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MCC PAARL BENEFITS FROM TIME-SAVING BENEFITS OF FUJIFILM’S PLATE PROCESSOR Since December 2020, Multi-Color Corporation (MCC) Paarl has been utilising Fujifilm’s Flenex FW and C-Touch plate processor as part of its label production, with immediately impressive results. “Given the stature of our brand, we are always dealing with high levels of demand for our products,” says Michelle Coetzee, pre-press manager at MCC Paarl. “Predominantly, we are producing low volume, short runs with a fast turnaround time to market – this includes premium quality wine and spirit labels, with innovative embellishments and finishes.” Alongside its reliable and highly regarded products, MCC is also known for its dedication to sustainability. The company is striving to reduce its energy and water usage, as well as the waste it sends to landfill. “With our desire as a business to unearth innovations that meet today’s sustainability needs, we know that our own production facilities must reflect that,” she continues. “We became aware of Fujifilm’s Flenex FW plates last year and the waterwash credentials really appealed to us. We in-house tested Flenex FW alongside plates from another
producer and decided to introduce the Flenex FW product into our daily operations. We spoke with the sales team at Fujifilm, who were great to deal with, and they offered us an equipment deal as well, which included the C-Touch processor. Overall, it was a very attractive package.” Coetzee has been impressed with the performance of Flenex FW since its arrival at MCC Paarl in December 2020. MCC Paarl has seen dramatic time savings in platemaking – previously, it could take up to two-and-a-half hours to produce plates with its solvent system, but with Fujifilm’s Flenex FW and C-Touch water-wash system, plates are being produced in 40 minutes. “Thanks to Flenex FW and the C-Touch processor, we’re seeing a quicker turnaround on getting our high-quality products to market, and less downtime on our presses, which have increased our capacity and enabled us to print more labels in a shorter space of time. All in all, we’ve got a green plate alternative for re-make plates that allows us to work much more efficiently with no compromise on quality.”
MCC Paarl’s plateroom team leader, Edmund Hendricks and platemaker, Hein Koen
Tecnocap and BASF seal the deal on metal food closures Italy’s metal packaging manufacturer Tecnocap utilises BASF’s non-phthalate plasticiser Hexamoll DINCH BMB for sealing gaskets within its metal closures. Sealing gaskets ensure leak-proof containers, protects products from contaminants and preserves product quality throughout its long shelf-life. The metal closures of Tecnocap are used by some of the biggest consumer brands in food, baby food and beverage packaging worldwide. Tecnocap is strongly committed to pioneering
innovative and sustainable packaging solutions. Its specialised teams work together with suppliers and the world’s best-known consumer brands to improve existing products and reach sustainability targets. To meet customers’ expectations for transparency and sustainability, the company has chosen BASF’s biomass balanced plasticizer Hexamoll DINCH BMB. “Working together with customers and suppliers like BASF to enhance packaging sustainability credentials is a strategic focus for us. With the introduction of the life cycle assessment approach and obtaining an environmental product declaration, we can measure the environmental impacts of metal closures and reduce their impact according to our sustainability action plan. With this plan, we aim to reduce our CO2 emissions considerably by 2030,” says Michelangelo Morlicchio, CEO and president at Tecnocap Group. Using Hexamoll DINCH BMB contributes to Tecnocap’s ambitious sustainability target as the plasticiser has a lower carbon footprint compared to the regular plasticiser and helps to save fossil resources. The metal closures of Tecnocap are used by some of the biggest consumer brands in food, baby food and beverage packaging worldwide
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PACKAGING REVIEW // I SSUE 01
To produce the sustainable plasticiser, BASF uses bio-naphtha or biogas instead of fossil resources. These materials are derived from organic waste or vegetable oils. As the renewable raw materials are processed together with conventional feedstock in BASF’s existing efficient production network, the renewable material is allocated to the final product according to the biomass balance approach. Both the allocation process and the product itself are certified by independent auditors according to the RedCert2 standard. The specifications and technical properties are identical to those of the conventional plasticiser. This ensures the proven product quality and sealing performance of Tecnocap’s metal closures remain intact. Wolfgang Bien, vice president of industrial petrochemicals Europe at BASF explains: “BASF shares Tecnocap’s commitment to sustainability. We are currently implementing numerous measures to reach our goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. The biomass balance approach is one pillar of our carbon management programme, which has a major impact on CO2 emissions and the saving of fossil resources. Both aspects are crucial to overcome the climate challenges of today.”