Altana acquires Landa Metallography technology

Altana has acquired Landa's Metallography technology, an alternative to the foil transfer processes for producing metalized graphics.

Landa Metallographpy samples

Landa will progressively transfer the remaining development and engineering work to Altana’s Actega Coatings & Sealants division, which will be bringing the technology to market in the coming years. The further development work, as well as sales and distribution, will be steered by Actega Metal Print, based in Lehrte near Hanover, Germany. Jan Franz Allerkamp, who has been with Altana since 2010, has been named managing director of this newly founded Altana company.

Benny Landa, chairman of the Landa Group, said: ‘We are delighted that Altana has embraced our zero-waste Nano-Metallography technology, for there can be no better owner for this business than Altana. As an innovative partner of its customers Altana has a wealth of experience and know-how in graphic arts.’

Altana CEO Martin Babilas commented: ‘We are excited about this acquisition, which opens up new growth opportunities for Altana and strengthens our position as a leading solution provider for the printing industry. We are looking forward to our continued close and trustful cooperation with Landa as we prepare to bring this promising technology to market.’

Dr Roland Peter, president of the Actega Coatings & Sealants division, added: ‘Landa’s Metallography technology has the potential to become a sustainable mainstream technology for metallization graphics, supplanting foil-transfer in applications such as labels and folding cartons.’

Metallography is both economically attractive and environmentally sustainable, saving a significant amount of material, cost and production time compared to the conventional cold foil and hot foil stamping technology.

Altana is also an investor in Landa Digital Printing, and Benny Landa said the transaction for Metallography is ‘testament to the outstanding collaboration’ between the two companies.

‘It will enable Landa to focus on Nanography, our breakthrough digital printing technology, while Altana takes over the final development work and commercialization of our Metallography technology.’

Read more about Metallography in L&L issue 3, 2016, and here