Klear Can founder to delay factory transfer from Germany to Czech Republic

By Jenny Eagle

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Plastics industry

The Klear Can by Milacron.
The Klear Can by Milacron.
Milacron Holdings, founder of Klear Can - an alternative to metal cans - has delayed plans to transfer its Ferromatik injection molding machines from Malterdigen, Germany to the Czech Republic due to a surge in orders.

The company says it will remain operational in Malterdingen for another two years thanks to a full European order book to Q1 2018, bringing back employees it had previously let go.

Customer orders

Milacron---Klear-Can-oranges-R-ckseite

Denis Poelman, MD, Milacron Injection Europe, said due to increasing customer demand it plans to continue manufacturing Ferromatik injection molding machines at its Malterdigen, Germany manufacturing facility longer than originally estimated.

In March 2016, Milacron announced it was transferring injection molding machine assembly and machining from Malterdingen to the Czech Republic by the end of 2017​,” he said.

Milacron now anticipates production will continue at the Malterdingen facility until the end of 2019, a full two years longer due to increased customer order intake across all of Europe​.

Milacron will still have a strong presence in Malterdingen even after the manufacturing operations transition to the Czech Republic​.”

The company recently announced it was expecting its first commercial launch for Klear Can and its recyclable single use coffee pods.

The Klear Can, is an alternative to metal cans for fruits, vegetables, soups, and beverages, and has passed trials for food safety including the Biotest, which is a comparative method of examining leakage rates of a container or its seals.

Double seaming

It technology allows manufacturers to produce/mold cans at the filling site via a double seaming process which is a critical factor in ensuring the seal between the can end, the can end compound and the body material withstanding processing temperatures up to 121°C.

The seal must also withstand external factors related to the retorting process and handling without allowing a leakage path to form which could allow micro-organisms to enter or in the case of a beverage container, internal pressures to vent.

Poelman added customized and complex machines such as cube molds, PET, co-injection systems and automation/robotics systems will continue at Malterdingen for testing and customization.

Milacron's portfolio includes hot runner systems, injection molding, blow molding, mold components and extrusion equipment plus advanced fluid technologies.

"Using Kortec embedded technology we can now produce 100% recyclable single use coffee pods. The single use coffee pod market has grown rapidly over the past decade and Milacron’s technologies ensure the newly designed pods are able to enter the recycling stream rather than the landfill,"​ said Poelman.

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