SRF’s flexible packaging business, a significant part of the over 100 crore Indian rupees conglomerates with a global presence, has invested in a Bobst Expert K5 vacuum metallizer. The Expert K5 metallizer with a width of 3650 mm will further increase the company’s production of high-barrier BOPP films for both the domestic and global markets.
The K5 Expert equipped with Bobst’s unique AluBond process will be installed at SRF’s Indore plant in early 2022. SRF opened its first flexible packaging plant in Manali, near Chennai, in 1974 and has grown into a leading, diversified chemicals and technical materials conglomerate. Its packaging films business offers innovative BOPP and BOPET film solutions for food and non-food packaging applications.
The division follows a ‘Triple E’ approach to sustainability, comprising three pillars – Environment, Engagement, and Enterprise. Each of these pillars covers material issues important to SRF’s sustainability targets and goals.
Bobst Expert K5 with AluBond on BOPP
Bobst’s AluBond was initially developed to increase metal adhesion and dyne level on the most commonly used film substrates and is now becoming the standard metalizing process for polyolefin-based PP substrates due to its ability to increase barrier levels on these film types.
The unique process can achieve metal adhesion values of up to 5N/15mm and has been shown to significantly increase dyne level retention, which translates into improved ink wettability during printing. In addition, it may, in some cases, eliminate the need for an additional surface treatment boost, that is, corona refresh prior to converting.
When AluBond is applied to BOPP and CPP films, it enhances their oxygen (OTR) and water vapor (WVTR) barrier performance. Increasingly this process is also being used to produce high barrier metalized CPP and BOPP mono-material laminates in response to the market’s demands for sustainable or laterally recycled packaging films.
Commenting on the investment, Prashant Mehra, president, and CEO and Hari K Singh, executive vice president and head of Global Operations & Projects of SRF, said, “Due to growth in the BOPP market, we needed to expand our capacity. We have invested in a second BOPP line in India and needed a metallizer to help meet our customers’ requirements. The AluBond process will allow us to produce high-quality BOPP film with high adhesion and high barrier levels to meet the demands in the market both in India and Overseas. We look forward to our new Bobst Expert K5 being installed early next year.”
