SIG Combibloc: Major Investment In Brazil – Extrusion Line At Paran‡ Plant

SIG Combibloc is stepping up the pace in Brazil. In 2011, the company’s first South American packaging plant commenced operation in Campo Largo, near Curitiba in Brazil’s Paraná state. By the end of 2012, SIG Combibloc South America has recorded growth of more than 60 per cent compared to the previous year’s performance. As a consequence, work has already begun on the second stage of the plant expansion, earlier than planned. An investment of more than 36 million Euros (100 million Brazilian reais) is set to allow the installation of an extrusion line that will make it possible to laminate unprocessed cardboard for the aseptic carton packs from SIG Combibloc on-site.

The project in Paraná has been planned and implemented in several expansion stages. With the completion of the first project phase, the packaging plant was able to be opened and put into operation in mid-2011 after a construction period of just 12 months. With the production line installed, the pre-laminated packaging material used to make the carton packs was printed, cut to size, stamped and sealed – meaning the fast-moving Brazilian market could be supplied with carton packs from SIG Combibloc quickly and reliably. With the new investment and the implementation of the second phase of construction, an extrusion line is now being installed which will laminate the unprocessed cardboard for the carton packs on-site in Campo Largo.

According to Ricardo Rodriguez, Director and General Manager South America at SIG Combibloc, 2012 has ended for SIG Combibloc South America with a growth rate of 60 per cent over the previous year. “For this reason, we have stepped up a gear on the factory expansion works with a further investment of 100 million Brazilian reais. The investment is equivalent to more than 36 million Euros. This means SIG Combibloc has now fully completed the project in the originally announced total amount of 270 million reais”, says Rodriguez.

The extrusion line will laminate the unprocessed cardboard for the carton packs from SIG Combibloc on-site with a polymer and aluminium coating. The inner polymer layers build a liquid barrier for the product, and the outer layer keeps moisture out. The razor-thin aluminium layer protects the food packaged in the carton pack from light, oxygen and external odours. After the coating has been applied, the packaging material is printed, cut to size, stamped and sealed.

Brazil is South America’s biggest market for long-life foods packaged in carton packs. According to estimates by the Canadean market research institute, sales of aseptic carton packs totalled more than 13 billion units in Brazil in 2012. Sales are forecast to continue increasing, at a rate of 8 per cent annually up to 2015.