Ti addresses currency shifts and resin shortages in the marketplace
‘BoPP material potential is far from being exhausted provided the complete value chain works together’
He said there are lessons to be learnt from the resin shortages which the firm was confronted with during the first half of 2015 and the wild currency shifts experienced lately.
Spot-pricing will continue to prevail
“I wonder now if our industry will engage in sustainable supply chains options or if spot-pricing will continue to prevail as the default procurement model,” he said in Ti News last month.
“By design, we have created a network of plants complementary to each other in terms of supplier base, manufacturing cost and product range.
“This year we have been called to put these contingency plans to work. As a result, we resolved dire situations for our customers. Perhaps this demonstration of supply chain durability will mark a shift to a more strategic approach to BoPP purchases.”
Schuhmann added he encourages the same trusted relationship with customers to maximize responsiveness and mitigate supply chain disruption because it has a long term view that BoPP is still a very novel material and its potential is far from being exhausted provided the complete value chain works together.
Ti expects to expand its IML portfolio and technology further over the next few years and is active in promoting IML. An example of this was Ti’s presentation at a IML industry Summit in Shenzen, China in December and IMLCON, Miami, US in May.
Steve Hodgson, sales manager, Labels (Asia Pacific), Ti, said IML technology is an emerging market segment across China.
IML decoration within GCC/Middle East
“The increased uptake of presses and integration of advanced robotics into high-end moulder facilities in the region will drive the requirement for high performance IML film,” he added.
He believes this need will strengthen Ti’s relationship with key IML players in this region.
It is also partnering with local industry to accelerate growth of IML decoration within the GCC/Middle East.
“Rapid growth of Middle Eastern economies attracts competitive international brands who desire impact and food packaging differentiation to capture market share,” said Hodgson.
“Even though, rigid plastic products are produced to highest technological level in the Middle East, very thin walled food packaging containers were imported predominantly from Europe.
“The shelf presence IML labeling delivers in injection molded thin walled containers is being leveraged by major owners in the explosively growing dairy and ice cream market segments.
“However, the challenge is to deliver product faster and realize speed to market especially for new product designs and promotions in dairy industry.
“This means local availability of labels is more and more critical to GCC molders. The potential is tremendous within the region as well as the Indian sub-continent where Ti’s products, especially LIM with high yield and fine texture finish - more like Satin finish, but often called “orange peel” finish.
“Ti is also launching a true orange peel film called LIU with 0.55 density for the sophisticated printers and molders locally.”
Ti will present a number of films at LabelExpo Europe in Brussels, in September, including: IML films for digital print, barrier films for shelf-life extension; IML film with tactile properties such as luxurious Soft-Touch surface and Antibacterial protection (BACTERSTOP) which kills 99.9% of bacteria on contact.
