PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2013

PET news 6 PET planet insider Vol. 14 No. 12/13 www.petpla.net Husky buys Schöttli Husky Injection Molding Systems has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Schöttli Group, of Diessenhofen, Switzerland. Schöttli is a global player in a number of select medical applications, such as syringes, infu- sion/transfusion products, diagnostic systems and feminine care items. Husky says that its hot runner customers will benefit from product improvements based on strengthened knowledge and that Schöttli’s closures activities complements its existing closures business. Schöttli customers will have easier access to Husky’s hot runner, controller and injection moulding machine products. The expanded technical expertise and capacity is expected to increase speed to market, and to improve cus- tomer response through an enlarged global service and support network, which will now include Schöttli’s headquar- ters along with other facilities in San Dimas, California and Suzhou, China. Private equity company CGS Management took a majority stake in Schöttli AG in early 2008. Acquisi- tions, subsequent integration and global organisation enabled significant market share expansion and increased profitability. www.husky.co www.schoettli.com Plastisud and Engel open up for China Plastisud and Engel, who have been operating in China for over a year in their Green Cap joint venture, have agreed to discontinue their exclusive partnership and to be open to working with other partners. Jean-Luc Giraud, CEO of Plastisud, emphasised that the two companies will continue to mutually develop and commission turnkey solutions for the Chinese market but they will also, now, be free to imple- ment systems with other suppliers. They will also be able to supply processors who are committed to specific injection moulding machine suppliers or mould makers. Plastisud and Engel both have representative offices in Shanghai. www.engel.at www.plastisud.com Gebo bringing competitive talents together A new approach to planning, engineering and running beverage packaging lines is now being offered by Gebo, part of Gebo Cermex. Its “integrator model”, which was presented at drinktec in Munich, Germany, by President and Managing director Marc Aury, aims to optimise opera- tional expenditure through independently selecting best-in- class machines from any producer. It will design the plant and line layout to best suit the production environment and to align the technology for most efficient production. While full turnkey solutions have been dominating the market recently and have a number of clear benefits, Marc Aury claimed that operational expenditure (Opex) can become costly as the limited number of global suppliers leaves little choice over service and maintenance. “This is where the integrator model by Gebo offers an alternative that com- bines the advantages of different approaches,” he said. Gebo advises clients independently on the best-in-class machines for each part of a beverage packaging line, from blowing/filling equipment to tunnels, labelling, packing/ overwrapping, palletising and conveying machines, and integrates each part into the line. The company says that it draws on its extensive engi- neering expertise and claims to be able to guarantee best means, operating performance and design concept, and to take responsibility for the overall result. Plant and line audits are designed to identity all the major improvement opportunities, including operator training and maintenance strategies. The strategic objective is to reduce downtime, speed and quality losses and to improve overall equip- ment effectiveness (OEE) increases. By selecting the best-in-class machines, optimising plant and line layout and aligning the technology, Gebo maintains that total cost of ownership (TCO) is minimised. The company also asserts that, while insufficient capacities may appear to demonstrate the need for new lines or factories, existing lines may be capable of raising production to adequate levels. It will seek to optimise production and to make sure investment in new capacities is not made unless and until current production lines are delivering their full potential. Gebo says that its integrator model is not meant to replace the turnkey model but that it fulfils a need in both mature and developing markets. www.gebocermex.com Recognition for KHS Clearline The KHS Clearline machine design has won a special mention for its design quality in the Industrial Goods and Materials category at the 2014 German Design Awards. A total of 1,900 entries were submitted to the 2014 German Design Award committee. Judging was by 30 design experts from the fields of commerce, education and science. The German Design Award is normally presented to individual products, which makes the award to the KHS Clearline, which is a system, unusual. The company says that the product’s design and development process attached signifi- cant importance to achieving a design that met various aes- thetic, tactile and ergonomic specifications, while simplifying functions and reducing part count, cutting maintenance and cleaning effort, and optimising the hygienic aspects. KHS Clearline was premiered at drinktec 2013. www.khs.com