Reifenhäuser strategically realigns in China

Guangzhou—Subway construction in Suzhou could not have come at a better time for Reifenhäuser (Troisdorf, Germany), whose Chinese manufacturing plant for blown film lines lies within the city limits. Six years after start-up at Suzhou, the facility is in the process of shipping its last two lines. Reifenhäuser had acquired an adjacent site for expansion but the local government is now taking back land including Reifenhäuser's existing site due to its proximity to an under-construction subway line.

This in fact turns out to be an opportune turn of events for Reifenhäuser, given it was planning to reassess its strategy in China. "It might take three to four more months longer than initially intended but this gives us the opportunity to relocated to a single larger site, says Singapore-base Reifenhäuser Private Ltd. managing director Jürgen Rehkopf, who was speaking to PlasticsToday at the Chinaplas show in Guangzhou. "Whatever we do, it will be based on high-tech solutions," adds Rehkopf.

In the past, most of Reifenhäuser's production in China has been exported but the company does intend to re-evaluate local competition, hinting that moving forward it might have a greater focus on the local market. The refocus is also timely given it has been around one year after the debut of the Reifenhäuser Kiefel Evolution film line, notes Rehkopf.

In terms of Asian technology trends, Rehkopf reports that many of the issues faced by film convertors throughout the world are common to the region. "A lot of our users export product so they play to the same rules, which means energy reduction, waste reduction, and more efficient use of resins. China is also increasingly concerned about manpower costs, which is something we didn't hear five years ago," he notes.

Film extrusion under temperature- and humidity-controlled environments is also an emerging trend in China and elsewhere in Asia, according to Reifenhäuser. "The humidity and heat in Asia causes condensation, which can result in blocking, as well as require longer haul-off sections or slower line speeds," says Bernd Schroeter, director of product management at Reifenhäuser Kiefel. Under a controlled environment, air-conditioning costs are of course higher but this might be more than compensated for by elimination or reduction of antiblocking agent use, higher output, and reduced haul-off height.-mpweditorial@ubm.com