PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2012

REGIONAL MARKET REPORTS 12 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 11/12 www.petpla.net Sipa Machinery Hangzhou “Focus is on mould making and manufacturing the linear blowers.” We met: William Pasquali, Managing Director Stefano Baldassar, Preform Sales Manager Andrea Vit, Controller Jun Jian, Mould Sales Manager William Pasquali, Managing Director Sipa (Hangzhou) Sipa in Hangzhou is at the start of a new era. You can sense the resolve.  Products for the Chinese market have been re-defined.  Resources have been made available for the expansion and development of the Hangzhou factory.  Service has been strengthened and a new partnership with DHL Supply Chain, the world’s largest distribution and logistics company, has been made to provide a major upgrade in spare parts delivery. The strategic measures are outlined below: Machine population There are 310 units of Sipa machines (Sipa count) installed on the Chinese market, including single stage injection blow moulding systems, stand-alone blowers (both linear and rotary) and injection moulding preform systems. Sipa locally manufactures and supplies injection and blow- ing moulds since 2001.Single stage machines for beverages were Sipa’s primary product in China for very many years. But what worked in China yesterday is raising eyebrows today. The Chinese are not encumbered by traditions and the great achievements of yesteryear, they are flexible and ruthless when it comes to switching from one tried and tested business model to another. This business-like, unsentimental attitude may even point the way forward for the western economies. The Chinese market has, unmis- takably, decided on two stage technology. Sipa today is successfully selling its hi-tech linear and rotary blowers, and is very excited by its most recent introduction in the product range, the new preform injec- tion system called XForm recently presented at NPE in Orlando, Florida. The company has also put together a very strong offer for complete lines, including solutions for large size (5 to 12l) containers. Products in future China  Local manufacture of the moulds for the blow moulding machines – already underway.  Local manufacture of the moulds for preform systems – underway .  Manufacture and assembly of the local Preform System PPS 300/48 for markets in the medium performance range, for example, for edible oil.  Manufacture and assembly of the linear blow moulders.  Promotion of complete range of products from Italy – in particular the XForm 128/96-128. A further product exhibiting potential in China is the supply of complete lines or the combination of blowing, filling and capping with the Sincro Bloc line or the combination of blowing, labelling, filling and capping, the Sincro TriBloc line, a unique product solution offering many advantages. The locally manufactured linear blow moulding machines and their moulds are under pressure from com- petition from cheaper Chinese manufacturers. The same goes for the PPS 300/48 preform systems, 30 units of which can be found in the Asian markets. With the local manufacture of the moulds for injection moulding, Sipa has a unique selling point as far as China is concerned. Investments in manufacturing €3.5m has been made available from Italy for re-con- struction and development purposes. The primary aim is to optimise the assembly of the linear blow moulding machines and to increase output by 60% in moulds manu- facture. As a result of the strategic decisions the manufac- turing operation currently finds itself in a state of upheaval. The foundations of the bay housing the machine tools are being massively reinforced (ensuring the tolerances as regards the die plates). The majority of the processing machines have been linked together (short paths) and the continuous assembly of the linear blow moulding machines sited at the far end of the bay (just in time delivery). Organisation SMH employs over 200 people of which 30 are field technicians. One feature that catches the eye is the high manning levels in engineering, in purchasing, in service and quality control. Doubtless necessary in view of the local Chinese circumstances and the high quality require- ments. William Pasquali: “Thanks our new investments on mould making equipments, today SMH (Sipa Machinery Hangzhou) can offer the right solution to this highly com- petitive marketplace. The totally renewed workshop and the new manufacturing lean procedures are helping our customers to get a very high quality product while improv- ing the delivery time. Our aim is to provide sustainable, flexible, easy and safe manufacturing equipments together with innovative packaging solutions to help our customers grow within this fast changing market. On the manufac- turing pipeline we are boosting the linear stretch blow- moulding machines that today are considered the premium references in the market. Every day we want to go beyond our limits to exceed our customers’ expectations and to become one of the most reputable PET company in China.”