Extrusion machinery producer Luigi Bandera (Busto Arsizio / Italy; www.luigibandera.com) has established a nanotech division centred on polymer sheets for solar power installations. The formation of the division stems from a new patent for films with up to 12 layers designed for applications in the solar industry. Bandera expects the technology to cut production costs and offer the industry an alternative to the more commonly used silicate glass. It is currently investigating the use of nanomaterials, for example nano clay and other fillers, to improve the mechanical properties of the sheets.

Bandera has also recently supplied a lab-scale coextrusion machine for three-layer biodegradable films to Novamont (Novara / Italy; www.novamont.com). The manufacturer of biodegradable materials produces biopolymers from corn starch (“Mater-Bi” and “Origo-Bi” brands) at its site in Terni / Italy.

Bandera is a family-owned company run by Piero and Franco Bandera, sons of the company’s founder Luigi Bandera. The company has 190 employees, and sales in 2006 were EUR 50m (more recent figures are not available). Its portfolio comprises production machinery for flexible films, sheeting and pipes.