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Containing heat challenges

Healthy buildings with the right kind of insulation

I N T H E V I N E Y A R D • M I N E R A L O I L - F R E E C E R E A L S

BIG LEAP

Walki Group Customer Magazine

2015

WALKI IS SET FOR GROWTH

MEMBRANE MOMENTUMInsulation is key for energy-efficient buildings.

KEEPING MINERAL OIL AWAY FROM FOODWalki has a new innovative product for keeping mineral oil away from what we eat.

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF CARS, LAYER BY LAYERMicrophone wires are kept free from moisture thanks to Walki's product.

04

08

12

COVER STORIES 201502

COVER STORIESPublisher Leif FrilundEditor-in-Chief Marina KurulaEditorial board Kari Salminen, Ralph Mucha, Arno WolffEditorial content and layout Spoon FinlandCover photo iStockPrint Forsberg 2015Change of address [email protected]

CONTENTS10 Walki packages Swedish cookies16 Investing in growth18 The game-changing antenna

19 Refurbished Jatne plant 20 Tackling heat22 Hard work in the vineyard

All set to meet market demandOur job is to provide materials that make our customers successful in their chosen fields. To achieve this, we must meet our customers’ expectations when it comes to quality requirements, cost, lead times and innovative products.

Our customers are accountable to their customers, who sometimes might be the very end consumers. We must meet quality demands for buildings to be energy-efficient yet moisture-free and for food packaging to be safe. In many businesses, speed is translated into savings. So we work hard to cut our lead times and are mindful, as we all are, of keeping the costs down. We are able to deliver on all these points, but the true enabler of our strategy is innovation. We must constantly push our boundaries and chart unknown terrain to be able to answer to our customers’ needs.

Our innovation efforts are instrumental in achieving our growth ambitions. The stories in this magazine all show how Walki became a material science company where innovation efforts are driven by a goal we share with our customers, namely resource efficiency. For innovations to materialise into great solutions, you need the right hardware to support it. During the last year, we have worked tirelessly to ensure that our hardware – our plants – is up to the task.

We have invested heavily in our plants in Poland, in Wroclaw and Jatne, and

recently made a decision to invest in a new production line in Valkeakoski to meet the strong demand for our insulation facings.

After a period of lower economic activity, especially in Europe, we see a lot of growth potential in our chosen segments, particularly in the construction area and in consumer packaging, however without forgetting our industrial packaging solutions. We have invested not only in our plants but also in the development of our people’s skills and capabilities, and we are now poised to make our customers’ lives easier with new innovations.

In summer Walki reached a milestone by turning 85 years. It was on July 28, 1930, when the foundations for the company, which later evolved into today’s Walki, were laid. Although we are inspired by our successful past, we do not want to live in it. We have to keep on looking ahead and pushing ourselves to find innovative new ways of doing things.

As we go to press, we are still in the process of divesting two plants – the deal is subject to approval from the EU. Regardless of the outcome our focus is always on serving our customers in the best possible way.

Thank you for taking an interest in our stories!

Leif FrilundCEO

EDITORIAL 03

BUILDING THE FUTURE OF CARS, LAYER BY LAYER

WALKI COVER STORIES 2015

INNOVATION04

text Sven Carlsson photo Dacia

Walki’s polycrepe paper, a perforated layer built into car roofs, protects microphone wires from moisture.

Walki materials are versatile. That means that with a few tweaks they can be utilized both for packing solutions or for adding value in modern cars.


INNOVATION 05

Most people probably conduct hands-free phone conversations in their cars without thinking of the layers of compact materials that make it happen.

Among them is Walki’s polycrepe paper, a light-weight, perforated layer built into car roofs to insulate them from condensated water and protect electronic features such as microphone wires.

Another important feature is sustainability. Walki’s polycrepe is made of 80% natural fibres – previously it was made of synthetic fibres.

”It’s a very simple but versatile product,” says Klaus Bründel, Business Line Manager för Walki’s technical products.

”We apply a specific perforation to the product to make it usable. Faurecia have four or five different layers they need to put together with a big press to make the headliner, the layer underneath the metal roof of a car. It’s sandwiched into a very thin compression of materials – about three or four millimeter thick,” Bründel said.

