Altopro S.A. de C.V., a leading OPP-film producer in Mexico, will add metallizing capacity to its new Irapuato BOPP-film plant. Galileo Vacuum Systems (www.galileovacuum.com) will install that site's first metallizer—a GOLD 2812, which joins another Galileo metallizer installed in 2001 as well as multiple slitter/rewinders that the supplier has provided over the years.

“The new plant will more than double our existing BOPP-manufacturing capacity,” says Altopro president/CEO Antonio Simon. “It's strategically located to efficiently serve both the Mexican and US markets. Our first line is expected to be in production in early 2009.”

Due for delivery in June (when there will be plenty of daylight hours for installation), a new X-Flex press from Omet (www.omet.it) will begin production at PMT, Iceland's leading label printer. PMT chose the new 6-color, UV-flexo system (below right) after convincing print trials undertaken at Omet's demo center in Lecco, Italy. Omet is represented in the US by Matik North America (www.matik.com).

“We tested a number of presses, and there was no doubt that the X-Flex performed the best,” says PMT managing director Oddur Sigurdsson. “Iceland is a remote market with a wide variety of special requirements, so we needed the best flexibility available to make the investment worthwhile.”

When fully commissioned, PMT's new X-Flex will also offer movable cold-foil, delam-relam, and turner bars on an overhead rail system, a shock-air system for windows patching, and a two-ply, p-s coupon labelmaking system.

Suzhou Jantan Packaging & Printing of Wujiang, China, purchased a new 10-color E-Combat™ 370 press from GIDUE (www.gidue.com). Equipped with Flower™ flexo heads, two silkscreen units and two cold-foil units, the press (top photo) will be used to print high-end labels and light paperboard at the company's new US$3 million plant.

Suzhou Jantan, founded in 1992, serves customers in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food packaging and electronic sectors. It had sales of US$5 million in 2006 and forecasts growth to more than US$10 million in 2010.

Leading South African flexible-packaging converter Astraflex recently installed a high-speed Bimec S.A.S. STM/63 slitter (www.bimec.com) at its facility in Pinetown, near Durban (left). Due to increased demand, Astraflex has embarked on a capacity expansion program, which included the purchase of the Bimec slitter. The STM/63 unwinds mother rolls up to 40 in. in diameter and rewinds finished rolls of up to 24 in. It is equipped with a number of options to streamline set-up and job cycles. The sophisticated slitter features automatic tension control, programmable touchscreen control systems, shaftless unwinds and rewinding/unloading facilities. —Converting Today