Last year, OPP Film Colombia, a new division of Oben Holding Group, began making BOPP on its new film line. This will be followed by the launch of a second BOPET line in early 2022. The BOBST K5 4050 has been in operation since October of this year, and it will be utilized to make BOPP and BOPET films utilizing the AluBond® method to create high barrier, high adhesion films.
Wide web metallization
The BOBST K5 4050 machine incorporates a high rate evaporation source that provides a higher speed of operation and reduced distance between adjacent boats giving better coating uniformity. Due to its size and high rate source, this machine has the highest number of boats of any BOBST metallizer at 56. The high rate source also allows for a higher operating speed for jobs that require a rate of 4.0 OD.
It is also the widest machine produced so far to incorporate a 700 mm drum; the BOBST drum is the largest in the industry and improves collection efficiency by 16%, reducing aluminium consumption and resulting in maximum productivity. It also includes the largest BOBST Hawkeye defect monitoring system to be sold.
The incorporation of BOBST AluBond® means OPP Film Colombia will be the first in Latin America to produce BOPP film using this process. As well as increasing adhesion and dyne levels on most film types, AluBond® provides enhanced barrier levels when applied to BOPP.
Designed to run larger diameters at high speed
The new wide web machine adds to the ones already in the market and demonstrates that BOBST metallizers are at the forefront of innovation in this market; designed to run larger diameters at high speeds whilst maintaining the cool temperature of the film and protecting the barrier.
Yamal Zaidan, President and Founder, Oben Holding Group, commenting on the investment said, “Our facility in Colombia is dedicated to BOPP and BOPET film production and we wanted to install the best equipment to produce it. We have a long history with BOBST and with their knowledge of wide web metallizers.” Erik Sosa, Technical Director, added, “With previous machines purchased from BOBST, we have achieved very high efficiency and the new metallizer will enable us to do this at our new facility whilst also giving us the advantage of being the only producer of AluBond® on BOPP in Latin America.”
Oben Holding Group produces polypropylene, polyester and nylon films used for flexible packaging; and coated films for the graphic industry and thermoformed polypropylene products. It opened its first manufacturing plant more than 25 years ago in Ecuador. Today, it has 13 manufacturing plants and several distribution centers and sales offices within 15 countries across the Americas and Europe.