The polycrepe paper has lead to a milestone for Walki: a long-term automotive partnership with the French automotive company Faurecia.

Walki offers Faurecia custom product development that will take its innovations straight from the lab to the manufacturer, where a consistent testing process ensures before the new feature reaches the customer.

“Thanks to the direct cooperation with Faurecia purchasing and development team, we have realized together the qualification of Walkis Polycrepe into the final application in less than 6 month. A key success factor in the cooperation with Faurecia and for our future projects is the right understanding of our customer’s demand to realise product and process solution with clearly defined processes and fast decision-making.”

The trend towards more economical cars, especially electrical powered ones, has already started.

Hybrid cars, already commonplace in some markets, require long battery lives. A crucial step on the way to the

06 INNOVATION


hybrid model of the future will be to make cars more energy efficient – one of Walki’s strengths.

”We need to look at a solution to increase the heat insulation,” says Bründel.

”That will save the electrical power needed to heat the cars from inside. You save costs for every step of insulation.”

Faurecia uses Walki’s polycrepe paper for the Romanian automaker Dacia’s popular compact SUV model.

07INNOVATION

You have to block the passage of humidity that comes from condensation.

Faurecia, a French parts giant was asked in 2014 to find a solution to install microphones in the roofs of Dacias popular SUV models.

”When we were in the process of vetting suppliers, we got a contact at Walki from one of our employees in Russia,” said Iván Arroyo Diestro, Commodity Buyer at Faurecia with Walki as one of his accounts.

What began as a test run last year has now turned into a full-fledged collaboration.

The French company has used Walki’s polycrepe paper for the Romanian automaker Dacia’s popular compact SUV model, which hit the market in 2010.

“Dacia needed a technical solution that would let them incorporate the microphone, and we were able to provide it,” Arroyo Diestro said.

”The film laminated with the paper stops humidity due to condensation on the metal roof from passing through. That way, it improves the isolation of the car,” he added.

Walki’s products and product developments have the chance to become key in the future plans for Faurecia, which supplies parts for one in four cars around the globe.

”What we expect from Walki is a good performance in terms of quality, cost and delivery,” Arroyo Diestro said.

As well as one of Walki’s hallmarks: innovation.”We expect Walki to propose innovations that can help

improve our product.”

Walki’s polycrepe paper – a problem-solver for Faurecia


”A key success factor in the

cooperation with Faurecia and

for our future projects is the

right understanding of our

customer’s demand to realise

product and process solution

with clearly defined processes

and fast decision-making.


INNOVATION08

Research shows that many packaged foods contain mineral oil, which is harmful to humans. Several EU countries are looking into legislation to prevent mineral oil migration. Meanwhile, Walki has developed Mineral Oil Safe Technology (MOST), an efficient extrusion coating that keeps mineral oil away from our food.text Isabelle Kliger photo Walki

KEEPING MINERAL OIL AWAY FROM FOOD

The country leading the debate surround-ing mineral oil migration is Germany. Mirka Nevala, Walki’s VP for Business Development, believes the legislation could be introduced in Germany as early as 2016 and it will pave the

way for EU-wide mineral oil regulations.“Mineral oil contains Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocar-

bon (MOAH), which is especially harmful for humans because our systems can’t break it down. It accumulates in our bodies when we eat packaged food,” explains Nevala.

Nevala recalls a TV programme that aired in Germany a few years ago, in which a child was pictured with a large glass of oil in front of her.

“The message was that this was the amount of oil the little girl would consume in her lifetime, as a result of eating packaged food like cereal, rice and pasta,” she says.

The programme was prompted by a study led by Dr Koni Grob and the Swiss Official Food Control Authority. Grob’s study of 119 Ger-man food products remains the most rele-vant research on mineral oils to date, and proves that there is a significant risk of mineral oil contamination of dry food from recycled fibre-based packaging materials.

In the midst of the continuing debate about the potential health risks, Walki has devel-oped the most effective, state-of-the-art mineral-oil protection product on the market. Aside from providing an effective barrier against grease and water, like most standard LDPE and HDPE coatings, Walki®Pack MOST (Mineral Oil Safe Technology) is also glueable, sealable and recyclable and provides a secure polymer barrier against mineral oil contamination for recycled or virgin fibre packaging solutions.

