EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 04/25 www.petpla.net 14 From preform to film by Alexander Büchler Inconspicuous from the outside, the production halls house not only the largest preform and cap manufacturer in Kuwait, but also a major player in the production of films. But first things first. Interview with Genoa Plastics Industries, September, 24, 2024 We met: Plant Manager Logesh Sathyanarayanan and CEO Abdullah Abdulmohsin Al Faris It all started with a trading company that did a lot of work with Italy. As the founders liked the Italian city of Genoa so much, the name was added to the company title: Genoa Plastics Industries. The trading business still exists, but in 2008 the production of preforms was added - initially with two PPS 350 t Sipa systems equipped with 96-cavity horizontal moulds. The company got off to a good start. The customers recommended Genoa Plastics to others and business snowballed, and so three Husky HyPET HPP 4 and 5 with 72 cavities were added. Three Husky HyCAP 225 closure systems and a Netstal Elion Hybrid 2200 closure system were also added, all primarily with 48-cavity Corvaglia moulds. The plants process a total of 1,800 t of PET per month into preforms and 180 t of HDPE per month into closures. Inline inspection systems from IMD are located behind the canopy systems. Unlike the usual setup, they are elongated rather than angled, as the machines are positioned close together. As a result, the length of the IMD visual inspection systems is longer than that of the actual injection moulding machine - an unusual sight. An Intravis Prewatcher III system is available in the factory for preform inspection. According to plant manager Logesh Sathyanarayanan, customers are very satisfied with the comprehensive material and quality control. In the event of problems, he has three technicians in his team who are very familiar with Sidel, Krones and KHS systems and can usually help the customer directly. Its customers include major brands such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. The preforms for lightweight water bottles are the main product, but CSD preforms for multinational manufacturers also leave the factory. When it comes to closures, Genoa Plastics focuses on water closures. Depending on the season, a third of production is exported to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan. A two-cavity Chumpower blow moulding machine forms special bottles (for water, juices, hand sanitiser, glass cleaner, hand soap detergents) from preforms. The owner, Mr Abdullah Abdulmohsin Al Faris, was always on the lookout for new expansion opportunities. This is how he came up with the idea of film production. An 18m high film Windmöller & Hölscher – Varex Extrusion blown film system was added to the newly constructed 26m high plant in 2021, along with a Windmöller & Hölscher Miraflex CI Press L 8-colour printing system and a Nordmechanica Lamination machine, Bimec Italy & Kody slitting machine, four bag making machines for producing bags of all kinds. Only a small part of the film production goes to its existing customers in the beverage sector. Genoa Plastics produces shrink film and printed labels for them. While the customer base and competitors for preforms and caps are clearly defined, the owner has unlocked significant potential for new customers with the film business. According to him, competition is tougher in this sector, as the market is also much larger. www.gpikuwait.com EDITOUR F.l.t.r.: Plant Manager Logesh Sathyanarayanan, CEO Abdullah Abdulmohsin Al Faris and Alexander Büchler
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