Shrink sleeve specialist Etimag (Istanbul / Turkey; www.etimag.com) has ordered a shrink film line from German machine maker Brückner (Siegsdorf; www.brueckner.com) for its new domestic subsidiary Plasmag Plastik Film Ambalaj Sanayi (Istanbul). The three-layer system for monoaxially oriented PET shrink films (MOPET) is said to have a width of 4.2 m and a capacity of 6,600 t/y. It can produce shrink films in a thickness range from 20-70 µm, according to Brückner. Plasmag plans to commission the system for the end of 2022.

The creation of Plasmag goes hand in hand with the expansion of Etimag’s product portfolio. Company founder Mehmet Hilmi Okur said he rated the investment as a milestone for both the Turkish film and packaging industry and the region, especially since the project should create between 80 and 100 additional jobs.

At its production plant in Tekirdağ, some 150 km west of Istanbul, Etimag has so far focused on making shrink sleeve labels. The company, founded in 1998, claims to have processing capacity at the site for around 1,800 t/y of such sleeves, and the processor notes that it is one of the few industry representatives with its own production facilities for PVC films, products it ships to customers in Europe, Asia and North America.