Scandstick AB installs 2m-wide coater at Helsingborg HQ

Scandstick AB, a European laminator of self-adhesive label materials, has announced the completion of a new state-of-the-art coating line at its Helsingborg mill in Sweden. The plant’s commissioning marks phase one of a €40 m investment program – the biggest in the company’s history. The new plant will drastically boost capacity, needed as a result of fast growth experienced by the company in recent years. Also included in the investment is the installation of three new slitters, and an extension of the Swedish factory by 4,000 square meters.

The new custom-built coating line, 2 m wide and over 60 m long, boasts fully integrated adhesive coating and siliconizing capability, for fast, high-volume conversion of rolls and sheets into laminated stock, in a single pass. It includes a number of features that enable scheduling flexibility, while minimizing waste and changeover times.

Central to these is the line’s fully automated, gravimetric adhesive system, enabling precise hotmelt recipe formulation ‘on-the-fly’, effectively eliminating adhesive preparation times. The line also includes the very latest computerized control and inspection systems, to ensure the highest levels of quality consistency.

‘R2’, as the coating line is known, will enable faster output of Scandstick’s most popular high-volume paper and synthetic products. Specifically, these include thermal, machine-coated, vellum and high / low gloss products. The coating plant can efficiently handle synthetics down to 20 μm and all paper grades in the Scandstick program. 

The building program at Helsingborg began in April this year; the plant will begin production in the second week of October.

With R2’s focus on long production runs, the company can also significantly increase its speciality offering on the company’s existing coating lines. This puts Scandstick in a strong position to meet the growing market, in particular, for digital printing applications, custom-coated papers, and linerless products. Niclas Fredin, production manager, commented: ‘The growth in demand that we’ve enjoyed in recent times meant the extra capacity was a necessity. The new plant means we’re not only well-placed to meet mass-production requirements, but we have the flexibility to meet the growing demand for smaller runs, and customized solutions.’

Mr Sten-Inge Fredin, chairman of Scandstick AB, commented: ‘This milestone investment puts at Scandstick’s disposal, the very latest in large-volume, high-speed coating and siliconizing technology. We are even better placed to support our European converter customers, large and small, with the highest standards of quality, consistently and speedily. And equally, we will help them face the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace. But at the same time, our customers can rest assured, the focus on personal service and innovation – attributes on which our success and reputation is based – remains as strong as ever. With this commitment and with great pride, we enter a new era of self-adhesive label production.’