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Carolyn Wagner, Head of Business Unit Packaging at Treofan. Carolyn Wagner, Head of Business Unit Packaging at Treofan.
16/07/2015
Treofan

HybraPack – a Treofan innovation for greater flexibility

Last year the Treofan group continued with its strategic transformation into a customer-oriented, innovation-driven premium supplier of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films. In line with this approach the company, which employs a total of some 1,100 employees at production facilities in Germany, Italy and Mexico, implemented numerous restructuring measures.

Last year the Treofan group continued with its strategic transformation into a customer-oriented, innovation-driven premium supplier of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films. In line with this approach the company, which employs a total of some 1,100 employees at production facilities in Germany,
Italy and Mexico, implemented numerous restructuring measures.

These included the reorganisation and reinforcement of the sales departments, converting the company’s Italian organisation into integrated production locations, the introduction of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement management at its Neunkirchen, Germany location and investments in ­innovation and production. One such investment dedicated €?35?m alone to a new production line for labels and packaging films in Neunkirchen which is scheduled to start up in mid-2015 with an annual capacity of 35,000 tonnes. In addition, the autumn of 2014 saw the introduction of software-aided innovation management. The software can conduct the fact-based assessment of innovative ideas and ­ultimately enable the company to advance more new products to market maturity at a faster pace.

Carolyn Wagner took over as Head of the Packaging Business Unit at Treofan group in February of 2015. She explains that this process has significantly improved the interconnectivity within the company and is leading to an overall acceleration of its processes wherein. “The innovation cycles are becoming shorter”. Treofan has demonstrated just how quickly it can act on an idea with its newly developed HybraPack hybrid material. The idea originated in the middle of 2014 and was developed together with paper manufacturer Stora Enso Uetersen. These types of partnered, integrated product developments with brand name manufacturers, processors and raw material suppliers are also set to be expanded. Carolyn Wagner comments, “Cooperations are a very important issue”.

The HybraPack system solution involves bonding an external paper sheet with an internal BOPP film sheet in a continuous process, eliminating the need for additional process steps such as lamination. The combination of the two materials also reduces the relative plastic content. According to Treofan, exiting pouch equipment can be easily converted to use the new material. Carolyn Wagner explains, “The innovation lies in the application. The bond between cardboard and film is a good solution combining flexibility and stiffness that is suitable for a broad spectrum of applications. There is also a range of possibilities for closing and sealing solutions”. The possible variations for stand-up pouches are particularly interesting. This type of packaging has meanwhile become the most successful option in food retail because consumers appreciate its ease of handling. But previous solutions for stand-up pouches have also highlighted drawbacks such as the smooth metal look and feel, which has proven to be less than ideal for some products.

In contrast, HybraPack unites the look and feel of paper, consumers’ favourite form of packaging material, with the protection and handling properties of BOPP film. This produces a flexibility that sits between tra­ditional stiff packaging and flexible pouches. Stora Enso Uetersen Mill’s Business Development Manager Marcus Weise says, “This combination of complementary properties opens up new opportunities for brand name manufacturers to differentiate their products at the PoS”.

Carolyn Wagner says that HybraPack is now moving into the marketing phase. Treofan and Stora Enso are currently working together with food product manufacturers in joint workshops to come up with concrete options for the individual use of the new system solution. When we ask Carolyn Wagner what other new themes Treofan is working on, she cites MOH as a catchword. “We are in the process of developing barrier solutions for this, again in collaboration with partners”. This move represents Treofan’s consistent pursuit of its 2015 targets of greater process efficiency, the enforced reconstruction of its portfolio toward specialities and a greater ­focus on customer orientation.

http://www.treofan.com