Flexible packaging group, UNI Packaging, has recently announced a £1.5m investment package for their 10,000 sq ft St. Helens, Lancashire manufacturing site. The move, which follows a re-brand of the facility from Arteb Printing to ‘UNI Packaging St. Helens’ on 1 January 2016, comes as the group continue to increase their UK market share in the short run, high quality flexible market.

Investments include a recently installed Titan SR9-DT Dual Turret Slitter. Operating at 1650mm wide with capacity up to 700mm rewind reel diameters on both 76 and 152mm cores, the slitter features an automatic knife positioning system with 30+ Tidland rotating knives. The SR9 can process a wide range of materials to a minimum slit width of 25mm on both cores. It also has an automatic electronic slit reel unloading system to meet the firm’s expanding production requirements.

Alongside their SR9 purchase, UNI Packaging will be making a sizeable investment in a new flexo press later in the year. The addition of a HP Indigo 20000 digital press, to be located at the St. Helens site, is also likely at some stage late 2016/early 2017. The press will be the third in the group’s expanding portfolio, creating momentum in their highly successful digital product, Digiflex®.

Coupled with capability upgrades, UNI Packaging’s St Helens site is being reorganised to create a more logical sequence to its manufacturing workflow - a dedicated print hall is being created, alongside a new lamination hall with a new high tech film curing facility and a brand new slitting hall.

“The investment in UK manufacturing has strategic importance to the group,” says UNI Packaging’s UK managing director, Rod Entwistle. “We have a growing market share in this country and with the resources across the group, we can operate on a different level to other flexible packaging companies, allowing us to give our customers a consistently high level of service at every stage.”

“Our customers benefit from the assurance of a UK manufacturing capability and the advantages that brings, such as the ability to address the growing trend for very short runs, fast response times and high print quality. Investments at the St. Helens site will provide the group with additional capacity at a time of ongoing expansion,” he added.

Operating from six production sites across France, UNI Packaging provide a full range of flexible packaging solutions including: Gravure, flexographic and digital printing through their Digiflex® offering, vacuum pouch and stand-up pouch manufacture, lamination, laser scoring, co-extrusion and logistics. With a turnover in excess of €110m, UNI Packaging employs over 300 people in sites and offices across 15 countries.

UNI Packaging will be promoting their expertise and know-how on stand D48 at Packaging Innovations at the NEC on 24-25 February 2016.

 

packagingeurope.com

Report Abuse