Terichem Tervakoski (Svit, Slovakia; www.tervakoskifilm.com) is investing in a film stretching line for electrical insulation films, and the LISIM (linear motor simultaneous stretching) plant scheduled to begin operations in 2025 will be the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, according to German machine builder Brückner (Siegsdorf; www.brueckner.com).

Terichem Tervakoski management said it expects the energy transition, electromobility, automation, and digitalisation to drive demand for ultra-high temperature electronics capacitors in the near future. “From 2025, our significantly increased production capacity will accelerate the green transformation as more and more capacitors are needed to replace old technologies with new CO₂ reducing solutions”, CEO Ilkka Penttilä said.

LISIM systems are able to simultaneously stretch film in both directions, according to the supplier. The technology uses linear motors to drive the film transport clamps without mechanical connections. Since 1998, LISIM lines have been used with various polymers (polypropylene, PET, polyamide) and applications. These include ultra-thin films (< 1 micron) for electronic components such as capacitors, coated films for optical applications up to 400 microns, and BOPA packaging films.

The Terichem Group (Svit; www.terichem.sk), which also includes BOPP film manufacturer Tatrafan (www.tatrafan.com), considers its film division among the world’s leading manufacturers of polypropylene films for the capacitor industry. The unit has two sites, with the headquarters plant and its 170 employees, and a second plant in Lutsk, Ukraine with a staff of 80.