• Krafting excellence: Kraft Foods North America, Northfield, Ill., names two package-printing vendors April 3 as winners of its 2000 Awards for Supplier Excellence. Pechiney Plastic Packaging, Chicago, and Southern Graphic Systems, Louisville, Ky., were honored for flexible packaging and digital-imaging services, respectively, based on their innovative contributions.

• Radiation curing gets eco-nod: Two recent rulings by California's South Coast Air Quality Management District recognize UV- and EB-curing technologies as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional processes. Companies using UV/EB may now be able to avoid complex permitting requirements, and UV/EB materials would be considered equal to add-on VOC-control devices in a rule demanding a 65 percent cut in emissions.

• Fly like an eagle: Newly established converter Eagle Film Extruders, Walker, Mich., installs a 63-in. layflat-width Varex® blown-film extrusion line from Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp., Lincoln, R.I. The system, which features Optifil® P-2 auto-gauge control and a Filmatic® K winder, is scheduled for production in August 2001.

• Solving a multi-substrate dilemma: Hickory, N.C.-based Plastic Packaging, Inc., enters the paperboard market with a new ProGlide MSP™ press from Comco Intl., Milford, Ohio. A wide-web film printer, PPI will use the MSP narrow-web flexo press to "go after the light board business with up to 9 colors," says operations manager Dan Chamley.

• Opening a window on film coating: CPFilms, Martinsville, Va., invests $30 million in new machinery, buildings and increased production capacity to meet growth for its precision coating and window-film businesses. Among the plans: a 20,000-sq-ft plant added in Martinsville by July; new coater/laminator to expand Martinville capacity by 33 percent; high-speed packaging line to meet demand for DIY solar-control window film; a new high-capacity coating machine online in Europe by the end of 2002; and two new film-sputtering machines for window film in place late next year.

• Bringing digital-graphics tech in-house: Chicago-based Pechiney Plastic Packaging and MacDermid Graphic Arts, Atlanta, sign an exclusive five-year agreement March 29 for MacDermid to supply Pechiney with digital and conventional printing-plate systems and materials. The move brings digital tech in-house at Pechiney to strengthen the flex-pack converter's flexo capabilities for customers. A new 5280A automated plate-maker will be installed at Pechiney's Graphics Ctr. in Neenah, Wis.

While Europe and North America dominate demand for metallized papers, more than 30 percent of all new paper-metallizing capacity in 2000 was added in the Asia-Pacific market, say statistics from U.K. researcher AWA. Labels were the top end-use application for metallized papers in North America last year, followed by cigarette inner wraps, candy and gift wrap.

A new company, Amcor Flexibles Europe A/S, will result from the announced merger of operations April 9 of three major international flex-pack converters.

The triumvirate involves Australian Amcor's European flex-pack business linking up with the European flex-pack operations of Denmark's Danisco Flexible and the majority of the operations of Akerlund & Rausing, owned by Finland's Ahlstrom Paper Group. Amcor Flexibles Europe (AFE) will reportedly have annual sales of $1 billion and 40 plants in 14 countries.

In the deal expected to close next month, AFE shareholders will be Amcor 67 percent, Danisco 25 percent and Ahlstrom 8 percent. The merger establishes Amcor as the leading flex-pack maker in Europe, says Amcor managing director Russell Jones. "It's consistent with our strategy for the flexible packaging business of focusing on the higher growth, higher technology product sectors and being a market leader in key geographic regions," Jones says.