

Filmex is based on chill roll technology. In this process, the melted resin is poured on a chill roll, thus cooling it abruptly, which results in superior optical and mechanical film properties. All currently used groups of polymers, such as PP, PE, PA, EVOH and can be processed without any problems, says W&H.