Danaflex Opens Factory in Kazan for Nanotechnology-enabled Flexible Packaging

11 Nov 2011

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On the day of its 10th anniversary, the Kazan-based Danaflex group of companies has opened a new factory where Danaflex-Nano, a RUSNANO project company, will use a proprietary nanotechnology process to manufacture improved flexible packaging material. RUSNANO is co-investor in establishing the new facility. Total budget for the project is 2.45 billion rubles.

President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, RUSNANO CEO Anatoly Chubais, Danaflex General Director Airat Bashirov, and Danaflex-Nano General Director Viktor Molokin were among dignitaries taking part in gala opening ceremonies.

The high-barrier polymer film and related flexible packaging material that the new company will produce is intended mainly for packaging foodstuff, household chemicals, cosmetics, and pet food. Danaflex-Nano's new factory has design capacity of 46,000 tons of packaging material per year. Income from sale of goods in 2015 is forecasted at more than six billion rubles. Danaflex-Nano has already filled 320 new jobs and in the future that number will rise to 600.

The advantages of the flexible packaging material are its low weight, greater safety, and lower consumption of energy in manufacturing. The film's barrier properties prevent oxygen and other gases, household chemical compounds, moisture, oils, fats, microorganisms, and ultraviolet radiation from penetrating the package. The material requires considerably fewer preservatives to keep foodstuff and other products fresh, and the shelf life of the goods using the packaging is considerably longer. It needs less warehousing space, and the cost for shipment of the goods is less than other types of packaging. Finally, this latest advance in flexible packing uses no foil, so packaged goods may be heat processed and then reheated in a microwave oven without opening.

"Every producer is interested in lengthening the useful life of his goods, whether on a shelf in the store or in the consumer's home," said Danaflex Gneral Director Airat Bashirov.

"Danaflex has held the lead in the Russian flexible packaging market for many years. We took notice of the project when its team proposed using nanotechnology to improve characteristics of the packaging materials, a product with a growing market," RUSNANO Managing Director Dmitry Pimkin explained.

Danaflex-Nano and its backers have outfitted the new factory with the latest equipment from German company Windmoeller & Hoelscher. The Filmex flat-slit extruder for production of high-barrier polymer films, for example, produces film using nanotechnology that contains 17 layers. As a result the physicomechanical properties are enhanced and films may be obtained with unique qualities. Two machines for deep printing have been installed in Danaflex-Nano's print shop; the machines are able to print using 10 to 12 colors. This is the only equipment in Russia with technology for applying cold glue in a single pass, inline lamination, and reverse-side printing. Danaflex-Nano also leads the industry in Russia with the country's fastest flexorgraphic printing unit. And the company's shop for blown film extrusion uses high-performance three- and five-ply extruders for production of polymer films.

Competitive advantages of the new packaging material

Replaces traditional tin cans
Permits thermal processing and reheating in a microwave oven without opening the package
Reduces the amount of preservatives in foodstuff
Extends the shelf life of products
Simplifies the composition of packaging material
Reduces the production cycle from 14 days to two days
Lowers cost of a single package in comparison with traditional analog
Lowers the weight of packaging material
Improves the environmental parameters of the material and makes possible its recycling