The NPE 2009 International Plastics Exposition took place June 22-26, 2009 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. About 75,000 plastics professionals from more than 120 countries visited the show. For the first time at NPE the Brückner Group was represented on a joint booth: Brückner Maschinenbau, Brückner Servtec, Kiefel and Kiefel Extrusion presented a highly appraised, comprehensive range of engineering solutions from one reliable source.
As expected, the overall attendance dropped compared with previous years - however, those that did attend were focusing on new and highly innovative projects. Thus, the discussions at the Brückner Group booth were extremely target-oriented and on a technologically advanced level.
Brückner Maschinenbau focussed on innovative solutions for an efficient, flexible and environmentally friendly film production and thus met the expectations of the visitors not only from the NAFTA region but also from Latin America, Middle East and Asia.
Sustainability, bioplastics and energy
The packaging industry is seeking more and more to meet future market demands in terms of environmentally friendly packaging and energy saving production approaches. Brückner`s solutions in this field were highly appreciated: total energy management for a reduced carbon footprint, stretching technologies for the manufacture of multi-layer films, reducing material usage, weight, energy consumption and material transport, stretching and cast film lines for the production of biodegradable film made of PLA and other “green materials”.
New products for the market upswing
Most of the Brückner guests expect an economic revival in 2010 – and are now looking for new film products to serve the future market needs: innovative rigid sheet applications, premium shrink film, specialty films for technical applications. Another contemporary issue was the processing of new polymers and polymer modifications. Brückner`s flexible line concepts and the company`s unique technology center for film and resin development gained great interest in this regard.
Supply chain moving closer together
This year`s NPE made clear that the members of the packaging supply chain – resin suppliers, film producers, converters, brand owners and equipment suppliers – are moving closer together. It became apparent that Brückner is a sought-after partner within this process, bringing in long-lasting experience and new technologies that pave the way forward.
Brückner`s NPE presence was rounded off by Brückner Servtec`s all-round solutions for the profitable operation of existing lines. The representatives of the US subsidiary, Bruckner Inc., further deepened their close relationship to film and sheet producers in the NAFTA region.
Brückner would like to thank all visitors and is looking forward to exciting new projects in the coming resurgence of the worldwide plastics industry.
