German manufacturer Saxa Packaging (Neukirchen/Pleiße; www.saxa-packaging.com) has opened a facility for the manufacture of flexible packaging in Germany. Three blown film lines – one 3-layer, one 5-layer and one 7-layer from Reifenhäuser Blown Film (Worms / Germany; www.reifenhauser-bf.com) – have been installed in the production hall. The aim is to reach a production capacity of 10,000 t/y of packaging film in 2019.

According to managing director Robby Beckert, Saxa Packaging is the only company in eastern Germany capable of producing 7-layer packaging film for the food industry. The unit covers a thickness range of 20-250 µm and widths of 1,200-2,000 mm. It can be used for the production of high-barrier films that are needed for packaging fresh meat and convenience products, for example. To facilitate further processing of the extruded film, the machine has been fitted with "EVO Ultra Flat" technology.

Very thin and strong stretch hoods – for example, for the construction industry – can be manufactured on the 3-layer "Evolution 3" coextrusion line, which is designed for 20-200 µm thick film and widths of 800-2,000 mm.

The 5-layer "Evolution 5" coextrusion line is intended for plastic film packaging with a thickness of 20-300 µm and widths of 1,800-3,300 mm. Saxa Packaging uses it primarily to produce barrier packaging film for the food industry as well as surface protection films.

Saxa Packaging was founded in 2015. The German company markets its plastic films in roll form as well as ready-made packaging products.