Monday, November 29, 2010
Seeking: Technology to allow production of aluminium food & beverage cans with little or no water
LinkedIn: "Our client is searching for innovative technologies, systems, products and / or materials to allow aluminium food and beverage cans to be manufactured with less or no water requirement. A closed loop system with no toxic waste products would also be considered a significant improvement"
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Nippon Steel to expand Indonesian tinplate capacity
Factiva: "ippon Steel has decided to lift tinplate capacity at its Indonesian venture, PT Latinusa, to meet growing consumer demand for cans in that country. Current tinplate capacity at Latinusa is 130,000 tonnes/year but NSC plans to increase this to 160,000 t/y by early 2012, the company tells Steel Business Briefing.
The company estimates current demand for tinplate in Indonesia to be about 200,000 t/y. The Japanese steel producer expects this figure to grow, as can consumption by person is still quite low in Indonesia, meaning there is huge potential for growth as more Indonesians join the ranks of the middle-classes. Latinusa currently produces about 10,000 t/m of tinplate, more than 90% of its capacity, SBB calculates.
“We believe demand for tinplate in Indonesia will continue growing so we have decided to expand production to increase our base material supply to Latinusa,” a Nippon Steel spokesman says. Nippon Steel"
The company estimates current demand for tinplate in Indonesia to be about 200,000 t/y. The Japanese steel producer expects this figure to grow, as can consumption by person is still quite low in Indonesia, meaning there is huge potential for growth as more Indonesians join the ranks of the middle-classes. Latinusa currently produces about 10,000 t/m of tinplate, more than 90% of its capacity, SBB calculates.
“We believe demand for tinplate in Indonesia will continue growing so we have decided to expand production to increase our base material supply to Latinusa,” a Nippon Steel spokesman says. Nippon Steel"
Global Market Analysis on Metal Packaging Materials
AZOM Materials: "This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Metal Packaging Materials in US$ Million by the following product segments - Aluminum, Tinplate, and Steel. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for each region for the period 2007 through 2015. A seven-year historic analysis is also provided for these markets"
Friday, October 22, 2010
Goodbye Corus Packaging Plus, hello Tata Steel Packaging
The Canmake: "Packaging steel manufacturer Corus Packaging Plus has changed its name to Tata Steel Packaging, following the Indian-based company’s acquisition of the European steel producer in 2007.
Tata Steel Packaging’s headquarters are at its mill in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, with other production plants in South Wales and Belgium
Kirby Adams, chief executive of Tata Steel Europe, said: 'The companies that comprise Tata Steel Europe have evolved over many decades from local to national to regional players. They now form part of one of the world’s top ten steelmakers, with a wide product range, a relatively high degree of raw materials self-sufficiency and a global market reach from manufacturing sites across Europe and Asia.
'This is the right time to enter a new era under the Tata Steel name, now that we have successfully returned the company to profit following the global financial crisis. This brand migration will lead to the Tata Steel name becoming much more prominent and widely recognised across Europe and will reinforce our sense of belonging to the Tata Steel family.'"
Tata Steel Packaging’s headquarters are at its mill in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, with other production plants in South Wales and Belgium
Kirby Adams, chief executive of Tata Steel Europe, said: 'The companies that comprise Tata Steel Europe have evolved over many decades from local to national to regional players. They now form part of one of the world’s top ten steelmakers, with a wide product range, a relatively high degree of raw materials self-sufficiency and a global market reach from manufacturing sites across Europe and Asia.
'This is the right time to enter a new era under the Tata Steel name, now that we have successfully returned the company to profit following the global financial crisis. This brand migration will lead to the Tata Steel name becoming much more prominent and widely recognised across Europe and will reinforce our sense of belonging to the Tata Steel family.'"
Hindustan Tin Works sees FY11 guidance touching 10-15% - CNBC-TV18 -
MoneyControl: "Indian can manufacturer Hindustan Tin Works results for FY10 saw a phenomenal growth and the company is aiming higher. For FY11 the company has issued a guidance of 10-15% in their topline as their first quarter has already touched Rs 100 crore.
However the managing director of the company Sanjay Bhatia said the bottomline will not witness as much growth as the topline. 'Certainly there would be a growth in the bottomline but it would be difficult for me to really tell you what would the percentage of that would be,' he said."
However the managing director of the company Sanjay Bhatia said the bottomline will not witness as much growth as the topline. 'Certainly there would be a growth in the bottomline but it would be difficult for me to really tell you what would the percentage of that would be,' he said."
Tin platers struggle as metal prices hit record highs
Factiva: "The producer confirmed that tinplate manufacturers are safeguarding themselves against volatile tin prices for 2011. 'When you get into pricing for next year, it will be built in. It's too significant to absorb all the time,' he said, noting that while talks with consumers have started for next year, no deals have been finalized.
Building tin prices into contracts for tinplate might be a new approach for some producers, but smaller producers say flexible pricing is nothing new. 'Consumers pretty much understand. We tell them in our quotations that prices could change,' a small northeastern tinplate producer said.
It's not only long-term contracts standing in the way of substitution away from high-priced tin for tinplate makers. There also is a lack of easily substitutable material, sources said."
Building tin prices into contracts for tinplate might be a new approach for some producers, but smaller producers say flexible pricing is nothing new. 'Consumers pretty much understand. We tell them in our quotations that prices could change,' a small northeastern tinplate producer said.
It's not only long-term contracts standing in the way of substitution away from high-priced tin for tinplate makers. There also is a lack of easily substitutable material, sources said."
Chromium can be used for only a limited number of tinplate products, the trader source said, making one of the only other options the reduction of coating thickness. "There is no more than 5? pounds of tin on a ton of steel of average thickness," the source said.
If tin prices remain high and push up the pricing of tinplate, food packing companies might begin to substitute away from the product for glass or plastic, sources warned. However, such a shift would take time to implement, thus nullifying any immediate impact.
"It's always been a concern, but it's not so much a concern in the short term," the trader said.
While tin platers struggle with price increases, the rest of the tin industry is scrambling for material. One alloyer reported an outage at the end of June due to non-delivery of material and was recently told by a supplier to go elsewhere for tin. "It's been going on for six months. If I want to buy more than my quota, there's a distinct chance that I won't be able to," he said.
A U.S.-based trader said he recently tried to buy some material but was told "to contact somebody else. Some of the producers are holding back; they want more money."
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tinplate prices could reach $1,500 a tonne
The Canmaker: "Tinplate prices are on the rise again, and could approach US$1,500 a tonne in Europe when the next round of increases are announced by mills before the end of the year.
Rises in the prices of hot-rolled coil and tin are said to be behind the increases. In North America, tight supply has increased prices by 10 percent so far this year, reported the Wall Street Journal. In China, cuts in steel long product capacity are reported to be feeding through with rising hot-rolled coil prices.
In Europe some of the smaller tinplate manufacturers have cut their capacity as measured by tonnage, but others are producing to the limits of the mills, with thinner gauges increasing the effective capacity using the SITA system that measures tinplate by its area."
Rises in the prices of hot-rolled coil and tin are said to be behind the increases. In North America, tight supply has increased prices by 10 percent so far this year, reported the Wall Street Journal. In China, cuts in steel long product capacity are reported to be feeding through with rising hot-rolled coil prices.
In Europe some of the smaller tinplate manufacturers have cut their capacity as measured by tonnage, but others are producing to the limits of the mills, with thinner gauges increasing the effective capacity using the SITA system that measures tinplate by its area."
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Baosteel Meishan Steel develops new type tin plate for crown caps - 164152 - 2010-09-07
Steel Guru "Meishan Steel developed a kind of tin plate for the manufacture of crown cap adding another member to Baosteel cold rolled product family.
Tin plate MR T-5CA produced by Meishan Steel previously is mainly applied to manufacture the caps of beer bottles and soda bottles which are called crown cap in the circle. But MR T-5CA is difficult and costly to produce, and various properties of it have exceeded the customers' demand. While MR T-4CA cannot reach the requirements in terms of hardness and strength, etc.
In view of this, Meishan Steel optimized the composition design and successfully developed a brand-new steel grade. Since there is no corresponding tally for this steel grade in Baosteel prevailing standard, and its hardness is between that of MR T-4CA and MR T-5CA, it is temporarily named as tin plate MR T-4.5CA.
Since this April, the customers in Shanghai and Wuxi started to try out this product. Now the total orders have exceeded 4000 tonnes. More and more domestic customers are keen on this new steel grade. Meishan Steel has formulated relevant expansion plan to strive after greater market share"
Tin plate MR T-5CA produced by Meishan Steel previously is mainly applied to manufacture the caps of beer bottles and soda bottles which are called crown cap in the circle. But MR T-5CA is difficult and costly to produce, and various properties of it have exceeded the customers' demand. While MR T-4CA cannot reach the requirements in terms of hardness and strength, etc.
In view of this, Meishan Steel optimized the composition design and successfully developed a brand-new steel grade. Since there is no corresponding tally for this steel grade in Baosteel prevailing standard, and its hardness is between that of MR T-4CA and MR T-5CA, it is temporarily named as tin plate MR T-4.5CA.
Since this April, the customers in Shanghai and Wuxi started to try out this product. Now the total orders have exceeded 4000 tonnes. More and more domestic customers are keen on this new steel grade. Meishan Steel has formulated relevant expansion plan to strive after greater market share"
JFE Steel/ To strengthen exports of can plates
Factiva: "To start operation of new CAL ahead of schedule/ To increase supply to affiliated companies overseas
JFE Steel Corporation plans to expand export sales of can plates such as tinplate and material blackplate. Global demands for tinplate are expected to grow steadily as emerging countries expand their economy. JFE Steel will develop new customers and increase supply of material plates to the overseas alliance network, its strong point. Until now, JFE Steel has a limited excess in supply of can plates since they require high quality. It will have room to expand the sales because it will start operation of the fifth continuous annealing line (CAL, monthly production of about 40 thousand tons) ahead of schedule in this December, which is under construction at the Fukuyama area in the West Japan Works."
JFE Steel Corporation plans to expand export sales of can plates such as tinplate and material blackplate. Global demands for tinplate are expected to grow steadily as emerging countries expand their economy. JFE Steel will develop new customers and increase supply of material plates to the overseas alliance network, its strong point. Until now, JFE Steel has a limited excess in supply of can plates since they require high quality. It will have room to expand the sales because it will start operation of the fifth continuous annealing line (CAL, monthly production of about 40 thousand tons) ahead of schedule in this December, which is under construction at the Fukuyama area in the West Japan Works."
DKR: Tinplate recovery
One hundred percent of used tinplate packaging can be melted down to make new steel without any loss in quality. One ton of tinplate scrap replaces 1.5 tons of ore and 665 kg of coal. This saves natural resources and substantially reduces the amount of CO2 emitted during the production process for new steel. As a qualified material flow manager, DKR can be relied on to find the right customer for your tinplate scrap. Become a part of our international recycling network as well!"
Cadbury drops trial to replace 70-year-old Roses tin with board
The confectionery giant began trials last November of a square cardboard pack that would replace the round 975g tin.
However, according to reports in retail trade title The Grocer, the trial has now been dropped after shoppers rejected the new-style packs."
China capacity outcry
Steel News Article: "A total 500,000t/y of tinplate capacity is to come on stream in China next year, despite an outcry from existing ..."
Still bullish on tinplate
The Star (Malaysia): "Asian tinplate producers are generally positive on the industry’s outlook for 2010-2011 with their production to remain intact despite strong fluctuations in the major raw material prices, a conference was told yesterday.
Top tinplate industry players from India, China and Thailand concur that the current two-year high tin price, trading above US$23,000 per tonne, would unlikely affect production cost but the new price mechanism for iron ore starting this year could pose a challenge to industry players."
Top tinplate industry players from India, China and Thailand concur that the current two-year high tin price, trading above US$23,000 per tonne, would unlikely affect production cost but the new price mechanism for iron ore starting this year could pose a challenge to industry players."
