BULGARIA – German packaging machinery manufacturer Multivac has invested €6 million (US$6.51m) to expand its production facility in Bozhurishte industrial zone near Sofia, after receiving in February clearance to start operations at the site.
The expansion of Multivac Bulgaria Production consists in the addition of new production facilities, assembly areas and offices adding a total of about 5,600 sq m, including a production base of over 4,000 sq m, the company said in a press release.
Multivac invested €5 million (US$5.42m) in the building stock and €1 million (US$1.08m) in initial equipment upgrades, with construction having taken place over the past 12 months.
The German company’s overall investment in Bulgaria so far amounts to over €25 million (US$27.12m) for an overall plant area of 12,500 sq m.
Christian Traumann, Multivac Group president and CEO said: “The facility in Bozhurishte, which was put in operation in 2018 and supplies various companies of the Multivac Group, developed in recent years into a strategically important part of our global manufacturing network.
“The local wholesale company, with its own showroom and customer and staff training center, is also located here, and that means we now have about 220 local staff.”
Multivac Bulgaria Production is part of the group’s worldwide network, which is made up of another 12 sites in Germany, Austria, Spain, Brazil, China, Japan and the US.
The new building will enable the Bulgarian manufacturing unit to significantly increase on-site output capacity for sheet processing, as well as electrical and mechanical assembly, Multivac Bulgaria Production managing director Christian Lau noted.
Multivac to present sustainable labeling for fresh produce trays at interpack
Meanwhile, the company has announced that it will be presenting the new L 310 Top Wrap and Top Close conveyor belt labeler at Interpack 2023, which enables both labeling operations to be performed on one machine.
The packaging company is aiming the labeler at the fresh product market such as fruit and vegetables, which do not have to be packed under a modified atmosphere or airtight in a vacuum container.
Multivac explains that with the Top Wrap and Top Close labeling operations, a label can be used to close the tray and label it at the same time in one resource-saving operation. It hopes to meet the rising demand for sustainability in the packaging sector.
The self-adhesive labels on a backing material offer a large area for customer information and marketing purposes.
It is also possible to have cut-outs in the label, as well as adhesive-free zones, to prevent contact with the product.
In addition, perforations serve as opening and handling aids for the consumer. The label can also be printed on the labeler itself with information such as a lot number or best-before date, to avoid the need for an additional label.
Multivac states that the output of Top Close is up to 250 products per minute. The trays are automatically labeled on the run and are either fed in manually or transferred automatically from an upstream module.
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