Metal Packaging • Pharmaceuticals Market • Anders

Metal Packaging • Pharmaceuticals Market • Anders Linde Interview
Biomass • Robotics • Global Design • Technology-Enabled Packaging
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PackagingEurope
Europe
A leading
company
Since its acquisition by Graham Packaging Company,
back in May 2011, Techne has confirmed its position as
a sector market leader, with continuous developing of
highly efficient and innovative integrated solutions for the
packaging of liquid, food and industrial products. Barbara
Rossi finds out more with Leandro Mannino, sales
manager for Techne in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
S
ince 1985 Techne, based in Bologna, has manufactured more than 1,100 extrusion and blow-moulding machines for the production of polyethylene and
polypropylene containers. In 2010, following the global European crisis, TECHNE
was acquired by American multinational Graham Packaging Company, with a yearly
turnover of around US $3 billion and part itself of Rank Holding Group, which includes
companies like SIG Combibloc, CSI Alcoa and Reynolds, and became Techne Graham
Packaging Company Italia.
Mr Mannino adds, “Graham Packaging is a global bottle manufacturer. With 98
plants all over the world, it has a strong leadership position on the packaging market,
with around 22 billion bottles produced per year, processing 550.000 tons of plastic.
Thanks to the 2010 acquisition, Techne has become the ‘exclusive’ supplier of Graham
Packaging in terms of machinery, but continues to supply to the external market and to
its long-terms customers”.
Techne Graham has the capability to design low weight containers first of all thanks
to its long experience but also thanks to Graham Packaging R&D centre located in York,
Pennsylvania, which has more than 120 employees.
Innovation is of the utmost importance and the company carries out continuous investments in the development of new technologies. Graham Packaging, as a
group, invests an average of US $20 million per year in bottle design optimization,
technology development and new materials.
“As Techne, we are continuously engaged in the technological innovation of our machines. We have been among the first to produce full electric units almost 10 years ago,
featuring low consumption and a reduced maintenance. Our range of machines covers
Packaging
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Europe | 73 |
Crizaf
Crizaf is an Italian company founded in 1954, leader in conveying, filling and
storage systems for semi- finished products, small and medium size finished
products and recycling materials. Over the years the company has become
a multinational organization with production sites in Italy, USA, Brazil and
India and a diffused sales organization all over the world with sole distributors
in more than 30 countries. Our range of products are used in a wide range of
industries as Plastic, Food, Packaging, Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, Electronic &
Electrical, Automotive, Paper Converting, Recycling, Die Casting. Crizaf is a valid
technological partner, able to guarantee each client not only quality, continuity
and reliability, but also to ensure flexibility and customization, working in synergy
with the client to offer technically valid and targeted solutions.
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almost 100 per cent of the applications with very high production capacity unit (ROTAX
24 moulds, ADV 4 shuttles), high production capacity (ADV 2 shuttles) as well as low
capacity (ADV 1 shuttle), from monolayer to 6 layers and with high technological values
as aseptic blowing or in mould labelling systems. Moreover, Techne is at the moment the
only company with a proven combi machine for extrusion blow moulding, filling and
capping in one unit (UNIKA).
Machines are equipped with a kinetic energy recovery system, which recycles
some of the energy dissipated in heat during the braking stages of the moving
parts. This further lowers energy consumption, using this energy in real time for
the accelerations ramps.
Throughout its history Techne has been a company which develops new technologies,
reliable and long-lasting machines.
Global presence
In terms of production facilities, Graham Packaging has 98 blow-moulding plants around
the globe. Techne is the main technological centre for industrial design and for the
construction of extrusion and blow-moulding machines. Another Graham Packaging
facility (GTCP), located in Poland, is specialized in mould construction, mechanical parts
and exclusive machine technology. The current production capacity of Techne in terms
of machine manufacturing is of 20-25 units a year, with a mix of machinery of medium,
high and very high production.
“Recently Graham Packaging signed a joint-venture with a Chinese company
which manufactures filling machines and bottle conveying systems. One model of
an electric version of Techne machines will be manufactured there, dedicated to the
Pacific market.”
The current Techne Graham range is one of the most comprehensive on the market,
offering solutions for almost any application in a wide variety of sectors. The main industry sectors served by the organisation are cosmetics, personal care, household, food and
beverage (milk-based products in particular), lubricants and industrial. “Our machines
are used by 300 customers in more than 60 countries throughout the world”.
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PackagingEurope
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K Show participation
For the first time this year, Techne has participated as Graham Packaging to the most
important industry trade fair in Europe, K show, with a great response from the market.
Except in 2010, Techne had participated in every show since 1986 and now follows on
in this tradition as Techne Graham, continuing to present advanced products using the
most innovative technology, characterised by low environmental impact and a high level
of efficiency and production capacity. This year the company exhibited its latest generation full electric machine, for the production of fresh milk bottles, 200 ml, neck to neck,
for a production of 12.000 bottles per hour.
Looking ahead
“Thinking about the future, Techne is and must continue to be a market reference, while
obviously Graham Packaging, as a bottle converter, will also continue with its constant
growth. Techne Graham will be engaged in maintaining its position as a market leader
through technological innovation as it has always done over the past 25 years. We are
aided in our mission by a staff of young people who already have a great deal of experience in the packaging field and are highly motivated to create value. In this way, we are
able to maintain the best of Techne’s principles, enhanced by the long experience accrued
by Graham Packaging and the strength and financial stability of the Rank Group.
“The group’s size, its global presence and technical skills allows Techne Graham to offer
to its customers an entire solution portfolio that starts with bottle design, pilot production, extrusion blow moulding machines for all kind of innovative resins (including biodegradable) and complete production lines, as well as full training and production start
up management support. This is part of an intangible value flanked by extremely accurate
equipment design and manufacturing and extensive production tests carried out before
products are dispatched to customers. There is a strong strategic differentiation between
Techne Graham and its worldwide competitors: our whole design and production is
oriented towards the bottle/container, in terms of quality, productivity and weight and
n
cost reduction, not only towards machine manufacturing.” Visit: www.technespa.com
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