Metal packaging materials market to hit $129bn by 2015
Progressive Group International Newsletter: "As stated by the new market research report on Metal Packaging Materials, Europe represents the largest market worldwide. The region is driven by growth and proliferation of metal packaging in European markets such as Poland, Turkey, Germany, the UK, France, among others. The US and Asia-Pacific follow as the next significant metal packaging markets globally. In terms of growth, increasing usage and demand for packaging in Brazil and Mexico are expected to propel Latin America as the fastest growing market worldwide. China and India are the other markets in the Asia-Pacific region promising high growth trends, particularly with regard to flexible packaging.
The world metal packaging materials market is defined by three broad classification types, aluminium, tinplate and steel. Among the product segments, the fastest growing is tinplate, which is forecast to witness a surge in demand through 2015, notwithstanding the economic slowdown.
New wave of innovations in the overall packaging business as well emergence of lucrative markets in developing countries will drive growth in the global tinplate market. On the other hand, aluminium retains leadership position as the single largest market for metal packaging materials worldwide."
The world metal packaging materials market is defined by three broad classification types, aluminium, tinplate and steel. Among the product segments, the fastest growing is tinplate, which is forecast to witness a surge in demand through 2015, notwithstanding the economic slowdown.
New wave of innovations in the overall packaging business as well emergence of lucrative markets in developing countries will drive growth in the global tinplate market. On the other hand, aluminium retains leadership position as the single largest market for metal packaging materials worldwide."
Tata-Corus Integration
Factiva: "Tata Steel expects to complete the integration of Tinplate Company of India (TCIL) with Corus of the UK soon. The company holds a stake of over 45 percent in TCIL and will increase the holding to 60 percent from Apr 2011. Corus has a capacity to produce 1.25 million tonnes of tinplate a year. TCIL is doubling its capacity with an investment of Rs627 crore."
Collaboration with Corus a boon to Tinplate shareholders
The Economic Times: "The first pick for the day in the midcap space is Tinplate Company of India as the name suggests they make tinplate and sheets that are used in metal packaging industry. There are 4 reasons why we really love this stock first of they are a beneficiary of Tata Steel buying Corus. Tinplate is getting technology from Corus and they are integrating closely with Corus as far as R&D goes so that’s a benefit straight into Tinplate shareholders.
The second reason is there is a huge capacity expansion that is happening and the benefits of this will come in by earnings of 2011 and the third thing is Tata Steel ownership is going to get to 60% after the conversion of convertible debentures and on top of all of this the PE for this stock is at 6.5%."
The second reason is there is a huge capacity expansion that is happening and the benefits of this will come in by earnings of 2011 and the third thing is Tata Steel ownership is going to get to 60% after the conversion of convertible debentures and on top of all of this the PE for this stock is at 6.5%."
Analysis: Sector reels as board prices hit crisis point
packagingnews.co.uk: "Costs for board have rapidly risen over the last year as mills have pushed through three rounds of increases. Including the current third round of increases, carton printers contacted by Packaging News estimated the rise in board costs since September 2009 at between 20% and 35%, depending on grades.
On top of the high prices, lead times for ordering board have moved from three to six weeks to three months or more – sources suggest that in extreme cases, some grades are being sold now for delivery in March or April next year. Moreover, mills are reported to be imposing quotas on both individual companies and geographic regions. As a result, carton manufacturers are having to push for price increases at the same time as telling customers to plan their ordering months ahead of normal schedules."
On top of the high prices, lead times for ordering board have moved from three to six weeks to three months or more – sources suggest that in extreme cases, some grades are being sold now for delivery in March or April next year. Moreover, mills are reported to be imposing quotas on both individual companies and geographic regions. As a result, carton manufacturers are having to push for price increases at the same time as telling customers to plan their ordering months ahead of normal schedules."
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Converters face squeeze as buyers resist price hikes
packagingnews.co.uk: "Packaging converters are facing a renewed financial squeeze after buyers said they would fight a new round of board and paper price rises.
But buyers are privately sceptical over whether the rises are justified and have said they will resist taking on extra costs themselves.
Paper and board converters, meanwhile, are struggling to pass on input costs and facing extremely long lead times for board purchasing that have been extended from a previous average of four to six weeks to up to 20 weeks in some cases."
Suppliers including M-real, Smurfit Kappa, UPM and Mayr-Melnhof said last month they were planning to push prices up again as a result of tight supply and their own input costs, which have shot up in the past year (see box).
But buyers are privately sceptical over whether the rises are justified and have said they will resist taking on extra costs themselves.
Paper and board converters, meanwhile, are struggling to pass on input costs and facing extremely long lead times for board purchasing that have been extended from a previous average of four to six weeks to up to 20 weeks in some cases."
Chinese tinplate firm targets UK market at easy fairs - 163464 - 2010-09-02
Steel Guru: "Chinese tinplate manufacturer Jingli Can will be exhibiting its range of products at easy fairs in a bid to raise its profile in the UK.
As per report, Jingli Can produces packaging for a raft of sectors and its products include coffee boxes, cigarette tins, DVD cases, lunch boxes and tins for mints.
The company, based in Dongguan City claims to be the biggest tin box manufacturer in China and has a workforce of 2,700. It has some big brands for clients including Coca Cola and McDonald’s and is hoping that its list of accreditations including ISO 19001 can help it to make inroads into the UK market."
As per report, Jingli Can produces packaging for a raft of sectors and its products include coffee boxes, cigarette tins, DVD cases, lunch boxes and tins for mints.
The company, based in Dongguan City claims to be the biggest tin box manufacturer in China and has a workforce of 2,700. It has some big brands for clients including Coca Cola and McDonald’s and is hoping that its list of accreditations including ISO 19001 can help it to make inroads into the UK market."
EasyFairs London to host 'big debate' on packaging
packagingnews.co.uk: "The Packaging Society's Kevin Vyse will be chairing the debate. He said: 'Packaging is part and parcel of our everyday life, yet its contribution is either taken for granted or else misunderstood by the public at large; it’s needed but rarely respected.
'When the focus shifts to environmental concerns, it’s invariably vilified for incurring unnecessary carbon footprint or else ridiculed as being superfluous to requirements.
'Maybe the underlying problem is more to do with our consumerism habits than we might care to admit. Even so, having successfully created the successful image for so many products, why has packaging failed to do the same for itself?'"
'When the focus shifts to environmental concerns, it’s invariably vilified for incurring unnecessary carbon footprint or else ridiculed as being superfluous to requirements.
'Maybe the underlying problem is more to do with our consumerism habits than we might care to admit. Even so, having successfully created the successful image for so many products, why has packaging failed to do the same for itself?'"
Rising steel, tin prices to make canned food dearer
The Financial Express: "Canned food is set to get costlier as the price of steel and tin plates used for packaging it sees a price rise. The material cost has risen on account of high input costs of steel and tin.
Sanjay Bhatia, chairman, Indian Institute of Packaging, and president, Metal Container Manufacturer Association of India, told FE: “There has been a rise in steel prices globally. This trend has impacted the Indian steel market. September onwards , steel prices are expected to rise even further.
As steel prices and tin plate prices are high and are expected to go up, it will lead to increase in the prices of packaged food like in 2008.” Some leading packaging companies like Shetron, Kaira, Hindustan Tin, which manufacture tin plate cans are in talks with the steel ministry to address the issue."
Sanjay Bhatia, chairman, Indian Institute of Packaging, and president, Metal Container Manufacturer Association of India, told FE: “There has been a rise in steel prices globally. This trend has impacted the Indian steel market. September onwards , steel prices are expected to rise even further.
As steel prices and tin plate prices are high and are expected to go up, it will lead to increase in the prices of packaged food like in 2008.” Some leading packaging companies like Shetron, Kaira, Hindustan Tin, which manufacture tin plate cans are in talks with the steel ministry to address the issue."
Tata Steel arms script a terrific turnaround
DNA: "Tinplate Company reported a profit after tax of Rs 67 crore, nearly double the 2009-10 figure. Tata Steel said, “Despite the delay in commissioning of the finished units of the cold rolling mill 2, the electrolytic tinplates production was 22% higher from FY09, at 0.23 million tonne.”
The subsidiary floated a rights issue of Rs 374.32 crore to fund its expansion plans and to repay long-term loans. Post the rights issue, Tata Steel’s holding in Tinplate Company stands at 45% as on March 2010, against 32% earlier."
The subsidiary floated a rights issue of Rs 374.32 crore to fund its expansion plans and to repay long-term loans. Post the rights issue, Tata Steel’s holding in Tinplate Company stands at 45% as on March 2010, against 32% earlier."
TCIL earnings plummet by 51pct for June quarter - 160985 - 2010-08-18
Steel Guru: "Tinplate Company of India reported a phenomenon drop in standalone net profit for the quarter ended June 2010. During the quarter, the profit of the company declined 50.80% to INR 107.75 million from INR 219.01 million in the same quarter last year.
Net sales for the quarter for the quarter rose 20.02% to INR 2,344.39 million while total income for the quarter rose 20.26% to INR 2,374.67 million when compared with the prior year period."
Net sales for the quarter for the quarter rose 20.02% to INR 2,344.39 million while total income for the quarter rose 20.26% to INR 2,374.67 million when compared with the prior year period."
Monday, August 23, 2010
200 Years of Cans
200 Years of Cans: "The Can Manufacturers Institute is celebrating milestone birthdays for two of the most important inventions in the history of the food and beverage world: the food can is 200 years old, and the beverage can is well into its golden years at 75.
While the food can has dominated the food industry as perhaps the most trusted method of storage, it has also penetrated American culture by providing childhood games we all know and love, like kick the can and string-can telephone. And the beverage can may be the single most important invention in the history of recycling."
While the food can has dominated the food industry as perhaps the most trusted method of storage, it has also penetrated American culture by providing childhood games we all know and love, like kick the can and string-can telephone. And the beverage can may be the single most important invention in the history of recycling."
Global Packaging Project
Global Packaging Project
The detailed contents of this website are accessible only to project participants. Please log in to access files.
If you would like to join the project, please contact Katrin Recke ( katrin.recke@aim.be ) to obtain the login details.
GPP report: A global languange for Packaging and Sustainability (June 2010)
Press release on GPP report (June 2010)
Generic GPP presentation
Pilot guidance document
Pilot reporting file
GPP indicators and metrics V1"
The detailed contents of this website are accessible only to project participants. Please log in to access files.
If you would like to join the project, please contact Katrin Recke ( katrin.recke@aim.be ) to obtain the login details.
GPP report: A global languange for Packaging and Sustainability (June 2010)
Press release on GPP report (June 2010)
Generic GPP presentation
Pilot guidance document
Pilot reporting file
GPP indicators and metrics V1"
The Interview: Julian Carroll
Apeal Newsletter: "The Sustainability Agenda and its implications for packaging is the number one issue influencing the work of EUROPEN these days. We have already produced Guidelines for Decision Makers on this topic and are now busy with using them in helping prepare the Global Packaging Project for The Consumer Goods Forum. The development of ISO standards for packaging and the environment which we have championed will further support this process.
With so many sustainability initiatives popping up locally, regionally and internationally, EUROPEN remains vigilant to ensure that the freedoms of packaging choice and guarantees of free movement of packaged products are not impeded by well intended, but ill thought out, public policy, regulation or private sector initiatives."
With so many sustainability initiatives popping up locally, regionally and internationally, EUROPEN remains vigilant to ensure that the freedoms of packaging choice and guarantees of free movement of packaged products are not impeded by well intended, but ill thought out, public policy, regulation or private sector initiatives."
France: Environmental labelling scheme
Apeal Newsletter: "France has been pioneering an environmental labelling scheme for mass-market products. The “Grenelle I” law, passed in August 2009, states the right of consumers to accurate, objective and complete environmental information covering all aspects of the product and its packaging. An implementation law “Grenelle II” was voted at the end of June 2010 and brought about fundamental changes such as a switch from the mandatory nature of labelling to a voluntary scheme and a postponement of the start of the programme until 1 July 2011. A trial phase of at least one year will be implemented. The outcome of this will allow for a decision whether environmental labelling should be applied more generally."
