PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2011

PET news 6 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 07+08/11 www.petpla.net Oystar and Sacmi to cooperate The Oystar Group, manufacturer of packaging machines, has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Ital- ian Sacmi Group. The two companies aim to develop new market opportunities through integrated packaging solutions. The primary focus will be on the beverage industry. Above all, this cooperation will involve three core divisions. Thus plans are to combine Oystar Hamba Flexline filling machines with Sacmi blow moulding machines and in particular with the CBF machine (Compression-Blow Forming Technology). In the future, downstream solutions from Sacmi, such as those for labeling, palletizing or other end-of-line processes, are to be offered in combination with Oystar filling and packaging lines. And, finally, the two mechanical engineering compa- nies also want to exploit synergies when it comes to the development of new and innovative solutions while profiting from their mutual know-how. “The portfolios of our two com- panies complement each other outstandingly,” underlined Sacmi CEO Pietro Cassani. “We will remain independent, but through this cooperation we will create genuine added value for our customers.” www.sacmi.com  www.oystar-group.com PTI establishes new, independent closure testing lab Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI), Hollands, Ohio, USA, has established a new closure testing lab. “Closure manufactur- ers have traditionally offered testing support for their prod- ucts, but up until now there really hasn’t been an independ- ent closure evaluation and analysis lab. PTI’s new capability complements its previously-established bottle testing service. This means that brand owners wanting to test the perfor- mance of the entire package now have a one-stop place to go,” explains PTI’s Greg Fisher, Ph.D, who is responsible for overseeing the lab. Closure testing capabilities will include: application, top load vent, removal torque, opening perfor- mance, secure seal, carbonation retention, impact, barrier, scavengers, lubricants and others. The lab will also include a single-head capper to test reliable and reproducible capping, as well as a vision system to measure critical dimensions and facilitate tooling evaluations. Accurate analysis also is critical to ensure that packaging materials and structures haven’t been over engineered, thereby negatively affecting cost and source reduction initiatives. The total package approach also helps reduce the number of samples required to execute the tests and eliminates the need for correlated bottle data from one lab with closure information from another. PTI’s closure lab can analyze both plastic and metal closures for a broad variety of packaging applications. These include beverage, food, personal care, household chemicals and others. Fisher, the lab’s director, offers a significant amount of closure exper- tise, having previously worked for a leading closure manufac- turer for almost a decade. www.plastictechnologies.com Krones re-structures its Supervisory and Executive Boards At the AGM in Neutraubling on June 15, 2011, the agenda for the shareholders of Krones AG included a vote on a revamped Supervisory Board. The following members of the Supervisory Board were re-appointed: Chairman Ernst Baumann (62), a former director of BMW AG, Norman Kronseder (48), farmer and forester, Dr. Jochen Klein (67), Managing Director of I-Invest GmbH, and Count Philipp von und zu Lerchenfeld (59), a member of the Bavarian State Parliament. The former President of Regensburg University, Prof. Dr. Erich Kohn- häuser (66), will be stepping down from the body upon conclusion of the AGM. Petra Schadeberg-Herrmann, (44) managing partner of Krombacher Finance GmbH, was newly elected to the Krones’ Supervisory Board. In the constitutive meeting following the AGM, the Super- visory Board of Krones AG decided upon the changes to the company’s Executive Board. After 15 years on the Krones AG’s Executive Board, the Deputy Executive Board Chairman, Hans-Jürgen Thaus (62), will be step- ping down from it, with effect from 31 December 2011, having reached the contractually agreed age limit of 62. His successor as Financial Director is Christoph Klenk (47). An engineering graduate, Christoph Klenk has since 2003 been a member of Krones AG’s Executive Board, where he was responsible for Research and Develop- ment and Divisions. The successor to Christoph Klenk is the former Head of Research and Development, Thomas Ricker (43). A mechanical engineering graduate, Thomas Ricker is set to be appointed to the Executive Board with effect from January 1, 2012. www.krones.com Orders up at Erema Erema, the Austrian manufacturer of plastic recy- cling systems, reported improved sales performance for fiscal year 2010/2011, which ended March 31, 2011. The Erema Group is comprised of Erema Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H., Ans- felden; Erema North America Inc., located in Ipswich/ MA; and 3S-GmbH of Roitham, Gmunden, Austria Con- solidated sales across the Group were €95 million, with order intake at €127 million, compared with €75 million in 2009/10. Erema attributes its growth to further devel- opments of its plant and process technologies, positive market developments, increased orders from existing accounts and the attraction of new customers. The com- pany’s headcount increased to 335. www.erema.at