Demonstrations of cast and blown film set throughput records at K 2007. Not only have machinery makers increased speed of extruders, but they have displayed faster downstream chill rolls, winders and surface inspection systems too. Larger drive motors contribute to high-speed extrusion, especially bigger sizes of permanent magnet, synchronous torque motors. The latter have reached a new milestone- sizes big enough for 100 mm dia extruders. Previously �syn-torque� motors could power extruders only up to 90 mm.
Several extruder builders announced modifications of screws and barrels to take advantage of the output capacity and energy efficiency available with syn-torque motors. Reifenhauser developed new low-temperature screws to boost efficiency of a 70 mm Reitorque extruder from 400 w/kg/hr to 300.
Blown film outputs also reached new highs at the show. W&H demonstrated a three-layer coex line with a 90 mm extruder driven by Siemens' 11,000-Nm (192-hp) syn-torque motor, the largest at the show, and two 70 mm extruders with 150-hp syn-torque motors. The line ran at 1000 KG/HR with a 250 mm die and dual air ring.

Film extrusion has enjoyed some periods of rapid growth in recent years, particularly within the packaging industry,
where it has been highly successful in substituting other materials such as paper, cellulose and aluminum, due to
its superior characteristics. Plastics now account for approximately 47% of consumption in the production of
flexible packaging, as per a report by AMI.
Growth in flexible films for food packaging has been sluggish in volume terms but this masks a significant increase in usage by square foot of film. This growth has been driven by changing consumer demands around issues such as extended shelf life for fresh food and less spoilage which hasled to the development of highly sophisticated flexible film products. Changing lifestyles have been a key influence on the development of packaging as consumers demand more snack, convenience and pre-prepared foods, make greater use of the microwave. Consumers demand ‘healthy’ foods, improved food hygiene, individual portions and clear packaging to allow inspection of goods without handling them. These trends have all helped to contribute to the growing use of film.
Consolidation among players within the food packaging industry has also been a major influence affecting the film
industry in recent years. As food production and distribution increasingly takes place on an international scale, film extruders serving this industry have had to employ high levels of investment to serve these customers, resulting in consolidation amongst the leading film extruders. This process of mergers and acquisitions has also been driven by thin
profit margins in the business due to fluctuating raw material costs and high levels of imports from Asia and South America, particularly of low cost goods and bags. Because of all these various pressures, growth in the PE film extrusion sector has been variable over the past decade. More traditional areas such as trash liners and garbage sacks have shown little growth in volume terms due to downgauging and the increasing use of recyclate, often compounded by the loss of production to lower cost regions outside NAFTA. Strongest growth within PE film sectors has tended to be the stretch film market, hygiene films and technical coextrusions.