South African flexibles supplier invests in Titan

- Purchase to support growth in flexible packaging business

 

- Further plans to invest in gravure press and coater/laminator

 

M-Tech Plastics, a South African films supplier to the plastics and packaging industry, has invested in a Titan ER610 compact slitter rewinder in part of an effort to meet a stringent service strategy and to enhance its fast-growing flexible packaging operations.

 

The Titan ER610 is a high-performance slitter rewinder designed to run at a production speed of 450m/min and can handle a minimum 35mm slit width, with a rewind diameter of 610mm.

 

The ER610 is available in two standard widths – 1,350mm and 1650mm – with slitting systems available as shear knives, rotary razor (burst) or razor slitting in air or groove. Optional features include laser (line) core positioning, laser safety scanners and also a shaftless unwind roll pick-up from the floor.

 

The 1,650mm web width machine installed at M-Tech Plastics also features an integral edge-trim extraction system and an integral shaftless unwind for a maximum 1,000mm diameter roll. The pneumatically-controlled braking system provides accurate web tension control and a digital edge guide system controls lateral movement of the unwind reel.

 

Also included is a high-speed HMI control system with a 10in touchscreen terminal, non-language symbols, compact flash memory and fault diagnostics.

 

M-Tech Plastics was established in 1990 and produces high-quality gravure printed BOPP, PET, PVC, PE and paper, as well as duplex and triplex laminations. These include five layer co-extruded Nylon, EVOH, Nucrel and Surlyn barrier films, which are all produced in line with ISO22000/HACCP quality and food safety management systems.

 

Barry Le Roux, managing director of M-Tech Plastics, said: ‘We’re experiencing substantial organic growth and service levels remain of utmost importance to our management and operations teams.

 

‘We’re constantly striving to improve our performance to support our customers’ valued brands and believe the latest investments will open the arena for us to produce and deliver exceptional products.

 

‘We’ve embarked on equipment purchases in line with our expansion plan. This includes a recently installed Titan ER610 compact slitter rewinder, supplied in collaboration with Beswick Machinery, the local agent for Atlas Converting Equipment.

 

‘We also plan to place orders for a Nordmeccanica Super-Combi coater/laminator and a Rotomec ELS ten-colour gravure press, both scheduled for delivery in 2013.’

 

Until now, slitting and rewinding at M-Tech Plastics has been completed on two machines. Le Roux said: ‘Our existing equipment carried us through our early growth stages, but it’s now time to push ourselves into the next level.

 

‘We’ve always appreciated Titan’s world-class technology and the new Titan ER610 has hit the perfect balance between price and performance. Also Beswick Machinery has an excellent team providing top-class technical and maintenance support, so I’m very happy.’

 

Riaan Hopley of Beswick Machinery said: ‘The control system simplifies operation. Anyone who can use a cell phone can operate the machine.

 

‘Installation and operator training was carried out by our qualified technicians and the ER610 is already having a very positive impact on quality and service to M-Tech's customers.’

 

Le Roux’s ultimate goal is to reduce lead times drastically and produce consistent, high-quality goods for all customers.

 

He said: ‘We’re upgrading our systems to enhance our manufacturing capacity and the Titan is already handling the majority of our slitting requirements.

 

‘From next year, we’ll experience a serious rise in production and then we’ll see this impressive machinery perform to its true potential. We have every confidence that the Titan’s performance will speak for itself and we’ll be purchasing more Titan slitting equipment in the future.’

 

Read more on Titan here

Read more about converting machinery here

Read more news from Africa here