3-layer and 5-layer blown film lines and lines for plastic bag conversion. Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd.
Gloucester Engineering of USA and the Kolsite Group announced the setting up of a JV in India for the manufacture of monolayer, 3-layer and 5-layer blown film lines and lines for plastic bag conversion. Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd., a company in the Kolsite Group, holds a 55 per cent share of the equity in the new JV while Gloucester holds the balance 45 per cent. The venture will be called Kabra Gloucester Engineering and it’s factory will be located at Kabra’s existing facility at Daman in Western India.
Gloucester currently focusses on expensive hi-tech lines with a larger number of layers and has been turning down enquiries for standard monolayer, 3-layer and 5-layer blown film lines as it cannot compete on price with other manufacturers from Italy, China and Taiwan. This JV will utilise the lower manufacturing costs in India to service this substantial market.
KET already manufactures multilayer blown film lines but their output is limited to 250 kgs/hour. The JV can produce lines that can go up to 800 to 1,000 kgs/hour. According to S. V. Kabra, Chairman and Managing Director of the Kolsite Group, “Our customers are demanding higher output and enhanced quality. This JV partnership will allow us to meet those needs and maintain our leadership position in the markets we serve.” The JV is aiming at producing 40 lines in its first full year of production and the output will service both the domestic Indian market and export markets.
Gloucester Engineering and Kolsite were demonstrating a running 3-layer blown film line producing 500 kgs/hour of 2 meter wide finished film at their stand at Plastindia 2009.