ISO Standards update August 2010
Apeal Newsletter: "ISO TC122 SC4 working groups have been tasked with developing international standards for packaging and the environment based on the existing CEN standards (EN13427 to EN13432) and Asian Technical Specifications. They met a second time Beijing in June 2010. The meeting was attended by APEAL expert Jean-Pierre Taverne on behalf of the World Steel Association"
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The battle for the metal can's future
packagingnews.co.uk: "So is the can on the way out? Not a chance. Will volumes keep growing? Perhaps, but it's less certain. What is sure is that competition is out there. As they celebrate the Year of the Can, canmakers will need to make their case more strongly than ever to the brand owners and retailers of this world that, be it on price, branding opportunities, shapes, closeability or the perpetual environmental debate, their format is worth sticking with."
Steel can marches on in 200th year
packagingnews.co.uk: "Two hundred years on, the fundamentals of canning have changed little. But, as the metal packaging industry marks the bicentenary with its Year of the Can celebrations, the sector is fighting its own battles. Aseptic cartons and plastic containers are making small but significant inroads into markets that were once the exclusive preserve of the can. Sainsbury’s, for instance, has switched several of its chopped tomato lines to cartons, while some cooked meats have switched to recloseable plastic containers (see box)."
Yet the can industry is proving that heritage is no inhibitor of development. Uniquely profiled shapes, two-piece can formats for the food sector, ring-pulls, CFC-free aerosols, widgets, easy-to-open peel/seam closures and polymer coatings – providing greater scope for on-pack imaging as well as excellent anti-counterfeiting properties – are just some of the applications now taken for granted. Well on the way towards increased adoption are the resealable steel can (already commercialised in aluminium), and the microwave-ready tray capable of delivering a better quality convenience meal.
Resource efficient
Keeping pace with new technology has been the optimisation of steel’s long-established environmental credentials. Contemporary steel packaging uses less resources than ever before, and is infinitely recyclable without any detriment to its natural protective and preservative properties. With 70% of all steel packaging recovered for subsequent use, it sets the benchmark for energy conservation and reduced carbon footprint. Every tonne of recycled steel saves a tonne of virgin material.
All of these positive attributes are rigorously promoted by any number of trade bodies, not least Apeal, whose membership produces 95% of all steel packaging across Europe, and the European Metal Packaging Association (Empac), which has recently announced a €10,000 design competition to mark the format’s 200th anniversary.
"We would like to focus on cost-effectiveness and efficiency throughout the supply chain," says Empac chief executive Gordon Shade. "Students may, for example, invent a special closing mechanism or a fresh style for the can. It could even be a new use for the can with food, paint or aerosols. The emphasis will be on celebrating our two centuries of existence and improving on what we have achieved."
One fundamental challenge, however, might be difficult to overcome. The reality of the standard food can is that its shape is largely pre-determined, says industry consultant Bev Page. "It’s far quicker and costs less to produce a cylindrical can rather than opting for a differentiated shape. Not only does the circular can with a straight wall represent the optimum fitness for purpose but, as metal packaging is bought by surface area and equates to more than 50% of overall cost, a critical constraint is that the walling of a square can is greater than the circumference of the circle by as much as 15%."
It could be, however, that uniformity of shape isn’t a deterrent to sales after all. According to TNS, the value of steel packaging’s turnover in the UK canned food market was up by a recession-defying 9% during the first quarter of this year.
"The key sector of ready-meals including baked beans, soups and so on has been doing very well; likewise canned
vegetables, being led in part by the focus on pulses, are becoming more and more of a staple for healthier eating,"
says Steve Thomas, marketing manager at Crown Food Europe and chairman of the Canned Food UK industry association.
"The metal can, both aluminium and steel, is the stand-out solution in this impending age of austerity," says Thomas. "People are realising what good value for money a can of food is. They’re eating out less, cooking more and they’re looking for ingredients that will give them nutritional meals."
Even in the pet-food category, which has been targeted by the stand-up pouch, steel is showing a small growth with Crown reporting a good response to its new 85gsm single-serve can.
More rather than ‘either or’ is a view endorsed by Impress’s R&D director Philippe Giminez: "Cartons such as Tetra Pak’s Recart, adopted by Sainsbury’s for its own-label tomatoes, don’t seem to us to represent a big move towards plastic. We see metal packaging as a stable market with some definite growth sectors."
New openings
Ease of opening is an area in which steel packaging manufacturers have made significant advances in recent years. Having taken the initial lead with its ring-pull in the 1990s, Crown now supplies Easylift easy-open ends in four diameters including 65mm, 73mm, 83mm and 99mm – already available on Nestlé’s Purina cat food – and PeelSeam peelable ends: a peelable lid double seamed on metal containers and consisting of a thin flexible aluminium foil lid heat-sealed to a rigid steel ring. The PeelSeam lid family has just been extended to a 150mm diameter, particularly suitable for low-height cans and bowls.
Impress is focusing on similar solutions including what is claimed to be the world’s first commercial Easy Open End made from 0.18mm-thickness tinplate, a 10% material saving. While its Easy Peel double-seaming technology is constrained by the need to balance interior and exterior pressures below 0.2bar, the Easip solution is compatible with continuous retort.
According to Ball Packaging innovations director Robert Jansen, the reclosable top recently commercialised for Coke’s energy drink Burn could be equally well applied to steel constructions. The company is also challenging current can weights as part of its continuous efforts to reduce materials use and to minimise environmental impact. "Right now, a 330ml aluminium can weighs about 10gsm. The steel equivalent is almost double, and we’ve set ourselves to further close that gap. I don’t know if we can reach it, but we actually focus on 15gsm."
There is widespread agreement among packaging manufacturers that steel packaging’s future prospects are in the hands of brand owners and retailers. "Consumers by and large don’t recognise any significant difference between steel and aluminium; for them a can is a can," says Jansen. "They might feel the difference in weight, for example, at the time of consumption, but they’ll assume that it’s just thicker material. And for brand owners and retailers, too, both metals offer the same benefits."
Thomas argues that a key driver in terms of the choice between aluminium and steel is what brand owners are doing already. "If their filling lines are set up for aluminium, that’s what they’ll stick with. If they don’t have magnetic bands then they can’t run steel." Another driver, in years to come, may be cost. "Maybe in 10 years’ time, when it’s highly likely that energy costs will be the most critical factor, it could be that aluminium looks like a very expensive option," he says. In any case, Thomas adds, Ball plans to continue to offer both materials.
Whatever happens in the coming years, the metals industry is taking the fight to its younger rivals. With innovation on the multiple fronts of weight, openability and shapes, you wouldn’t bet against the can still being here in another 200 years.
MOVING FROM METAL
Signs of defection from metal to plastics are self-evident. Rexam has just supplied high-barrier heat-sealed containers incorporating a reclosable lid and designed to extend shelf-life over two years for the Danish Tulip brand’s market-leading pork luncheon meat (pictured below), entailing an investment in completely new filling lines.
The reason for the switch was added convenience, says Tulip supply chain director Jorgen Skaarup. "We’ve learned that our consumers find it difficult to open and empty regular metal cans, therefore it has been a specific target for us to develop new packaging that would create real differentiation in the marketplace."
Another high-profile switch has been Heinz’s extension into ‘snap-pots’, which has refreshed its baked beans line and accounts for 9% of total sales. It is, however, seen as supplementing sales rather than a replacement to metal.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Empac measures environmental impact of metal packaging
interpack Trade Fair: "European Metal Packaging (Empac) has launched a scorecard to calculate the environmental impact of its members' products.
Empac's scorecard is designed to estimate carbon dioxide levels for metal packaging according to criteria such as recycling rates, weight and transport distances.
Environment consultancy the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research developed the data collection and software for Empac.
Firms in the sector will be able to use the scorecard to provide data on the lifecycle of the metal can from the mining of raw materials through to delivery to the customer.
Empac chief executive Gordon Shade said: 'The scorecard is part of our commitment to address regulators requirements by providing fact-based and unambiguous information on our industry.'
The scorecard will be updated a regular intervals to provide an accurate picture of the carbon footprint of metal packaging.
Empac members include Crown, Impress and Huber Packaging Group as well as the UK's Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA)."
Empac's scorecard is designed to estimate carbon dioxide levels for metal packaging according to criteria such as recycling rates, weight and transport distances.
Environment consultancy the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research developed the data collection and software for Empac.
Firms in the sector will be able to use the scorecard to provide data on the lifecycle of the metal can from the mining of raw materials through to delivery to the customer.
Empac chief executive Gordon Shade said: 'The scorecard is part of our commitment to address regulators requirements by providing fact-based and unambiguous information on our industry.'
The scorecard will be updated a regular intervals to provide an accurate picture of the carbon footprint of metal packaging.
Empac members include Crown, Impress and Huber Packaging Group as well as the UK's Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA)."
Russia’s Magnitogorsk ups tinplate quality
The Canmaker : "Russia’s sole tinplate producer Magnitogorsk (MMK) plans to install a new tension leveller at its trading and distribution company MMK Trading House.
To start up by the end of next year, the investment is expected to boost annual tinplate sales by about 30,000 tonnes, said Dmitriy Balandin, MMK Trading House sales chief for coated products.
The equipment is aimed at improving tinplate flatness. “Product flatness will come to 1.5 to 2mm rather than to the 5mm prescribed by GOST 13345-85, the old government standard,” said Balandin."
To start up by the end of next year, the investment is expected to boost annual tinplate sales by about 30,000 tonnes, said Dmitriy Balandin, MMK Trading House sales chief for coated products.
The equipment is aimed at improving tinplate flatness. “Product flatness will come to 1.5 to 2mm rather than to the 5mm prescribed by GOST 13345-85, the old government standard,” said Balandin."
Indonesian PT Pelat Timah profits
Factiva: "Indonesian publicly-listed tin plate producer PT Pelat Timah Nusantara Tbk (JSX:NIKL) in the first half of 2010 posted a net profit of Rp55.281 billion (US$6.1 million), jumping 480.92 per cent from a year earlier.
The increase in net profit raised earning per share by 144 per cent to Rp22 from Rp9 previously, according to the company`s financial statement published on Tuesday."
The increase in net profit raised earning per share by 144 per cent to Rp22 from Rp9 previously, according to the company`s financial statement published on Tuesday."
Nestle to open Asian packaging development centre | packagingnews.co.uk
packagingnews.co.uk: "Nestle is opening a new innovation hub in Singapore for drinks packaging and product development in the Asia-Pacific region.
The aim of the new facility will be to develop new products based on local tastes and preferences for both the local market and further afield, Nestle said.
It will also develop new packaging, 'including packaging for consumers with limited income', and provide technical assistance to Nestle markets in the region.
Nestle R&D Singapore director Susanne Kulhanek said it was important for the firm to 'blaze the trail of innovation' to meet and anticipate customers needs.
'In order to do this, we must continually expand and update our range of products as proof of our commitment, creativity and know-how,' she said.
The new Singapore hub is scheduled to be fully functional by the beginning of next year and is located at the firm's research and development centre. It expand"
It will also develop new packaging, 'including packaging for consumers with limited income', and provide technical assistance to Nestle markets in the region.
Nestle R&D Singapore director Susanne Kulhanek said it was important for the firm to 'blaze the trail of innovation' to meet and anticipate customers needs.
'In order to do this, we must continually expand and update our range of products as proof of our commitment, creativity and know-how,' she said.
The new Singapore hub is scheduled to be fully functional by the beginning of next year and is located at the firm's research and development centre. It expand"
Lower food can volumes at Silgan but profits up
The Canmaker: "Ongoing cost control and improvements in manufacturing efficiencies lifted half-year profits at Silgan, North America’s leading food canmaking company and a global supplier of metal closures.
Net profit grew 2 percent to US$63 million with company sales at $1.36 billion, up 1 percent compared to the first six months of 2009.
