Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, and its Healthcare Packaging unit, are announcing plans to install new, high-speed, six-color offset tube printing machines at Clariant's production facility in Romorantin, France. The new equipment will increase capacity at the plant by an estimated 30 percent when the expansion is completed early in 2017.
The investment in additional printing capabilities is being undertaken to meet growing demand, especially by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical customers, and to offer global customers new options for customizing their package designs. Rigid tubes and accompanying desiccant closures are ideal for effervescent tablets, lozenges, and solid-dosage nutraceuticals.
The Romorantin plant, together with two other plants in Belen, NM, in the U.S.A., and Changshu, China, produces 40 different sizes of tubes and 50 different desiccant stoppers for global delivery. As demand for printed tubes is highest in Europe and North Africa, positioning its Center of Excellence for tube printing in France boosts Clariant's ability to quickly serve this important market.
Installation of the new high-speed, offset tube printers has already begun, with some capacity increase expected by the end of October. Full-capacity should be available by Q2 2017. The speed of the new printing machines will complement the high-volume tube and stopper production capabilities already in place at the plant.
"Our large range of tube and desiccant stopper offerings gives customers flexibility and choice in their package design," says Philippe Depois, Head of Sales, Clariant Healthcare Packaging. "And, we continue to expand tube and stopper production and state-of-the-art printing capabilities in Romorantin."
Depois says Clariant is also highly experienced at custom package design, which allows global customers to more easily and rapidly customize their packaging to address market needs, while expediting product time-to-market.
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