The investment will serve growing demand from the confectionery industry for film-based packaging.
Second largest production site globally
Stefan Grote, executive VP, Food Europe, Constantia Flexibles, told ConfectioneryNews, the investment will supply its confectionery customers in Europe with "the highest quality of packaging".
“The Weiden site is our second largest production site globally and we have invested in many other areas namely R&D Competence Centre Films, and other converting equipment over the last few years,” he said.
“We have 53 sites globally but Weiden is the center for film products development. We have many gravure presses, flexo printing, embossing and foil lacquering at this site.”
Grote added, the company has invested roughly €60m ($68m) in the plant over the last 10 years, including opening of a state-of-the-art research and development center for polymer films and film laminates in 2015.
Film formulations with polymer suppliers
The development center has 15 staff members who work on close to 100 projects every year, focusing on developing new film formulations with polymer suppliers, as well as analyzing and testing the composition of the group’s latest film products.
In the second half of 2016, a Duplex lamination machine installed in 2014 will be extended to a Triplex machine. It will be able to produce 3-layer laminates for various applications in a cost-effective way in one operation.
The Weiden site is the home to Constantia Hueck Folien, with more than 800 employees.
Constantia Flexibles manufactures laminated and printed multilayered substrates of film and foil, including chocolate bars, biscuits & wafers, seasonal products and pralines, coin foil, chewing gum, inner and outer wrappers, and twist film.