“We are pleased with out year-to-date 2010 performance,” said chief executive Tony Allott. “This modest increase over strong results in 2009 was primarily the result of continued solid operational performance in our metal food container and closures businesses.”
Profits at Silgan’s food can division rose 5.3 percent to $44m in the second quarter, but as a result of lower unit volumes and the pass through of lower raw material costs sales fell 6.7 percent year-on-year to $378.1m.
In a press release, Silgan said that lower food can volumes were due “primarily to the timing of customer requirements”."
Net profit grew 2 percent to US$63 million with company sales at $1.36 billion, up 1 percent compared to the first six months of 2009.
“We are pleased with out year-to-date 2010 performance,” said chief executive Tony Allott. “This modest increase over strong results in 2009 was primarily the result of continued solid operational performance in our metal food container and closures businesses.”
Profits at Silgan’s food can division rose 5.3 percent to $44m in the second quarter, but as a result of lower unit volumes and the pass through of lower raw material costs sales fell 6.7 percent year-on-year to $378.1m.
In a press release, Silgan said that lower food can volumes were due “primarily to the timing of customer requirements”."
Growing global demand for cans boosts Ball results
The Canmake: "Growing worldwide demand for cans boosted Ball Corporation’s financial results in the first half 2010.
Both sales and profit in the period increased 12.5 percent year-on-year to US$3.6 billion and $227 million respectively.
The canmaking company's president and chief operating officer John Hayes said: “Executing on our strategic initiatives has enabled us to refine our company's product portfolio, improve operating performance and meet the growing worldwide demand for metal packaging by our customers.”
The addition of four US can- and end-making plants bought from Anheuser-Busch Inbev last year, increased retail promotion of carbonated soft drinks and strong demand for specialty can sizes drove volume improvement, the company said.
Profits in the Americas and Asia beverage can business in the first six months of the year jumped 56 percent to $188.5m, on sales of $1.8bn, up 29 percent year-on-year.
“Double-digit volume growth continues in China and Brazil, and as overall metal packaging trends improve we continue to monitor global opportunities for disciplined growth,” Hayes said."
Both sales and profit in the period increased 12.5 percent year-on-year to US$3.6 billion and $227 million respectively.
The canmaking company's president and chief operating officer John Hayes said: “Executing on our strategic initiatives has enabled us to refine our company's product portfolio, improve operating performance and meet the growing worldwide demand for metal packaging by our customers.”
The addition of four US can- and end-making plants bought from Anheuser-Busch Inbev last year, increased retail promotion of carbonated soft drinks and strong demand for specialty can sizes drove volume improvement, the company said.
Profits in the Americas and Asia beverage can business in the first six months of the year jumped 56 percent to $188.5m, on sales of $1.8bn, up 29 percent year-on-year.
“Double-digit volume growth continues in China and Brazil, and as overall metal packaging trends improve we continue to monitor global opportunities for disciplined growth,” Hayes said."
Corrosion inhibition with different protective layers in tinplate cans for food preservation
Wiley InterScience: "In this work the influence of essential onion oil (EOO) on the protection of tinplates was compared with dioctyl sebacate oil (DOS) and epoxy phenolic lacquers, which are frequently used in the food canning industry."
RESULTS: When EOO as the protective layer instead of DOS oil was used, tinplate porosity, measured electrochemically (7.58 ± 1.97 µA cm-2 and 23.0 ± 1.3 µA cm-2, respectively), and iron coating mass, calculated from AAS data (1.52 ± 0.15 mg m-2 and 3.14 ± 0.42, respectively), was much lower indicating better corrosion protection. At higher storing temperature (36 °C) the addition of EOO to canned tomato purée enhanced the formation of hydrogen with time. The increasing volume fraction of H2 (from 34.0 to 90.9% for cans without nitrates, and from 33.8 to 89.2% for cans with nitrates) is an indicator that corrosion takes place.
CONCLUSION: As the use of EOO improves the protection of tinplate compared with DOS oil, and is almost as effective as epoxy phenolic lacquer, the addition of EOO can be recommended due to lower cost of canned food production and enhanced organoleptic properties, but the storage temperature has to be lower then 36 °C
Antonela Ninevi Grassino 1 *, Zorana Grabari 1, Aldo Pezzani 2, Giuseppe Squitieri 2, Katarina Berkovi 1
1Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2Stazione Sperimentale per l'Industria delle Conserve Alimentari, Via Nazionale 121/123, 84012 Angri (SA), Italy
email: Antonela Ninevi Grassino (aninc@pbf.hr)
*Correspondence to Antonela Ninevi Grassino, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Antonela Ninevi Grassino 1 *, Zorana Grabari 1, Aldo Pezzani 2, Giuseppe Squitieri 2, Katarina Berkovi 1
1Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2Stazione Sperimentale per l'Industria delle Conserve Alimentari, Via Nazionale 121/123, 84012 Angri (SA), Italy
email: Antonela Ninevi Grassino (aninc@pbf.hr)
*Correspondence to Antonela Ninevi Grassino, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Germany to recycle high tinplate volumes, despite new system
Factiva: "The entry of a new player in the field of tinplate recycling in Germany has caused some disruption to the collection of the material, according to industry observers, but they are confident the country’s high level of recycling will be maintained."
Collection of tinplate scrap has until recently largely been organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Weissblechrecycling (DWR), set up by Germany’s only tinplate producer, Rasselstein. However, this year, Duales System Deutschland (DSD), which organises collection and recycling of all types of waste packaging on behalf of industrial and retail clients, also entered the field.
Its entry is “a consequence of 2008, when we were talking about €400/tonne for some scrap grades, which of course spurred ambitions,” DWR’s managing director, Edmund van Dyck, remarks.
Also this year, DSD changed its operating system, and some glitches in the new system have led to interruptions in the flow of tinplate scrap, Steel Business Briefing understands. Volumes of collected scrap were not correctly forwarded at various stages along the recycling chain. DSD has decided to return to its original operating system next year.
Tinplate recycling in Germany reached a high in 2008 of 94% of the volume of tin cans in circulation, which is estimated at 400,000-450,000 tonnes. While figures for 2009 are not yet available, DWR expects this level to be sustained in 2009 and beyond.
Friday, July 16, 2010
SBB Forecaster - Iron Ore
SBB Forecaster: "With the rapid rise of China's steel output impacting mills globally and the breakdown of the traditional benchmark pricing system, knowing about iron ore demand, supply, pricing and trading has become crucial for anyone with an interest in the steel industry."
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Negotiations settled to increase tinplate price/ Up 20 thousand yen for domestic users
Factiva: "Nippon Steel Corp., JFE Steel Corp. and Toyo Kohan Co., Ltd., these tinplate manufacturers, which held negotiations to 'increase tinplate price' because of soaring costs of raw materials, have settled them at an increase of 20 thousand yen per ton from the previous year. The increases are equivalent to 10-15%. Increased by 20 thousand yen this time, the tinplate price reached a record-high level."
Tesco-led sustainability language project publishes first report
packagingnews.co.uk: "The Global Packaging Project (GPP) has published a first report on its work to deliver a common language for packaging sustainability that sets out a number of indicators and metrics for improved dialogue.
The Consumer Goods Forum's sustainability group that is sponsored by Tesco and Unilever is running GPP to 'deliver a common framework and measurement system for better decision making on packaging and sustainability'.
The report – A Global Language for Packaging and Sustainability – looks at 52 indicators for the retail and packaging supply chain such as packaged product wastage, water usage and recycled content.
The project is being led by Tesco head of packaging Sonia Raja and starts from the principle of optimising the amount of packaging used without risk of increased product waste."
The Consumer Goods Forum's sustainability group that is sponsored by Tesco and Unilever is running GPP to 'deliver a common framework and measurement system for better decision making on packaging and sustainability'.
The report – A Global Language for Packaging and Sustainability – looks at 52 indicators for the retail and packaging supply chain such as packaged product wastage, water usage and recycled content.
The project is being led by Tesco head of packaging Sonia Raja and starts from the principle of optimising the amount of packaging used without risk of increased product waste."
Massive effort needed to reach 65 percent recycling rate in UK
The Canmaker: "The UK’s aluminium can recycling organisation says that to achieve a 65 percent recovery rate would require 'massive effort'.
Announcing that the recycling rate for aluminium drinks cans had reached 55 percent last year, Alupro’s executive director Rick Hindley told Packaging News magazine: 'Our work shows that with the current infrastructure a 65 percent recycling rate can be achieved by 2020; to go beyond this will require a massive effort and significant infrastructure changes
Schemes for collecting cans consumed away from home and using the aluminium from energy-from-waste facilities would need to be developed, he said."
Announcing that the recycling rate for aluminium drinks cans had reached 55 percent last year, Alupro’s executive director Rick Hindley told Packaging News magazine: 'Our work shows that with the current infrastructure a 65 percent recycling rate can be achieved by 2020; to go beyond this will require a massive effort and significant infrastructure changes
Schemes for collecting cans consumed away from home and using the aluminium from energy-from-waste facilities would need to be developed, he said."
Tuna cans that save on tinplate costs
The Canmaker: "Savings in the weight of tuna cans of almost a fifth could be made using new draw-redraw technology developed in the US by Alfons Haar Inc
The tooling and press manufacturer based in Springboro, Ohio, has designed a can aimed at the seafood and tuna market that is made from double-reduced 0.14mm DR8 tinplate.
Currently, tuna cans are usually made from tinplate with a gauge of either 0.16mm or 0.17mm. Customers would achieve a saving in tinplate of at least 12.5 percent with the new design, which uses vertical beading in the walls to improve stability with the thinner material.
Reducing the gauge from the thicker material would provide a 17.7 percent saving. Typically an 83mm diameter x 43.5mm high can weighs 24 grams. So canmakers could save 4.24 tonnes of tinplate for every million cans produced. At current prices that would mean a cost saving of around US$4,500."
The tooling and press manufacturer based in Springboro, Ohio, has designed a can aimed at the seafood and tuna market that is made from double-reduced 0.14mm DR8 tinplate.
Currently, tuna cans are usually made from tinplate with a gauge of either 0.16mm or 0.17mm. Customers would achieve a saving in tinplate of at least 12.5 percent with the new design, which uses vertical beading in the walls to improve stability with the thinner material.
Reducing the gauge from the thicker material would provide a 17.7 percent saving. Typically an 83mm diameter x 43.5mm high can weighs 24 grams. So canmakers could save 4.24 tonnes of tinplate for every million cans produced. At current prices that would mean a cost saving of around US$4,500."
Can plates including tinplate/ Global demand continues to increase
Factiva: "Market to reach 18 million tons due to growth in Asia/ Quality requirement hinders new entry
Global market of can plates such as tinplate and its material blackplate continues to expand. The era of 15 million-ton market consisted of the three major markets of Asia, America and Europe with 5 million tons each, has been continuing for a long period. As the demand increases in Asia including China and Southeast Asia, the global market is expected to soon increase to over 18 million tons. We have reviewed and examined the global market of can plates."
Global market of can plates such as tinplate and its material blackplate continues to expand. The era of 15 million-ton market consisted of the three major markets of Asia, America and Europe with 5 million tons each, has been continuing for a long period. As the demand increases in Asia including China and Southeast Asia, the global market is expected to soon increase to over 18 million tons. We have reviewed and examined the global market of can plates."
Friday, July 2, 2010
Fuel price hike to hit cos' margins
The Times of India: "'Our bottomline will be impacted as expenses will go up as a result of the rise in fuel prices,' said Sanjay Bhatia, managing director, Hindustan Tin Works. Petroleum products are used to manufacture tins. Companies like Hindustan Tin Works would witness production costs going up in addition to the rising freight costs."
A novel high throw bright acid tin plating of printed circuit boards
Scopuss: "A novel acid tin plating process produces a bright deposit with excellent throwing power from a sulfate system. Particular attention is placed on the effects of benzylidene acetone, formaldehyde and OP emulsifier on the tin coating and the appropriate concentration of these additives is 0.6 g/L, 10 mL/L and 15mL/L, respectively.
