Modern Plastics Worldwide - July/August 2009 - dae uptlax

WORLD TOUR
EUROPE
Business, Strategies & Markets
Innovation key to future for Serbian
processors
By Robert Colvin
Barrier-film processor Spektar (Gornji
Milanovac), after installing a 7-layer,
biaxially oriented, blown shrink-wrap line
from Kuhne Anlagebau (Sankt Augustin,
Germany) five years ago (April 2004
MPW, p. 45), has embarked on a project
offering even higher barrier. The
processor was named 2007 Exporter of
the Year by the government for its innovative
packaging products, which are
sent to markets throughout Europe, the
surrounding Balkan states of the former
Yugoslavia, Russia/CIS countries, and
even North America, where the processor
is eager to find a distributor.
Spektar owner Zoran Dordevic,
together with his two sons, has opted
for a 9-layer, triple bubble system, producing
web in 25-100-μm tolerances, on
a line delivered from Kuhne but with its
design based on Spektar’s 5- and 7-layer
production experience, he says. The new
unit allows up to 50%
better shrink properties
for packaging of meats
and cheese.
Son Petar Dordevic
says the unit will complement
the company’s
offering since 7-layer
film (40-100 μm) produced
there provides
better puncture resistance
for packaging
such things as fresh
meat with sharp bones.
“We want to be able
to offer customers the
optimum choice of film
structures to match
their products,” he
says.
Petar Dordevic adds
The first 10,000 injection
molded instantaneous hot
water heaters left Serbian
processor RPC Pesovic for
delivery to a South African
building developer in April.
Although Serbia is a small European country, big things are happening there in
plastics processing as discovered on a recent return visit by Modern Plastics.
that the 9-layer line
also yields substantial
future possibilities.
For example,
for cheese packaging
that Spektar started
targeting last year,
he foresees a 9-layer
film with a selective
barrier, permitting
CO 2 that cheeses
produce to be evacuated
while preventing
oxygen ingress.
Better-controlled
barrier for poultry
packaging is also
possible.
During the last
two years the company invested about
€5 million not only in the 9-layer line
but also in a new building addition to
house the unit and an
8+8 color flexographic
printer from Windmöller
& Hölscher (Lengerich,
Germany), delivered in
June of this year. The
expansion also required
the company to meet
new fire regulations and
since the local community
could not guarantee
enough water delivery in
case of fire, Spektar was
required to install water
storage on the premises
Award-winning designer and injection molder P. Peshovich,
owner of RPC Pesovic, demonstrates his injection molded,
tankless, energy-saving water heater, recently delivered to
a South African customer.
in case of a blaze. Zoran
Dordevic decided if he
had to include that, then
the storage should be in
the form of a swimming
pool, which staff and
families use after work.
At blown-film processor Bel Plast
(Bela Zemlja), Manager Sanja Spijunovic
saw enough growth potential to install a
new 3-layer line from Kuhne primarily
dedicated to linear low-density polyethylene-based
stretch-hood production
for pallet wrap targeted at such products
as cement bags, cinder blocks, and
roofing tiles. The €2 million line with
inline printing is also versatile enough,
says Spijunovic, that it can be used to
produce biodegradable shopping bags
for Serbia’s largest supermarket chain,
Delta. Film line troubleshooting is handled
by remote diagnostics.
At processor and toolmaker RPC
Pesovic (Simanovci), a new complement
to the existing injection molded water-
and energy-saving sanitary fixtures line
is a plastic instantaneous water heater.
Originally RPC Pesovic was only to supply
the fixtures but its co-vendor for hot
water boilers was incapable of supplying
38 JULY/AUGUST 2009 • MODERN PLASTICS WORLDWIDE mpw.plasticstoday.com