Walki®Pack MOST also offers a barrier against other unwelcome substances that can be found in recycled fibres, such as benzophenone, bisphenol A, DIPN and softeners. Furthermore, its mineral oil barrier pre-vents cross-contamination originating from secondary or other transport packaging made of recycled fibres. Walki®Pack MOST has been approved for direct food contact, in accordance with EU directive 10/2011.

“This product will enable the food-packaging indus-try to solve the growing issue of contaminated food,” explains Stefan Erdmann, Technical Service & Develop-ment Manager for Walki’s Barrier Board products. “Food companies and brand owners who adopt this product are demonstrating their leadership and commitment to de-livering safer food products to the marketplace.

“Customers can choose the board grade they prefer, since Walki®Pack MOST works on all recycled fibre board material available on the European market,” he adds.

The effectiveness of Walki®Pack MOST has been verified by independent research institutes, such as


INNOVATION 09

MINERAL FACTSMOSH (Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbon) and MOAH (Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbon) are mineral oils commonly used in industrial inks and are present in printing dyes for newspapers and packaging materials. Mineral oil accumulates as a result of the recycling of the raw materials used for the production of paper or cardboard packaging. A further source for the contamination of food with mineral oil may be jute bags impregnated with mineral oil. There are currently no maximum limits for MOSH and MOAH in food according to EU legislation.

VTT in Finland and Inno-form in Germany, as well as by renowned expert Dr Rainer Brandsch from MDCTec Systems GmbH.

“Once adopted, this packaging solu-tion will allow ordinary people to buy and eat delicious, healthy food, without being concerned about their well-being,” says Erdmann.

”This product will enable

the food-packaging

industry to solve

the growing issue of

contaminated food.

WALKI PACKAGES POPULAR SWEDISH COOKIES

Gille is one of Sweden’s best-loved brands of cakes and cookies. With its colourful packag-ing and transparent lids, few brands are more easily distinguishable.

“Over the last 30 years, this distinctive pack-aging has made Gille one of the most well-established, easily recognisable food brands on the Swedish market,” explains Morgan Stangenborn, Key Account Manager at DS Smith, which manufactures corrugated board pack-aging solutions for Gille. “Its products are sold widely both at home and abroad.”

In 2012, DS Smith decided to change the protective laminate in Gille’s packaging.

“We wanted to be able to make the boxes with either a black or white interior,” he continues. “We also needed a laminate with an excellent grease barrier.”

When DS Smith’s previous supplier was not able to meet these requirements, Morgan Stangenborn and his colleagues turned to Walki.

“Walki confirmed that they could help us. We’ve been using their laminate now for more than three years and believe it’s the best of its kind on the market,” says Stan-genborn.

“In response to DS Smith’s request, we partnered with them to develop a new product,” says Gustav Grahn, Managing Director, Walki Sweden. “We carried out extensive trials and tried several different solutions and raw materials before settling on the final product.”

Walki-Line Ultra is a barrier liner that has been spe-cially developed for use with corrugated board. As a PET-paper sandwich liner, which, in this case, is based on a virgin top liner, it provides outstanding protection against grease, water and moisture. It is smooth, light and strong, maintaining excellent packaging strength and stiffness even in moist conditions and it is suitable for direct contact with dry, wet and fatty foodstuffs.

Walki-Line Ultra can be pre-printed, is recyclable and has good runability on a corrugating machine. It can be


INNOVATION10

When leading European packaging manufacturer DS Smith needed a new laminate for Gille’s characteristic cookie packaging, it looked no further than Walki.text Isabelle Kliger photo Karl Vilhjalmsson

The Gille cookies are placed in direct contact with the box, placing greater demands on the quality of the packaging.

made in a variety of colours and is currently available in black and white. It can also be made in different grammages, based on various liners and papers.

Stangenborn explains that the Gille packaging is unusual be-cause the cookies are placed in direct contact with the box. This places greater demands on the quality of the packaging.