The bright smooth tin layer may be deposited at 1-4 A/dm2 and 20-45C in this solution. The throwing power can reach 91.06% and the deepening plating ability of hole with Lid of 5 is 100%, which shows that this process may be used for rack plating applications of printed circuit boards. The XRD results show that the crystal face is mainly assigned to the (112) face on the deposits. The SEM results show that the appearance is uniform and the grain is superfine."
Ton Yi Industrial tinplate market uncertain in Q3
Steel Guru: "Ton Yi Industrial Corporation allocation for the Q2 has been fully booked and its buyers have accepted price hike.
Normally, the Q3 is hot season for beverage market and accordingly tinplate demands are expected to rise. Because of uncertainty on the Q3 steel price, the company would like to take conservative attitude toward the tinplate market.
Market analyst said that rising RMB currency is favorable for Ton Yi Industrial Corporation because its sales in China accounts for about 50% of its total sales."
Normally, the Q3 is hot season for beverage market and accordingly tinplate demands are expected to rise. Because of uncertainty on the Q3 steel price, the company would like to take conservative attitude toward the tinplate market.
Market analyst said that rising RMB currency is favorable for Ton Yi Industrial Corporation because its sales in China accounts for about 50% of its total sales."
December target for Baosteel's aluminium can plant
The Canmaker: "Work has started on building Baosteel’s fifth beverage canmaking plant in China.
The plant, at Wuhan, will be the steel manufacturer’s first to make aluminium cans and is expected to supply brands such as Wong Lo Kat, Coca-Cola and Budweiser when production starts in December"
The plant, at Wuhan, will be the steel manufacturer’s first to make aluminium cans and is expected to supply brands such as Wong Lo Kat, Coca-Cola and Budweiser when production starts in December"
Sales growth expected for Hindustan Tin Works
The Canmaker: "Keeping costs low is a big challenge, said Bhatia: 'Input costs for producing cans, mainly steel and petroleum products, have been rising. It's adding to cost pressures. So, we will have to hike prices very soon.'
With one factory at Haryana and a share in the Rexam HTW beverage can plant, the company is looking for another plant in the south of the sub-continent. 'The business is growing,' said Bhatia. 'We are evaluating options at this point in time. We want to move to alternate locations to be close to the customers and to be close to the market. We should have a new plant operational in the next one year.'"
With one factory at Haryana and a share in the Rexam HTW beverage can plant, the company is looking for another plant in the south of the sub-continent. 'The business is growing,' said Bhatia. 'We are evaluating options at this point in time. We want to move to alternate locations to be close to the customers and to be close to the market. We should have a new plant operational in the next one year.'"
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tinplate rules out merger with Tata Steel
IndiaVision News: "City-based metal packaging company Tinplate Friday ruled out a merger with Tata Steel anytime soon.
'Any merger or takeover is not something being discussed right now,' managing director Tarun Daga said here at a press conference after announcing the quarterly financial results of the company.
Former managing director B.L. Raina had said in December that parent company Tata Steel would consider a merger.
In March, Tata Steel had increased its stake in the company to 42.88 percent from 30.82 percent in September 2009. Also, the Tata group has increased its aggregate promoters' stake from 33.11 percent to 45.22 percent.
'The increase in Tata Steel's stake happened as they had taken up the unsubscribed portion of the rights issue,' Daga said."
'Any merger or takeover is not something being discussed right now,' managing director Tarun Daga said here at a press conference after announcing the quarterly financial results of the company.
Former managing director B.L. Raina had said in December that parent company Tata Steel would consider a merger.
In March, Tata Steel had increased its stake in the company to 42.88 percent from 30.82 percent in September 2009. Also, the Tata group has increased its aggregate promoters' stake from 33.11 percent to 45.22 percent.
'The increase in Tata Steel's stake happened as they had taken up the unsubscribed portion of the rights issue,' Daga said."
The German market for tinplate packaging
EUWID:: "The pickup in demand already registered by most segments in the German market for tinplate packaging during the first three months generally continued throughout the second quarter.
Most packaging suppliers reported “satisfactory” to “lively” order levels. However, on the downside, supplies of the raw material tinplate were becoming a lot shorter and this was raising the pressure on some packaging suppliers. It was difficult to procure any additional tinplate volumes, according to respondents, and prices on the spot market were already above those of contract volumes."
International project aims to take EU pack standards global
packagingnews.co.uk: "Global ISO standards on packaging and its environmental impact could be launched as soon as 2012 after a project to create them kicked off in Beijing last week.
She told Packaging News that the new ISO standards would be based on the European standards behind the EU's Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive and existing guidelines in Asia."
The project aims to facilitate trade across borders by developing a framework for packaging suppliers and buyers to discuss packaging specifications, in particular with regard to the environment, on a level playing field internationally.
Stina Wallstrom of the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) is leading the project as co-secretary with Xu Ting of Cepi China.
She told Packaging News that the new ISO standards would be based on the European standards behind the EU's Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive and existing guidelines in Asia."
Another coffee maker returns to using cans
The Canmaker -: "David Hunt, managing director of CTC, said it is part of a move by customers towards the use of metal containers to convey a high-class image that plastics pouches cannot equal.
'Metal containers, with a recycling rate of 62 percent, help promote brands that have environmental concerns,' he said. 'Cans are much more recyclable than plastics, laminated pouches and multi-layer board containers,' he added. 'And the decision by Whittard is just another confirmation of this.'"
'Metal containers, with a recycling rate of 62 percent, help promote brands that have environmental concerns,' he said. 'Cans are much more recyclable than plastics, laminated pouches and multi-layer board containers,' he added. 'And the decision by Whittard is just another confirmation of this.'"
BASF expands MSA petrochemical plant in Germany
PennEnergy: "BASF is investing in methanesulfonic acid (MSA) production and plans to expand the existing plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany. After finalization in 2012, BASF will have an annual MSA capacity of 30,000 tonnes, making BASF the world's leading methanesulfonic acid supplier. Expansion of the MSA plant will create 12 new jobs at the Ludwigshafen site."
Japanese mills watching BaoSteel pricing of tinplates for Q3
Steel Guru: "Japan's integrated steelmakers have a strong interest in what prices China's Baosteel Company will apply in its domestic sales of tinplate for shipments in the July to September quarter. Baosteel is expected to inform domestic customers within this week of what the company will charge for tinplate as to July to September shipments. For the Japanese steelmakers, it is a matter of attention whether Baosteel will increase tinplate prices or keep them unchanged this time.
Baosteel makes it a rule to serve notice on monthly price terms for most of the various steel products. For an exception, though, the company applies quarterly price terms to tinplate. For April to June shipments, a base price increase of USD 118 is effect for tinplate after flat sales prices for January to March shipments.
In this connection, some Japanese integrated steelmakers have executed a price increase of USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments as if to meet BaoSteel’s domestic price increase of tinplate. Other Japanese steelmakers have settled for a price increase of less than USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments."
Baosteel makes it a rule to serve notice on monthly price terms for most of the various steel products. For an exception, though, the company applies quarterly price terms to tinplate. For April to June shipments, a base price increase of USD 118 is effect for tinplate after flat sales prices for January to March shipments.
In this connection, some Japanese integrated steelmakers have executed a price increase of USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments as if to meet BaoSteel’s domestic price increase of tinplate. Other Japanese steelmakers have settled for a price increase of less than USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments."
Japanese mills watching BaoSteel pricing of tinplates for Q3
Steel Guru: "Japan's integrated steelmakers have a strong interest in what prices China's Baosteel Company will apply in its domestic sales of tinplate for shipments in the July to September quarter. Baosteel is expected to inform domestic customers within this week of what the company will charge for tinplate as to July to September shipments. For the Japanese steelmakers, it is a matter of attention whether Baosteel will increase tinplate prices or keep them unchanged this time.
Baosteel makes it a rule to serve notice on monthly price terms for most of the various steel products. For an exception, though, the company applies quarterly price terms to tinplate. For April to June shipments, a base price increase of USD 118 is effect for tinplate after flat sales prices for January to March shipments.
In this connection, some Japanese integrated steelmakers have executed a price increase of USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments as if to meet BaoSteel’s domestic price increase of tinplate. Other Japanese steelmakers have settled for a price increase of less than USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments."
Baosteel makes it a rule to serve notice on monthly price terms for most of the various steel products. For an exception, though, the company applies quarterly price terms to tinplate. For April to June shipments, a base price increase of USD 118 is effect for tinplate after flat sales prices for January to March shipments.
In this connection, some Japanese integrated steelmakers have executed a price increase of USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments as if to meet BaoSteel’s domestic price increase of tinplate. Other Japanese steelmakers have settled for a price increase of less than USD 150 per tonne FOB in their tinplate exports to Southeast Asia for Q2 shipments."
China metal packaging market pattern analysis
Get Hot News: "China metal container manufacturing equipment, already has a very strong strength. 2 cans of 26 production money, and annual production capacity of more than 110 of about 100 million (currently about 7 billion market demand). Three-piece tinplate cans manufacturing equipment already has various types of imported and domestic fully automatic or semi-automatic production line of about 500 of its products for one year supply of about 4 billion beverage industry, food industry, about 3. 8 billion cans. Aerosol cans annual production capacity of 600 million. Drums processing about 4000 years – 50 million. Indian Railway equipment across the country, more than 500 production lines, imported equipment and domestic equipment in half, printed more than 160 million years of printing times."
China metal packaging market is the trend of oversupply, but per capita consumption analysis, there is a larger room for development. China’s annual consumption of beverage cans 11 billion cans (2 cans 7 billion, three-piece cans 4 billion), per capita consumption of less than eight tanks, while Japan’s annual consumption of 18 billion cans, South Korea is 32 million cans. If China’s per capita consumption increased to 10 cans, 13 billion cans each year requires the supply capacity; addition, China’s consumption of canned food, low levels of per capita annual consumption of less than 1. 5kg, European per capita consumption of canned food for the 50kg, Japan both annual consumption level of 23kg.
India Tinplate stock in for 100% appreciation over next 12-18 months
The Economic Times: "The most important part is that tin as a material is definitely going into the food storage space. As we know, the Government of India has a larger amount of requirement to build the storage into the rural places and also have this particular grains stored in a proper manner. So at least the loss is as minimum as possible. So that is where tin demand is constantly growing."
As we progress towards modernisation, as we progress towards higher amount of food retailing part of activity, more and more such requirement would be there for higher amount of tin. At this point of time, this company is on an inflexion point more because they have expanded the tinning capacity and a free tinning capacity. At the same time, they have also done a backward integration.
So from that perspective, this company is going to have a larger amount of volume play going forward in this financial year and the next thereafter. Importantly with Tata Steel’s Corus unit in Europe, they would be in a much better position to expand into European markets where they have got a larger amount of offtake also for this particular material index put about 25% of the capacity anyway. So that would give them an advantage apart from giving an advantage of further capacities, the quality steel that they would be in a position to manufacture out of the Corus’s tie-up.
So all these things put together and a valuation of less than 7 on a forward earning basis of PE is giving me a good amount of comfort level that this stock is in for about 100% plus appreciation over next one to one and a half period time from now.
Packaging should communicate, says pack guru
The Canmaker: "But Wallentin finds ever-less packaging that meets the mark. In fact, he thinks packaging lags five years behind the development of communication in general.
“Just compare it with movies like ‘Avatar’. They run in 3D, making packaging of today look really 2D,” he says.
“I hope my blog will be a wake-up call. To the major European companies that tend to see a lot of legal obstacles to creative design and communication on packaging - there’s not. And to the new generation of communicators that are being fed massive amounts of information on the web, but haven’t been given the knowledge of how to use it.
“Those who follow my blog will, step by step, learn how to make efficient packaging communication!”"
“Just compare it with movies like ‘Avatar’. They run in 3D, making packaging of today look really 2D,” he says.
