Wendel : Lacquer machine LM 8 / Open Day at Patz

On the occasion of the commissioning of the new lacquer machine LM 8, including newly built halls for cleanroom production and material loading, an open day was held at Constantia Patz on May 11^th. Around 1,200 interested guests were guided through the plant by nearly 20 dedicated guides during the one-hour factory tour. The visitors were welcomed in the purpose-built reception tent and served by the staff council team with coffee, cakes and refreshing drinks to bridge any possible waiting times. The younger guests (children under 6 years), who could not attend the guided tours, were professionally supervised. In addition to face painting there was a cinema with popcorn and drinks as well as various activities such as painting and various games. On leaving the factory area, each visitor received a goodie bag whose content was tailored to the world of aluminum foil packaging. The final catering took place at the local fire brigade, with whom Constantia Patz has maintained a proven partnership for many years. They did their best to provide the visitors with different delicacies as well as cool drinks.

Where there were still pallet racks and intainers with raw materials in the spring of 2018, a state-of-the-art Polytype lacquering machine for the refinement of aluminum foils and aluminum-plastic composites under cleanroom conditions class 8 in accordance with ISO 14644 is now running. The investment was approved in the Supervisory Board end of October 2017 and the construction work started on March 19^th 2018. The total investment volume amounts to € 11.5 million and this expansion will continue the successful strategy of efficiently manufacturing standardized pharmaceutical packaging for the highest hygiene requirements. Quality is a top priority and this has been taken into account in the selection and design of facilities, machinery and infrastructure and has been subject to strict validation prior to the start of production. The new lacquering line will increase the total capacity of the company to around 335 million m². With now a total of 5 production areas under clean room conditions, Constantia Patz offers its 450 customers worldwide the best service in terms of quality, hygiene, delivery flexibility and protection against production losses.

Technical data of the machine:

• Machine manufacturer: Polytype Converting AG, Switzerland
• Production possibilities: 2-side lacquering on both sides of the foil
• Raw materials: Aluminium foils from 7 µm and plastic films from 8 µm
• Machine width: 1,300 mm
• Maximum mechanical machine speed: 500 m/min
• Maximum roll weight: 2,500 kg