First 11-Layer FILMEX® Cast Film Line Sold to China

Xiang Fu Film Packaging Co. Ltd. invests again in State-of-the-art Cast Film Technology from WINDMÖLLER and HÖLSCHER

From film trading house to specialised packaging film manufacturer and Chinese market leader in the field of cast barrier films - this, in a nutshell, describes the meteoric development of the Chinese company Xiang Fu (Zhong Shan) Film Packaging Co. Lt. located in Zongshan, Guandong Province. The company with a highly qualified staff of approximately 100, specializes in the production of high-quality barrier films predominantly for food packaging applications for the Chinese market but also for the US and Japan.

Cast Film Extrusion Line Packaging Machinery

As recently as 2004, a 7-layer FILMEX^®cast film line supplied by the German engineering company WINDMÖ-LLER & HÖ-LSCHER went on stream, at that time the first packaging machinery line of this type in China. And now, Xiang Fu is playing a leading role again: Only four years after their first purchase, Xiang Fu has again opted for W&H and invests in a 11-layer FILMEX^® line. The new cast film extrusion line is on its way to China and projected for start-up at the Zhongshan plant end of this year.

Smiling faces: Both customer and supplier are happy with the excellent performance of the W&H 7-layer FILMEX cast film line: (from left) Douglas Lin (Technical Director of Xiang Fu), Klaus Meyer (W&H Asiapacific), Manfred Wittenbrock (W&H), Weixua Su (Managing Director Xiang Fu) and Bill Yuen (Rieckermann Hong Kong).

The new FILMEX^® packaging machine is equipped with 9 extruders and designed for a film width of 2,600 mm. It is capable of handling all customary polymer groups such as PP, PE, PA, and EVOH. An 11-layer feedblock ensures the uniform distribution of the individual layers and gives high flexibility in terms of product design. One highlight of this new line is the edge encapsulation system that enables less expensive resins to be used in the area of the film edges and in this way notably reduces the cost resulting from inevitable edge trimming.

The line also features the proven PROCONTROL^®operator console with touch screen monitor for easy operation, and PROFILE BOOSTER, the new module to optimize die start-up and reduce start-up time and waste. Excellent winding results are achieved with the proven W&H FILMATIC^®M winder. To ensure optimum utilisation of the two FILMEX^® lines, Xiang Fu has also invested in the ISP automation module (ISP = Information System Production) for central production data management.

"The very positive experiences we have made with our first W&H cast film line in recent years and the broad acceptance the high-quality film produced on this line has found among our very demanding customers simply convinced us to opt for W&H state-of-the-art technology again", explains Douglas Lin, Technical Director of Xiang Fu, the company's decision to purchase another W&H FILMEX^®cast film line.

"We have ambitious plans for the future", adds Weixan Su, Managing Director. "Not only do we want to strengthen our position as market leader in China, we also want to demonstrate our capabilities as first-class supplier of high-quality products. And to do so, we need the most advanced and best equipment available in the marketplace. WINDMÖLLER & HÖLSCHER is the right partner and helps us achieve this ambitious goal."