Italian company that sets the international standard for the production of multilayer plastic films destined primarily for food packaging, has created for the first time in Europe a completely water-based production line that eliminates the solvents that are currently used in this sector in the manner provided for in legislation.Water-based production is a true revolution in the world of plastic that offers important, visible benefits: thanks to the absence of solvents, food products are completely protected from the migration of undesirable substances. This is achieved while maintaining excellent production quality, including identical colours, graphical versatility, and the potential for attractive solutions and finishes. Water-based technology represents an undeniable competitive advantage for all companies that offer foods made with superior quality ingredients (for example organic or baby food). It also protects the environment and provides an early solution to increasingly restrictive packaging regulations.
AMB water-based production is an ambitious project that has come to fruition after a total investment of 5 million euros and two years of intense effort. Collaboration with high-calibre international partners was essential in achieving this objective. These partners included: Comexi for the equipment, Actega and Sun Chemical for the inks, and BASF and Dow Chemical for the glues and adhesives. The work group was united by a single objective - to perfect a production method that eliminates atmospheric solvent emissions while maintaining the excellent quality of the final product, particularly with respect to the colour and finishes.
Bruno Marin, the President and CEO of AMB, stated: "Water-based printing offers clear advantages for the environment and the consumer, but it is not at all common in the plastics sector. In Europe, in fact, it is non-existent due primarily to problems relating to colour transfer, an issue that solvents have always enabled manufacturers to avoid. Taking into consideration the increasingly strict regulations regarding atmospheric emissions and staying true to our nature as an innovative company, we decided to invest in water-based production. After two years of work by a team of a dozen engineers and specialized technicians, as well as our invaluable international partners, the purchase of new, suitably modified machinery and the construction of a new 2,000 m2 plant, we can say that water-based production is not only possible but that the quality is equal to or better than that achieved with solvents. Finally, there is no increase in production times".
Marin continued: "The water-based project is a positive example of industrial development, made possible through collaboration among companies that believe innovation is a fundamental principle. This is not a reaction to a legal obligation, but rather a response to a global change with respect to environmental sustainability, a change that will increasingly affect every industry. Those who are ready will be able to capitalize on their own competitive advantage. In addition, final consumers have developed a greater interest in knowing how the products they purchase are made, including the packaging. In this case as well, being able to completely exclude the possibility of solvent contamination thanks to the use of water-based production will make the difference".
Water-based production has already begun at the AMB plant, but it is still in the experimental stage. This stage will continue until next autumn, when AMB inaugurates the first water-based production facility in Europe for manufacturing multilayer plastic films.
