Lima, Peru-based converter OPP Film SA orders a Bobst General (www.bobst.com/general) K5000 high-performance vacuum metallizer for its new facility in Pilar, Argentina. The 112-in.-wide system (above) is reportedly the first General K5000 metallizer in South America and will be in full production by the end of the year.

The addition of the new film production line will increase OPP Film's capacity to produce approximately 100,000 metric tons of BOPP film a year, with the company becoming one of the largest producers of polypropylene film in South America.

“This new investment will substantially increase our operations in plastic-film metallizing,” explains Jamil Zaidan, managing director/owner of the OPP Film Group. “So it was extremely important that we invested in the best equipment available to produce the highest-quality metallized film for our discerning customer base. We're confident that we have made the right decision with the General K5000. We've seen it in action, and we have also seen the high-quality coatings it can produce. This is an exciting step forward for our company.”

Introduced in late 2004, the K5000 vacuum metallizer reportedly produces the highest output of metallized film per hour than its closest competitors and uses the lowest levels of power consumption and lowest levels of aluminum per square meter of coated film produced, Bobst says. Higher-quality coatings at higher production speeds are said to be due to its unusual evaporation-source geometry and General's proprietary plasma pre-treatment technology.