Oai Hung, a company specialized in the production of aluminium blister foil and rigid film for the pharmaceutical market, as well as foil-based lids for dairy packaging, is pivotal to the Constantia Flexibles Group’s expansion in South East Asia. The site is dedicated to serving these high-end market segments, which drove the decision to invest in new equipment at the leading edge of technology.
 

Production of Constantia Flexibles market-leading packaging materials for the pharmaceutical segment requires dedicated equipment. Coldformed foil packaging is a complex process both in terms of the actual material functionality and compliance with pharma regulations, and in terms of process workflow, operational efficiency and profitability. This is why Constantia Oai Hung and BOBST collaborated closely on the features of the CL 850D in order to meet all the exact specifications relating to output requirements and expected machine performance.
 

The most complex type of production run on the CL 850D will be an OPA-Alu-foil-PVC triplex compound structure. The guarantee of 100% barrier to external agents and the resistance to stress and puncture of the material, is an essential part of the process even under extreme conditions. Both during the various production processes that the laminates undergo, such as sterilization, as well as in terms of the product’s long life. To ensure high delamination stability and additional protection of its barrier properties, the Alu-foil substrate is lacquered with an adhesion-enhancer primer before undergoing the actual lamination process.
 

“We trusted BOBST for this special project due to its know-how and experience in combining process expertise from both coating and lamination technologies” said Mr. Rainer Huber, Manager Pharma Hub Cluster, Constantia Flexibles Group, commenting on why the CL 850D was chosen to implement the company’s growth objectives in the region.
 

The machine is equipped with the semi-flexo coating trolley which is the same standard solution fitted on BOBST customized coating lines dedicated to aluminum lacquering. The two-roller vertical solution developed by BOBST enables a higher coating speed to guarantee only superior quality coating whether it be solvent-based adhesives or lacquers. Both processes can be carried out on Oai Hung’s CL 850 without having to change coating trolley. It also provides higher uniformity and a better coating distribution across the entire web width.
 

The machine dryer also benefits from the BOBST expertise in handling perfectly this specific application: the dryer features the combination of traditional and floatation type nozzles that deliver maximum efficiency in evaporating the solvent from the lamination adhesive, even at higher temperatures.
 

One of the hallmarks of the BOBST web-fed technology is the web handling capabilities of all its equipment. This is of even more critical when handling thick unsupported alu-foil substrates first during the lacquering stage and then the subsequent lamination process, without creases or any other web winding defect.
 

The collaboration between BOBST and Constantia Flexibles on special projects dates back a long way and there are many laminating machines installed in Constantia Flexibles’ plants worldwide. “We are confident that the new CL 850D laminator will fulfill our requirements and prove BOBST once again to be a trusted and reliable partner for our lamination projects” concluded Mr Rainer Huber.