“I hope my blog will be a wake-up call. To the major European companies that tend to see a lot of legal obstacles to creative design and communication on packaging - there’s not. And to the new generation of communicators that are being fed massive amounts of information on the web, but haven’t been given the knowledge of how to use it.
“Those who follow my blog will, step by step, learn how to make efficient packaging communication!”"
Rasselstein seeks to readjust contract periods
Factiva: "Tinplate producer Rasselstein will have to readjust contract terms with its customers to catch up with changes on the materials supply side, it tells Steel Business Briefing.
Like other major European tinplate producers, the German company sells its products virtually exclusively to canmakers. As one distributors puts it to SBB, “we stopped storing tinplate years ago, it has become mostly direct business; it’s a complicated product that requires close technical cooperation.”
Most of Rasselstein’s contracts have been annual, to accompany the production campaigns of packagers, often subject to seasonal effects when it comes to vegetables and fruit, CEO Ulrich Roeske tells SBB. “But this will have to change to consider the changes in the iron ore contracts,” he says. The company is currently campaigning to find new contract formulas with its customers, adds marketing chief Christian Puerschel.
The near future will bring a goodbye to long-term contracts, and a hello to increased volatility, according to Roeske. “It looks like we will no longer be able to guarantee price stability as we used to,” he says. But he is optimistic the company will succeed in passing on the price premiums it has to bear for raw materials. “There is no splendid isolation for tinplate in the steel world; not for us, and not for the processors of tinplate.”"
Like other major European tinplate producers, the German company sells its products virtually exclusively to canmakers. As one distributors puts it to SBB, “we stopped storing tinplate years ago, it has become mostly direct business; it’s a complicated product that requires close technical cooperation.”
Most of Rasselstein’s contracts have been annual, to accompany the production campaigns of packagers, often subject to seasonal effects when it comes to vegetables and fruit, CEO Ulrich Roeske tells SBB. “But this will have to change to consider the changes in the iron ore contracts,” he says. The company is currently campaigning to find new contract formulas with its customers, adds marketing chief Christian Puerschel.
The near future will bring a goodbye to long-term contracts, and a hello to increased volatility, according to Roeske. “It looks like we will no longer be able to guarantee price stability as we used to,” he says. But he is optimistic the company will succeed in passing on the price premiums it has to bear for raw materials. “There is no splendid isolation for tinplate in the steel world; not for us, and not for the processors of tinplate.”"
Ball to sell its plastics packaging business
The Canmaker: "Ball Corporation, the largest canmaker in the North American market, is selling its plastics bottle business to Amcor.
The deal, worth $280 million, includes five plants in the US that make PET bottles and preforms and polypropylene bottles. For the year to the end of March, sales for the division were $589m with pre-tax profits of $10m.
Sales for Ball in the plastics sector had been declining and represented about 8.5 percent of the Colorado-based company’s global sales of about $7.3bn.
Ball also announced that its board had authorised the buy-back of 12 million shares of common stock worth about $630m.
The exit from plastics packaging enables Ball to concentrate on its canmaking and aerospace businesses. It is the largest manufacturer of beverage cans in North America with 40 percent of the business, and also makes steel food cans and general line metal packaging.
Ball’s Asia Pacific division has also completed the $90m acquisition of Guangdong Jianlibao Group’s 65 percent interest in a joint-venture metal beverage can and end plant in Sanshui, China. Ball owned 35 percent of the joint venture plant, the largest in China with three canmaking lines, since 1992."
The deal, worth $280 million, includes five plants in the US that make PET bottles and preforms and polypropylene bottles. For the year to the end of March, sales for the division were $589m with pre-tax profits of $10m.
Sales for Ball in the plastics sector had been declining and represented about 8.5 percent of the Colorado-based company’s global sales of about $7.3bn.
Ball also announced that its board had authorised the buy-back of 12 million shares of common stock worth about $630m.
The exit from plastics packaging enables Ball to concentrate on its canmaking and aerospace businesses. It is the largest manufacturer of beverage cans in North America with 40 percent of the business, and also makes steel food cans and general line metal packaging.
Ball’s Asia Pacific division has also completed the $90m acquisition of Guangdong Jianlibao Group’s 65 percent interest in a joint-venture metal beverage can and end plant in Sanshui, China. Ball owned 35 percent of the joint venture plant, the largest in China with three canmaking lines, since 1992."
Indonesian Tinplate to be Exported to Australia
SMM: "Indonesian tin producer PT Pelat Timah Nusantara (Latinusa) plans to export part of its tin plate production to Australia beginning next year, the Jakarta Post reported. The company's general manager for production Kusna Indrawan said that beginning next year, Latinusa would export up to 40,000 tonnes of tinplate to Australia, equivalent to 25 % of the country's annual demand. The business will have a value of some US$55 million per year.
Since the closure Bluescope Steel's last remaining tinning line at its Port Kembla plant in 2007, Australia has imported all its requirements, mainly from Japan. According to Kusna, Latinusa's major shareholder - Nippon Steel group, which previously exported tinplate to Australia from Japan - appointed Latinusa to continue the export to Australia for efficiency reasons. Although shipments are expected to commence at the start of 2011, the timetable could be advanced if necessary."
Since the closure Bluescope Steel's last remaining tinning line at its Port Kembla plant in 2007, Australia has imported all its requirements, mainly from Japan. According to Kusna, Latinusa's major shareholder - Nippon Steel group, which previously exported tinplate to Australia from Japan - appointed Latinusa to continue the export to Australia for efficiency reasons. Although shipments are expected to commence at the start of 2011, the timetable could be advanced if necessary."
Canmakers to have their own plaza at Interpack
Google Reader (1000 ): "Canmaking companies will be able to promote themselves to an international audience as part of a special forum being staged at the Interpack show in Germany next year from 12-18 May.
The Metal Packaging Plaza at Interpack – the biggest trade show of its kind, and held every three years – will be part of the Innovationparc Packaging which is focusing on the Quality of Life, says the organiser Messe Dusseldorf."
The Metal Packaging Plaza at Interpack – the biggest trade show of its kind, and held every three years – will be part of the Innovationparc Packaging which is focusing on the Quality of Life, says the organiser Messe Dusseldorf."
Centre of the 2,500 sq m Metal Packaging Plaza will be an Empac (European Metal Packaging) booth from which the industry group will provide general information that promotes metal packaging. Canmakers such as Impress are taking booth space around this central point.
The Plaza is being co-ordinated by Jörg Höppner, president of the German metal packaging federation Verband Metallverpackungen EV, who is also a Messe Düsseldorf board member.
It is thought to be the first time that Messe Düsseldorf has tried to attract the canmaking industry to the show as a group in more than two decades, although leading canmakers such as Ball, Crown, Impress, Massilly and Rexam have exhibited individually in recent years.
“This is a brave attempt to raise the image of metal packaging,” said a source close to the organisers, “but the only problem is that there is a date clash the Metpack show, which is being held from 10-14 May at Essen.”
Canmaking in Europe to get an umbrella lobby group
The Canmake: "An organisation that serves the wider canmaking industry in Europe is being created by leading interest groups.
It brings together those who represent food can and general line manufacturers, beverage can producers, and the steel and aluminium canstock companies.
Called Metal Packaging Europe (MPE), its formation was agreed at a meeting in Brussels at the end of May by executives from European Metal Packaging (Empac), Beverage Can Makers Europe, APEAL (the packaging steel manufacturers) and the European Aluminium Association.
Chris Homfray, president of Crown Europe, has been appointed as chairman. Former director of external environment affairs at Rexam and past president of Europen Anders Linde was appointed as MPE’s executive director.
“During the last two or three years our industry has faced an increasing number of hard and soft law packaging-related initiatives coming from national governments in Europe,” said Linde."
Called Metal Packaging Europe (MPE), its formation was agreed at a meeting in Brussels at the end of May by executives from European Metal Packaging (Empac), Beverage Can Makers Europe, APEAL (the packaging steel manufacturers) and the European Aluminium Association.
Chris Homfray, president of Crown Europe, has been appointed as chairman. Former director of external environment affairs at Rexam and past president of Europen Anders Linde was appointed as MPE’s executive director.
“During the last two or three years our industry has faced an increasing number of hard and soft law packaging-related initiatives coming from national governments in Europe,” said Linde."
“The issues raised are common to all of us and it has been necessary for the metal packaging sector to bring together expertise from the aluminium and steel producers as well as the can manufacturers.
“The respective boards of APEAL, BCME, EAA and Empac have decided to formalise the collaborative arrangements in a new umbrella body to be known as Metal Packaging Europe.”
Linde added that the four organizations will pool resources and further details on agreed priorities will be worked out over the coming weeks.
Nippon Steel, JFE Steel Boosting Tinplate Steel Output
Factiva: "Nippon Steel Corp. (5401) and JFE Steel Corp. are each taking steps to boost production capacity for tinplate steel, used to make cans for beverages and canned foods."
Nippon Steel is investing an estimated 3-4 billion yen to raise its annual domestic output capacity by about 10% to 1.3 million tons this year. The company makes tinplate steel at three factories in Japan, with a focus on material for the manufacture of food cans. It plans to upgrade the equipment used to plate tin onto steel sheet and in doing so increase its overall production capacity at the three facilities by some 100,000 to 150,000 tons a year.
JFE Steel is building a new line for tinplate base material at the Fukuyama arm of its West Japan Works in Hiroshima Prefecture. This line will have an annual output capacity of 480,000 tons, and when it starts up the company will end operations on an existing line, which has a capacity of 264,000 tons. The JFE Holdings Inc. (5411) unit had originally planned to start up the new line in February or March of 2011, later bringing that date forward to January, but has now decided to start this autumn.
Tinplate steel is made from steel sheet just 0.18mm to 0.25mm thick, and the plating must not crack when the metal is shaped into cylinders for cans. Only four companies in Asia have the necessary expertise: Nippon Steel; JFE Steel; South Korean firm Pohang Iron & Steel Co., or Posco; and Chinese firm Baosteel Group Corp.
The Asian market for tinplate steel is growing at an annual 4-5% clip, with continued expansion in demand expected as economic growth lifts incomes and changes dietary lifestyles to include greater consumption of canned foods, carbonated beverages and canned coffees.
MMK aims to increase quality of tinplate
SteelOrbis: "The Russian steel producer Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) has announced that its subsidiary MMK Trading House has signed a contract with Italian producer of steelmaking machinery and plants Danieli for the supply of a 15,000 mt per month capacity tension (stretch) leveler for MMK's coating shop.
The new tension leveler is to significantly improve the quality of MMK's tinplate and to reduce its flatness to up to 1.5-2 mm, instead of 5 mm under the old GOST 13345-85 standard. The project is to be implemented within 16 months.
Accordingly, the increased quality of MMK's tinplate will also help MMK Trading House to boost its sale volumes. By the end of 2012, the company plans to reach sales levels of 160,000 mt of tinplate. The installation of the new tension leveler is expected to allow MMK Trading House to increase its sales by about 30,000 mt per year. According to the company's statement, the installation of this unit is the first stage of a larger project for the comprehensive reconstruction of MMK's tinplate line, which will allow new qualitative characteristics to be achieved for this product.
The capacity of Russia's tinplate market is estimated at about 300,000 mt per year, of which more than half is accounted for by MMK, which is the country's only manufacturer of this product."
The new tension leveler is to significantly improve the quality of MMK's tinplate and to reduce its flatness to up to 1.5-2 mm, instead of 5 mm under the old GOST 13345-85 standard. The project is to be implemented within 16 months.
Accordingly, the increased quality of MMK's tinplate will also help MMK Trading House to boost its sale volumes. By the end of 2012, the company plans to reach sales levels of 160,000 mt of tinplate. The installation of the new tension leveler is expected to allow MMK Trading House to increase its sales by about 30,000 mt per year. According to the company's statement, the installation of this unit is the first stage of a larger project for the comprehensive reconstruction of MMK's tinplate line, which will allow new qualitative characteristics to be achieved for this product.
