Toray Plastics Announces Commercialization of European Plant

Published: May 13, 2010

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI | Toray Plastics (America), Inc., said to be the only US manufacturer of precision-performance polyester and polypropylene films, has announced that Toray Films Europe has achieved its first commercial volumes of bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) high-barrier metallized film for packaging applications.  

In September 2008, Toray Films Europe (also known as TFE) broke ground on the construction of a new manufacturing plant at its Rhône-Alpes, France, operations, also the site of TFE’s headquarters and polyester manufacturing plant. Toray Plastics (America), Inc., assumed a leadership role in TFE’s expansion into packaging film, driving the development and commercialization of Torayfan metallized heat-sealable and nonsealable high-oxygen-barrier and high-moisture-barrier films, especially for foil-replacement applications. The first sale of the metallized BOPP for snack, cookie, cracker, and confection film applications was in February, ahead of production schedules.

Production projections for the future are at 44 million lb/yr. Three managers from the Toray Plastics (America) headquarters in Rhode Island relocated to TFE to share their expertise in packaging-film manufacturing and strategic sales planning. Managers from Toray Industries in Japan also relocated to France and contributed help on the design, construction, management, and technical aspects of the project. The French team managed construction planning and the fulfilling of governmental requirements.