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Gauging demand for calendered plastics (sidebar)

Calendering developments show steady growth

Despite the substantial costs of installing a calendering line, this sheet and film processing method appears to be on the rise for packaging applications. Among recent developments supporting this increase:

* Klockner Pentaplast is investing upwards of $30 million for a new calendering line at its Rural Retreat, VA, plant. The line is expected to begin running this fall, with annual capacity of 50 million lb/yr of polyvinyl chloride. That's nearly three times the capacity of the average calendering line. The new line will effectively double that plant's calendered film and sheet capacity.

* In late February, Vinyl Plastics completed its acquisition of American Mirrex. According to a press release announcing the acquisition, VPI believes American Mirrex will add to VPI's market strength, and allow Mirrex plants to "deliver stability and future growth to its customers."

* Thermoformer Alloyd Plastics is plunking down at least $5 million to add 20ꯠ sq' of space to house a retrofitted calendering machine. The plant adds 20 million lb of PVC sheet-making capacity. Production is scheduled to begin during the second quarter of this year.

* Processors are either using or looking into resins other than PVC, for use in atypical applications. A case in point: Kraft Foods de Mexico's hinged clamshell trays for new Manchego-style sliced cheese (see Packaging World, December '96, p. 24). In that instance, a thermoformer in Mexico manufactures the clamshells from sheet calendered by American Mirrex. This Mirran(TM) sheet is made from Barex® CAM resin supplied by BP Chemicals (Cleveland, OH).

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