Toppan, a Toppan Group company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Toppan Holdings, and its India-based subsidiary Toppan Speciality Films Private Limited (TSF), have installed a hybrid manufacturing line that can produce both biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film and biaxially-oriented polyethylene (BOPE) on the same machine.
With an extensive track record in the production of BOPP films, the Punjab-based TSF is launching production of BOPE on the new line to meet diversifying demand. TSF will begin mass production on the new line from mid-November this year, supplying BOPP and BOPE films to packaging converters and global brand owners in sectors such as food and FMCG in India and throughout the world.
During Packaging South Asia’s visit to the TSF plant in Punjab in May 2024, Manohara Kumar, CEO, and Whole-Time Director, spoke about the hybrid line. The new and bigger line adds to the four working BOPP lines and will help the company augment its present capacity. As we had written earlier, TSF’s team held BOPE trials at Brückner’s technology center to prepare for the new BOPP/BOPE line.
With the introduction of the new line, the Toppan Group aims to meet increasing global demand by enhancing supply capacity for its wide-ranging film solutions—including both BOPP and BOPE mono-material film substrates—and to expand TSF’s film production capacity by approximately 40%.
Sustainability on Toppan agenda
The Toppan Group says in a release that it is driving digital transformation and sustainability transformation to become a leading provider of solutions to social issues worldwide. With heightened global consciousness of the need for environmental conservation, Toppan’s packaging business is advancing a global strategy for eco-friendly, sustainable packaging, focused on the growing area of flexible packaging.
Toppan is enhancing technology and cost performance for sustainable packaging by establishing a global supply network from film manufacture to barrier processing and package converting, ensuring end-to-end capabilities spanning the supply chain.
As an eco-progressive region, Europe in particular is seeing rising demand for recycle-ready mono-material sustainable packaging, requiring a switch from PET to BOPP and BOPE films. With the new hybrid manufacturing line, TSF aims to cater to such demand by expanding the portfolio and volume of the films it can produce and increasing the supply of the BOPP and BOPE films necessary for mono-material sustainable packaging.
Key features of new line
The new line is capable of manufacturing BOPP and BOPE films on the same machine and enables efficient production of a wide range of products. The line operates at high speed and incorporates a system for advanced quality management, making it possible to achieve more uniform thickness, superior transparency, and consistent strength across all films, and to supply high-quality products meeting diverse requirements in India and global markets.
By producing BOPE films with enhanced recyclability and reduced environmental impact, the line helps brands comply with India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules and EPR requirements, while supporting TSF’s commitment to circular economy principles.
With the addition of this new line, TSF aims to increase annual sales volume to approximately 33,000 tons in 2027 by meeting global BOPP and BOPE film demand. The combination of TSF’s BOPP and BOPE film manufacturing expertise and the Toppan Group’s broad base of technologies and solutions will expand sustainable solutions worldwide by driving use in transparent GL Barrier films as well as the development of high-value-added BOPP and BOPE films that satisfy customer requirements with added functionality, including enhanced heat resistance and sealability.
