Japan's Toray Industries, Inc. is to commence production in Europe of Torayfan* (bi-axially oriented polypropylene (OPP)) high-barrier metallized film. The new company-Toray Films Europe S.A.S., (TFE) will be established in France this month, with 20,000 tpa of film production facility and 22,000 tpa of metalizing facility at an investment of 10 billion yen, Production is estimated to commence in April 2010. Annual growth in European market for high-barrier film is projected to exceed 10%. The new company is to be sited in the vicinity of Toray Plastics Europe S.A., or TPEu, which is Toray's polyester film manufacturing base in France. By leveraging technologies and expertise accumulated by TPEu in the production of polyester film and its manufacturing infrastructure, Toray aims to achieve a smooth launch of the Torayfan business in Europe.
Diversification of the food culture in the global market has led to increasing needs for keeping food products fresh for longer periods, and delivering them with their original flavor to the consumer. This has led to rapidly increasing demand for films with better barrier functions against oxygen and moisture vapor than available in the standard products. Torayfan excels in strength, transparency, and moisture resistance, thus is suitable for post-processing including printing and lamination. It is widely used in food packaging, including packages for dry snack food and dried fish flakes.
Toray currently develops and manufactures high-barrier film at Toray Plastics (America), Inc., (in North Kingstown) and Front Royal, VA, U.S.A., and markets the product primarily in the US and Europe. TPA's high barrier film boasts the top market share of about 60% in the North American market owing to its superior barrier functions and high quality. The main segment is the manufacture and marketing of OPP and PET films and polyolefin foam.
05-Feb-08 
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