The huge advances in shrink sleeve application and pouch packaging that has gripped consumer brand makers, hasn’t been lost on American manufacturer Karlville. As Raul Matos the company’s VP Sales and
Marketing told “Labels Plus” when talking about materials: “the current shrink sleeve market globally, constitutes between 15-18% of the total label business. We believe the market will continue to grow and will reach a market performance of about 25% of the total label business,” he said. “We still see growth in the business. We also have some films coming out which are polyolefin-based and recyclable, which we believe is important and which will give more push to the market.”
Raul also said septic packaging for milk, dairy and other products, is what will drive growth.
In terms of machinery, he said, Karlville offered a complete line-up of seamer machines, with the K2 unit being their most popular product. “We have hundreds of machines installed around the world and see a lot of potential growth for turrets, with either an unwind turret or the unwind/rewind turret, which is automated.
“In terms of technology, the biggest advances have been in the application of the solvent, with a specialised wheel that has an edge guide. So for us that is very important. In terms of applications, what we expect to grow besides milk and septic, is much greater can decoration. We have seen a huge growth in can decorating machinery – specifically empty aluminium cans decorated for breweries. Twenty-five per cent of the USA beer business is now made up of craft beers. And there are 3,000 of them in the USA, so you’re looking at a lot of small players who cannot buy a truckload of cans at a time. So they’re going to be using pre-decorated cans. It’s not only that, because the big fabricators of cans want to offer diversity to their customers. We have developed a specific partnership with HP for short-run applications, delivering high grade graphics to cater to this trend and meet the demand for localised promotional activity.”
Raul said this development has been one of the biggest things in shrink. “But by far, one of the most interesting things has been the growth in pouches – flexible packaging. What we are showing on the HP booth is a new Pack Ready laminator, which is revolutionary technology and which is going to help label guys get into flexibles. This sort of thing doesn’t happen that often so people will want to grab the opportunity.
“We have experience with pouch machines, fillers etc. It all fits within our wheelhouse. We’re seeing customers who were looking at shrink and are also now looking at pouches. Even though it is a mature market, shrink continues to grow and if it climbs to be 25% of the market, then that is a lot of shrink.”
He said the Australian/New Zealand market had been good to them, selling slitters and shrink sleeves and automated turrets into the region. “I think the next growth we’ll see is in pouch machines. Converters have been replacing some older assets and installing new higher speed equipment and turret-type machines.”
Raul revealed that Karlville has shipped approx. 120 machines from the Miami office this year, around 60 out of France, and about another 60-70 out of Asia, so business had been good.
FOR MORE INFORMATION contct: Jon Murray Currie Group M: (61) 439 724 637 www.curriegroup.com.au
Pic caption: (L-R): John Price, President of Karlville and VP Sales & Marketing, Raul Matos at Labelexpo, who said the company saw pouches as the next big growth area.