The capacity of Russia's tinplate market is estimated at about 300,000 mt per year, of which more than half is accounted for by MMK, which is the country's only manufacturer of this product."
Ball reveals its sustainability achievements
The Canmaker: "After investing more than US$36 million in energy savings projects since 2007, it says it has cut total energy consumption by 11 percent and reduced water consumption by 8.6 percent. It also reduced energy consumption per 1,000 cans by 9 percent."
"Sustainability is connected directly to creating value for our stakeholders and for Ball," said chief executive David Hoover. "Our second sustainability report and expanded online sustainability reporting provide details on the progress we have made over the past two years, and on our focus going forward as we continue to drive our economic, social and environmental performance."
In Ball’s European beverage can operations between 2007 and 2009, Ball cut its natural gas consumption per 1,000 cans by 11 percent, and electricity by 9 percent. Carbon monoxide emissions were cut by 10 percent.
"We are working systematically to improve and control our energy and resource efficiency, define objectives and initiate programmes to make both our production processes and the business as a whole more sustainable," said Björn Kulmann, sustainability manager at Ball Packaging Europe.
Ball has invested in continually improving the environmental friendliness of its production processes. Between 2008 and 2009, around €5 million ($6.1m) was spent on modernizing production systems in Europe to increase energy efficiency.
It has also focused on modernising the air compressors, among the highest users of electricity in the beverage can manufacturing process, at its British plants at Rugby and Wrexham in 2009, significantly reducing energy consumption.
In 2009, the company invested around €500,000 ($613,000) in installing adsorption rotors in the afterburning plants at each of its facilities in Hermsdorf, Germany and Bierne, France. This system is used to clean the flue air from the curing ovens, and using significantly less energy.
Over the next two years (2010/2011), Ball Packaging Europe is planning to reduce its electricity use in Europe by a further 8 percent, while also lowering natural gas and water consumption by 4.9 percent each per 1,000 cans produced.
Iran:Vice president inaugurates a new tinplate rolling facility, Farrokh Shahr
Metal Industry India: "Farrokh Shahr Steel, a rolling mill with an annual capacity of 150,000 mt of tinplate, was officially inaugurated by Iranian vice president Mohammad Reza Rahimi recently."
The rolling mill, which uses CRC sourced from Mobarakeh Steel as well as from other local and foreign sources as feedstock, mainly targets the local market. The mill is located on a site of 50 hectares close to Farrokh Shahr city in the province of Chahar Mahal-e-Bakhtiyari. An investment of about $48 mln has been spent on the project and about 250 persons will be employed at the plant when it operates at full capacity.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Aspects of tinplate research at I.T.R.I.
Emerald.: "The International Tin Research Institute has approximately 80 staff working at the Headquarters and Laboratories of the organisation near London. Half of these are directly engaged in research into existing and potential uses for tin and the work is organised into two main Divisions. One of these, the Metallurgy and Tinplate Division contains a section devoted to tinplate research and additional support is drawn from the Analytical Chemistry and Metallography Sections as it is required."
Tuna cans that save on tinplate costs
The Canmaker: "Savings in the weight of tuna cans of almost a fifth could be made using new draw-redraw technology developed in the US by Alfons Haar Inc.
The tooling and press manufacturer based in Springboro, Ohio, has designed a can aimed at the seafood and tuna market that is made from double-reduced 0.14mm DR8 tinplate
Currently, tuna cans are usually made from tinplate with a gauge of either 0.16mm or 0.17mm. Customers would achieve a saving in tinplate of at least 12.5 percent with the new design, which uses vertical beading in the walls to improve stability with the thinner material.
Reducing the gauge from the thicker material would provide a 17.7 percent saving."
The tooling and press manufacturer based in Springboro, Ohio, has designed a can aimed at the seafood and tuna market that is made from double-reduced 0.14mm DR8 tinplate
Currently, tuna cans are usually made from tinplate with a gauge of either 0.16mm or 0.17mm. Customers would achieve a saving in tinplate of at least 12.5 percent with the new design, which uses vertical beading in the walls to improve stability with the thinner material.
Reducing the gauge from the thicker material would provide a 17.7 percent saving."
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Process and the solution properties of methanesulfonic acid tin plating
Scopus: "Methanesulfonic acid series tin-plating process can completely eliminate the defects of domestic present tin-plating process, for example, the unstable solution of sulfate plating and environmental pollution of fluoborate plating. The optimal conditions of methanesulfonic acid tin-plating process were determined by orthogonal experiments. The study on solution of methanesulfonic acid series tin-plating shows that oxidation resistance of the solution is good, range of the temperature of operation is wide, capability of deep plating and homogeneous plating are good. So it is very promising for tin-plating industry"
Surface qualities of workpiece and behavior of lubricant on tin plate in temper rolling
Scopus: "The oil film thickness in the inlet zone of contact region is calculated analytically based on Reynolds equation considering the surface roughness of the roll and the tin plate.
From these experiment data, the qualitative relationship is found between the calculated oil film thickness and the surface qualities such as the brightness and the roughness. But it is difficult to interpret this relationship quantitatively. However, the surface brightness and the surface roughness are expressed as a function of the oil film thickness. To obtain the high brightness after temper rolling by the roll with mirror finish, it is required that rolling is carried out under the condition of minimum thickness of the inlet oil film as possible."
Production of superthin tinplate by one-time rolling
Scopus: "The production of broad thin tinplate sheets has been introduced at OAO MMK. Experimental batches of dimensions 0. 16 740, 0. 17 834, 0. 18 970, and 0. 20 910 mm have been prepared."
Resources, Conservation and Recycling: The utility of Life Cycle Assessment in the ready meal food industry
Scopus : "The complete production process for a canned ready meal, a stew product based on cooked pulses and pork meat cuts (sausages and ham), has been analyzed in a real factory using an LCA approach through its entire life cycle, with a cradle to grave perspective. Two different methodologies were applied for the impact assessment step in LCA: a problem-oriented method (midpoints) and a damage-oriented method (endpoints). The subsystems showing the highest environmental loads turned out to be food ingredients and solid waste management. The impact categories most affected by the production cycle of the ready meal were land use, fossil fuel consumption and water ecotoxicity.
An impact analysis of different packaging systems for the specific product, applicable to packaging selection, was performed, considering five alternative scenarios to tinplate cans."
Tinplate rules out merger with Tata Steel
Yahoo! India News: "City-based metal packaging company Tinplate Friday ruled out a merger with Tata Steel anytime soon.
'Any merger or takeover is not something being discussed right now,' managing director Tarun Daga said here at a press conference after announcing the quarterly financial results of the company.
Former managing director B.L. Raina had said in December that parent company Tata Steel would consider a merger.
In March, Tata Steel had increased its stake in the company to 42.88 percent from 30.82 percent in September 2009. Also, the Tata group has increased its aggregate promoters' stake from 33.11 percent to 45.22 percent."
'Any merger or takeover is not something being discussed right now,' managing director Tarun Daga said here at a press conference after announcing the quarterly financial results of the company.
Former managing director B.L. Raina had said in December that parent company Tata Steel would consider a merger.
In March, Tata Steel had increased its stake in the company to 42.88 percent from 30.82 percent in September 2009. Also, the Tata group has increased its aggregate promoters' stake from 33.11 percent to 45.22 percent."
Booming food business, a boost to Tinplate's export
The Hindu Business Line: "On completion of the ongoing expansion programme in the course of the current fiscal, Mr Daga pointed out, the capacity would rise to 3,79,000 tonnes annually from the earlier 1,78,000 tonnes. The first phase work was completed in October 2008.
The total investment was estimated at Rs 625 crore of which around Rs 200 crore had already been spent.
The funding was partly by way of rights issue (Rs 374 crore) completed in September-October last year and the balance through loan. Following the issue, the Tata Steel's stake in the company increased from 32 per cent to 45 per cent."
The total investment was estimated at Rs 625 crore of which around Rs 200 crore had already been spent.
The funding was partly by way of rights issue (Rs 374 crore) completed in September-October last year and the balance through loan. Following the issue, the Tata Steel's stake in the company increased from 32 per cent to 45 per cent."
Tinplate on growth route
The Telegraph : "Tinplate Company of India Limited (TCIL) has delivered an improved performance in 2009-10 fiscal thanks to its increased sale and production.
The company’s profit after tax increased from Rs 34.80 (2008-09) to Rs 67.15 crore, prompting the directors to recommend a higher dividend of Rs 1.50 per equity share as against Rs 1.25 per equity in the previous year.
Sales and production of the company also increased by more than 20 per cent compared to the last financial year.
TCIL is keen to increase its stake in the international market by putting more emphasis on research of its products. “We have been able to continue the strategic thrust of maintaining 25 per cent of our business as exports to specific end users in South East Asia, West Asia, Europe and neighbouring countries,” said Tarun Daga, the managing director of TCIL at a press meet today."
The company’s profit after tax increased from Rs 34.80 (2008-09) to Rs 67.15 crore, prompting the directors to recommend a higher dividend of Rs 1.50 per equity share as against Rs 1.25 per equity in the previous year.
Sales and production of the company also increased by more than 20 per cent compared to the last financial year.
TCIL is keen to increase its stake in the international market by putting more emphasis on research of its products. “We have been able to continue the strategic thrust of maintaining 25 per cent of our business as exports to specific end users in South East Asia, West Asia, Europe and neighbouring countries,” said Tarun Daga, the managing director of TCIL at a press meet today."
TCIL , units to share global accounts with Corus’ Tinplate
Stock Watch: "Senior TCIL marketing personnel said “We are trying to work with them to sell our own (TCIL) tinplate in the international market to clients like Crown Holdings while on the technology front we are working to bring their knowledge and technology in promoting tinplate in the country”. Tarun Daga, managing Director, TCIL, said “We have been working together for the last few years in two-three areas. In operations, we are sharing and improving on the best practices at facilities both here and in Europe. Some international-level research work is also being done (in Europe) in collaboration with them (Corus); while some work is being done here, some others are being done there (in Europe)”. He also added “Working together with Corus, TCIL had last year upgraded its facilities here and obtained ISO 22000, a food safety certification, which would help TCIL in the future in selling more tinplate in the country. Around 70% of the tinplate that the company produces is sold to the food processing industry after being transformed into cans”."
It may be noted that Tata steel may use the balance Rs 2,200 that will be raised to reduce debt at Corus. Mr. Chaterjee. group chief financial officer, Tata steel said in an emailed reply “The Company plans to invest Rs 13,000 crore in all to take its total production capacity to 10 million tonne by September 2011. The facility’s current capacity is 6.8 million tonne. The drawl of funds will be based on the requirements over the next two year. The financial closure for the 3 million tonne expansion in Jamshedpur is already complete”.
Tinplate Company Of India profit plummets 66.15% for Mar`10 qtr
Myiris.com "Tinplate Company Of India disclosed a substantial drop in standalone net profit for the quarter ended March 2010.
During the quarter, the profit of the company declined 66.15% to Rs 74.06 million from Rs 218.81 million in the same quarter last year.
Net sales for the quarter for the quarter rose 12.92% to Rs 2,369.57 million, while total income for the quarter rose 12.89% to Rs 2,393.54 million, when compared with the prior year period.
It reported loss of Rs 0.52 a share during the quarter compared with earnings of Rs 2.27 a share in prior year period."
Net sales for the quarter for the quarter rose 12.92% to Rs 2,369.57 million, while total income for the quarter rose 12.89% to Rs 2,393.54 million, when compared with the prior year period.
It reported loss of Rs 0.52 a share during the quarter compared with earnings of Rs 2.27 a share in prior year period."
BASF boosts MSA production
Specchemonline: "BASF’s Care Chemicals & Formulators business unit is investing to expand the production of its Lutropur brands of methanesulphonic acid (MSA) at Ludwigshafen to 30,000 tonnes/year by 2012. This will create 12 jobs. It comes in response to what the company called “continuously rising demand” for MSA because of its “unique performance features”.
