Irish plastic packaging company Quinn Packaging has announced plans to invest over €3 million in a new PET sheet extrusion line.

The investment is part of the company’s strategy to become a major player in the rigid food packaging market and will provide additional capacity to further develop its PET sheet and meat tray business when the machine is fully commissioned in mid-2016.

The machine will be supplied by SML, an Austrian company that specialises in building high-performance extrusion equipment, and will feature the Vacurema Recycling System from EREMA, a patented technology that allows the use of post-consumer or recycled PET bottle flake to make food contact-approved PET sheet.

Quinn Packaging general manager Mark McKenna said: “This investment in Quinn Packaging will allow the company to further develop its presence within the rigid food packaging sector and represents a commitment to our customers and employees. We believe that the extra investment being made in the Vacurema recycling system as part of the new extrusion line will give us a competitive advantage over many of our competitors by allowing us to replace virgin polymer material with recycled material and still produce a higher quality sheet.”

Quinn Packaging’s 19,000 square metre production facility in County Cavan is used to manufacture a range of plastic packaging products for meat and ready meal tray, punnet, dairy container and form, fill and seal applications.

Karl Stoeger, managing director of extrusion equipment supplier SML, added: “SML Maschinen of Austria looks forward to supplying Quinn Packaging with a new state-of-the-art sheet line for the production of high-quality, food-grade RPET-sheet for its thermoforming applications. The line specification is based on SML’s technology partnership with Erema Austria, utilising the Vacurema system for the main extruder and SML’s single-screw technology for the co-extruded skin layers. A high-capacity roll stack and downstream equipment, together with additional laminating capability for a functional film, will ensure flexible and highest-quality sheet supply for Quinn’s expanding packaging business.”

 

Source : foodbev.com

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