Innovia Films invests in new top-coating line

Innovia Films, a major producer of BOPP films, is investing in a new coating line to develop a new range of PVC-free films for the graphics sector at their site in Wigton, Great Britain. The new line has been specified with enhanced capabilities to allow the application of highly specialized coatings onto Innovia's BOPP (Polypropylene) substrates.

'Graphics materials are used for wide-format high-resolution images, and this requires high-precision, defect-free coatings,' says Bron Hekkema, market development manager of graphics and linerless at Innovia Films. 'This coater will give us the flexibility to produce at customer-specific widths with rapid change-over times to minimize waste and increase efficiency. PVC-free graphic films are the future - because they are made from polypropylene that can be recycled and also has a significant lower carbon footprint which benefits the environment.'

Innovia decided to partner with Bobst on this project. 'Over the past two years Innovia's technical team have worked closely with Bobst at their Competence Center in San Giorgio, Italy to specify the design of the new coating line,' explains Steven Maude, who is leading the project at Innovia in Wigton. 'Extensive trials on the Bobst pilot-line have confirmed the capability of the equipment to deliver the highest quality coatings required for graphic arts applications.'

'This project is a very important milestone for Bobst in its rapid growth on the market of coating lines,' says Alexandre David, technical sales manager at Bobst Italy, 'and Bobst is very proud to have been able to provide Innovia with the state-of-the-art technical solution that will enable the company to continue its development in the field of graphic arts products.'

The groundworks are due to start in Q3 2023, and the full production start is expected in Q1 2025. Although primarily designed for its new range of graphics products, the new coating line will also give Wigton new and enhanced capabilities for the existing flexible packaging and labels markets it serves.