MSA is a strong, odourless and colourless organic acid, that is easy to handle and non-oxidising. Its salts are highly soluble and relatively non-corrosive and the MSA made by BASF is readily biodegradable and chloride-free, giving it green credentials over phosphoric acid in industrial and household detergent formulations.
The company makes MSA using a patented continuous process that incorporates a final distillation process to ensure high purity. It is supplied as a 70% aqueous solution under the brand name Lutropur MSA. Anhydrous MSA is available under the brand name Lutropur MSA 100."
MSA is a strong, odourless and colourless organic acid, that is easy to handle and non-oxidising. Its salts are highly soluble and relatively non-corrosive and the MSA made by BASF is readily biodegradable and chloride-free, giving it green credentials over phosphoric acid in industrial and household detergent formulations.
Other applications include galvanic baths for circuit board and tinplate manufacture and as a synthesis element and a catalyst in pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
The company makes MSA using a patented continuous process that incorporates a final distillation process to ensure high purity. It is supplied as a 70% aqueous solution under the brand name Lutropur MSA. Anhydrous MSA is available under the brand name Lutropur MSA 100."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
JFE adds to tinplate capacity
ITRI: "Japan’s JFE Steel Corporation plans to start up a new 480,000 tpy tinplate line at its Fukuyama works in January 2011, according to the Canmaker magazine. The company is investing 17 billion yen (US$190m) in the project. JFE Holdings was formed in 2002 by the merger of NKK and Kawasaki Steel Corporation. The company has a total crude steel capacity of 30m tonnes, of which around 800,000 tonnes goes into tin mill products, with three tinplate and three tin-free steel lines in Japan.
Apart from the Fukuyama plant, JFE also produces tin mill products at the former Kawasaki plant in Chiba, and is involved in two joint ventures in China with local, Korean and Taiwanese partners."
Apart from the Fukuyama plant, JFE also produces tin mill products at the former Kawasaki plant in Chiba, and is involved in two joint ventures in China with local, Korean and Taiwanese partners."
From: Philip Rogers [mailto:progers@globalnet.co.uk]
Sent: 12 May 2010 15:11
To: Peter Kettle
Subject: JFE
Dear Peter,
Your item on JFE's expansion is not quite correct, as I have pointed out to The Canmaker. JFE are installing a new continuous annealing line, which was originally intened to replace the existing line. However, I now understand that they intend to run both lines to meet demand, which I assume is for tin mill blackplate to be exported, as tinplate demand continues to fall in Japan.
Best regards,
Philip Rogers.
MFP. Witney OX29 7QX
01865 300674.
Monday, May 10, 2010
TCIL reports record profits, expansion on track
ITRI: "The Tinplate Company of India Ltd reported a record pre-tax profit of Rs 101.5 crore (US$23 million) in the financial year to March 2010 and expects to complete an expansion in tinplate capacity to 379,000 tpy by the end of the 2010-2011 financial year.
The company’s total investment in the expansion was estimated at Rs 625 crore (US$ 139 million) of which around Rs 200 crore had already been spent. It includes the construction of a cold-rolling mill to produce blackplate as well as a new 200,000 tpy tinning line. The funding was partly by way of rights issue (Rs 374 crore) completed in September-October last year and the balance through loans. Following the issue, the Tata Steel's stake in the company increased from 32% to 45%.
TCIL Managing Director Tarun Daga told a press conference that the sales and production of the company increased by 20% in the last year. Talking about the market outlook, he said that demand from the packaging industry was picking up, thanks to the Indian government's strategic thrust on the processed foods industry and rising exports. 'Our company will continue its strategic thrust of maintaining 25 to 30 per cent of its business as exports to specific end-users in South-East Asia, West Asia, Europe and neighbouring countries,' he said."
The company’s total investment in the expansion was estimated at Rs 625 crore (US$ 139 million) of which around Rs 200 crore had already been spent. It includes the construction of a cold-rolling mill to produce blackplate as well as a new 200,000 tpy tinning line. The funding was partly by way of rights issue (Rs 374 crore) completed in September-October last year and the balance through loans. Following the issue, the Tata Steel's stake in the company increased from 32% to 45%.
TCIL Managing Director Tarun Daga told a press conference that the sales and production of the company increased by 20% in the last year. Talking about the market outlook, he said that demand from the packaging industry was picking up, thanks to the Indian government's strategic thrust on the processed foods industry and rising exports. 'Our company will continue its strategic thrust of maintaining 25 to 30 per cent of its business as exports to specific end-users in South-East Asia, West Asia, Europe and neighbouring countries,' he said."
Tata-Corus cooperation globally
Tinplate Company of India Ltd (TCIL), a Tata Steel associate company in which the steel major currently has a 45% stake, is exploring among other things, with Corus’ tinplate making facilities in Europe, possibilities of servicing jointly some global accounts.
“We have been working together for the last few years in two-three areas. In operations, we are sharing and improving on the best practices at facilities both here and in Europe,” said Tarun Daga, managing director, TCIL. The two entities were also taking steps to collaborate in servicing some global accounts.
TCIL would thus be working together with Corus’ tinplate units in Europe towards promoting tinplate in India and selling TCIL’s own tinplate overseas to big accounts like Crown Holdings, the multinational into beverage can making.
Compared to TCIL which has a tinplate making capacity of 3.8 lakh tonne per annum (ltpa), Corus (now Tata Steel UK), which was taken over by Tata Steel in early 2007 has tinplate making capacity between 12 ltpa and 15 ltpa, located at its plants in the UK and Holland.
“We are trying to work with them to sell our own (TCIL) tinplate in the international market to clients like Crown Holdings while on the technology front we are working to bring their knowledge and technology in promoting tinplate in the country,” said a senior TCIL marketing personnel.
TCIL would also be getting technology from Corus for making high quality tinplate beverage cans in India for the domestic beverage industry.
In case TCIL succeeds with Corus in promoting usage of more tinplate in the country, global can-making players like Crown Holdings could in the future, looking at the demand, think of putting up units in India too, said a TCIL source.
TCIL, according to Daga, was also jointly doing research with Corus in the area of tinplate development.
“Some international-level research work is also being done (in Europe) in collaboration with them (Corus); while some work is being done here, some others are being done there (in Europe),” said the TCIL managing director.
Daga said, working together with Corus, TCIL had last year upgraded its facilities here and obtained ISO 22000, a food safety certification, which would help TCIL in the future in selling more tinplate in the country. Around 70% of the tinplate that the company produces is sold to the food processing industry after being transformed into cans.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Can Makers Pay More for Tinplate-Crown Food
Food Industry News: "Tin can makers are paying about 50 percent more this year for tinplate, used to make cans, despite falling commodity prices as demand for canned food rises due to the recession, Crown Food Europe said on Monday.
Crown Food Europe is part of U.S.-based Crown Holdings, the world's largest producer of food and aerosol cans and the third-largest producer of beverage cans.
Tin cans are made from tinplate -- essentially flat-rolled steel covered with a layer of tin -- and prices have risen despite the slump in commodity prices."
Crown Food Europe is part of U.S.-based Crown Holdings, the world's largest producer of food and aerosol cans and the third-largest producer of beverage cans.
Tin cans are made from tinplate -- essentially flat-rolled steel covered with a layer of tin -- and prices have risen despite the slump in commodity prices."
"Historically, times of economic recession have tended to increase sales of canned food, as consumers curb their 'out of home' eating activity," Olivier Aubry, a vice president at Crown Food Europe, told Reuters.
The food market in Europe is currently estimated at 35 billion cans a year. "(It) is in slight growth year-on-year," Aubry said, adding that several tinplate producers had cut production in 2008.
"Our major suppliers have repeatedly threatened us with a further reduction in tinplate capacity," he said.
Tinplate is made by companies including the world's top steel maker ArcelorMittal, ThyssenKrupp's RasselStein and Tata Steel's Corus.
A Corus spokesman said the company raised tinplate prices by 40 to 50 percent this January, partly because of rising demand. The company would not comment on production cuts.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Experts question effectiveness of carbon labelling of products
packagingnews.co.uk: "Carbon labelling of products might not be the most effective way for brands to tackle sustainability issues, experts told a conference hosted by The Carbon Neutral Company this week.
The event, held at the Design Council's offices in London, brought together speakers from Forum for the Future, Tesco, Consumer Focus, Eswaran Tea and the Carbon Neutral Company, to discuss carbon offsetting.
Sally Uren, deputy chief executive for Forum for the Future, told delegates that carbon labels were a 'transitional issue' and said brands should look to other ways to connect with consumers.
'I think it's brands that are the issue here,' she said. 'I think people trust brands more than they trust labels.'
The speakers dismissed the idea that a single label could represent all environmental issues for products."
The event, held at the Design Council's offices in London, brought together speakers from Forum for the Future, Tesco, Consumer Focus, Eswaran Tea and the Carbon Neutral Company, to discuss carbon offsetting.
Sally Uren, deputy chief executive for Forum for the Future, told delegates that carbon labels were a 'transitional issue' and said brands should look to other ways to connect with consumers.
'I think it's brands that are the issue here,' she said. 'I think people trust brands more than they trust labels.'
The speakers dismissed the idea that a single label could represent all environmental issues for products."
Reusacan energy saving
Energy calculation
This graph illustrates what and how much energy is required to manufacture a tonne of tinplate from virgin materials and recycled materials to make steel cans.
It also shows the comparison between using recycled materials and refurbishing cans with Reusa-Cans system. According to DTI (now BERR) energy usage figures for an average UK home uses 4,100kWH of energy per annum. To make a tonne of iron from virgin materials to ingot stage requires 5,800kWH but total energy for one tonne of tinplate it is over 8,000kWH.
Where next for prices?
packagingnews.co.uk: "There's been a lof of it about in the past few weeks. Linpac Packaging said that it needed to put prices up for food packaging customers because of its input costs; Iggesund and others have put up prices: then last week, Sessions of York went under, apparently because high paper prices had squeezed it so hard that it was impossible to carry on doing business.
And last month PAFA, the plastics association, voiced concerns about the cost of materials and said that price rises would have to be passed on to buyers.
For the materials suppliers, though, it seems that profits are coming back. Stora Enso's operating profit for the first quarter of the year, for instance, was five times better than the equivalent figure in 2009."
And last month PAFA, the plastics association, voiced concerns about the cost of materials and said that price rises would have to be passed on to buyers.
For the materials suppliers, though, it seems that profits are coming back. Stora Enso's operating profit for the first quarter of the year, for instance, was five times better than the equivalent figure in 2009."
Rising raw materials costs force major steel mills to push prices higher
Search Middle East and International Steel, Construction News: "China's third- largest steel mill Wuhan Iron and Steel Group announced on Wednesday a price increase on key steel products by 500 yuan ($73) per ton for May on the back of rising raw materials costs.
China's other major steel mills including Baosteel and Anshan Iron and Steel Group are also set to raise steel prices to transfer costs after iron-ore prices nearly doubled last year amid a shift to a quarterly pricing system.
Wuhan Steel raised its hot- rolled steel price to a record high this year of 4,700 yuan per ton.
Prices for hot-rolled steel coil, tinplate, electrical steel, pre-painted steel and wire rod will surge by 500 yuan per ton, while prices for cold-rolled plates will go up by 100 yuan.
'Steel producers had no choice but to transfer the higher production costs to consumers to defend a decline in margins,' said Xu Xiangchun, an analyst with industry watcher Mysteel.com."
China's other major steel mills including Baosteel and Anshan Iron and Steel Group are also set to raise steel prices to transfer costs after iron-ore prices nearly doubled last year amid a shift to a quarterly pricing system.
Wuhan Steel raised its hot- rolled steel price to a record high this year of 4,700 yuan per ton.
Prices for hot-rolled steel coil, tinplate, electrical steel, pre-painted steel and wire rod will surge by 500 yuan per ton, while prices for cold-rolled plates will go up by 100 yuan.
'Steel producers had no choice but to transfer the higher production costs to consumers to defend a decline in margins,' said Xu Xiangchun, an analyst with industry watcher Mysteel.com."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