“Since switching to the new solution, we haven’t had a single claim for grease migration,” he says. “Apart from providing an ex-cellent grease barrier – something that isn’t easily achieved with foods containing coconut fat – we’re also delivering an excellent level of food safety, as the laminate prevents unwanted substances from migrating into the packaged product.”

“We used a new combination of raw materials to create a special polymer layer, which guarantees food safety and provides an out-standing grease and moisture barrier,” adds Grahn. “In addition to being extremely cost-effective, Walki-Line Ultra is also the most secure barrier currently available on the market.”

”Since switching to the new

solution, we haven’t had

a single claim for grease

migration.


INNOVATION 11


INNOVATION12

Walki’s new breathable construction membranes make for healthier buildings.

text Sami Anteroinen illustration White Tengbom Team

MEMBRANEMOMENTUM


INNOVATION 13

The new Karolinska hospital is one of the biggest construction sites in Europe.

Walki's breathable membrane is composed of two layers of polypropylene between a monolithic film.

IIf you want to live in an environmentally friendly house, make sure to capture heat. Saving energy is the single most efficient way to make sure you are not fur-ther contributing to climate change.

However, combining energy savings and healthy buildings is not always easy. Proper insulation is crucial, but you need precise moisture control to avoid decay and mould.

Thanks to a new breathable membrane developed by Walki, you can keep the moisture level in the building in control by letting vapour out. The membranes, composed of two layers of polypropylene between the monolithic film, allow moisture to go through them, preventing un-wanted moisture from staying in the building. It’s far su-perior to the traditional microporous film when it comes to withstanding both high and low temperatures: the

membranes can withstand low temperatures reigning outside the building and also tackle high temperatures, which makes it suitable for walls and roofs where dark cladding is used.

Another benefit is its solid durability – it retains its structural characteristics for years to come.

Juho Hyytiäinen, Technical Service & Development Manager, Construction Membranes, believes there is huge potential for this type of next-generation insula-tion products.

“Building regulations are getting tighter all the time and the focus is now on zero-emission houses. Our mem-branes help designers, architects and builders meet these regulations more easily,” he says.

The project of developing a breathable Walki product for roofing underlays started a couple of years ago, and


INNOVATION14

has now been approved for CE marking and has also gained national approval in the Netherlands.

Michel Smit, Business Line Manager, Construction Membranes, agrees that the time is right for this new wave of highly engineered membranes. This is also reflected in sales, which have grown steadily since the Dutch com-pany Meuwissen was taken over by Walki in 2011.

While the perfect product for optimal moisture con-trol exists now, consumers have been slow to jump on the train. The construction industry, notoriously conservative, is not a fast adopter of new things. This is a bit peculiar when you consider the significance of air quality in peo-ple’s well-being. But then again, it’s much nicer to choose tiles for your bathroom than think about insulation issues.

“When building a house, how much importance would you give the vapor control layers versus kitchen fittings?”

”Another benefit is its solid

durability - it retains its

structural characteristics

for years to come.

Karolinska University Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in Europe. Responsible for specialised health care in the Stockholm Council area, this is where the most seriously ill patients are taken. The hospital is now taking a big step towards being the ‘University hospital of the future’ as the old hospital is currently being rebuilt – and extended – to become Sweden’s biggest hospital building. Set to open its doors for the first stream of patients in 2016, the construction site is on of the biggest sites in Europe.

The patients will be checking into a state-of-the-art hospital. Perks include single rooms for all in-patient rooms equipped with shower and toilet, and even a bed for relatives who want to spend the night.

Walki is supplying breathable membranes for the walls, and there are plenty of those. The whole building will have an area of approximately 330,000 square metres and will stand tall at 12 floors.

A strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability has been the guiding star throughout the construction process at Karolinska.

“High quality and durability were cited as the reasons why our product was chosen”, says Jens Desthon, Sales Manager at Walki in Sweden.

The final bill for building the hospital, excluding medical equipment, will be about 150 million euros. You want your investment to last.

Hospital luxury

Hyytiäinen asks, making a point that people can willingly spend a lot purely on cosmetic aspects, while forgetting the fact that the house itself must be healthy for its in-habitants to stay healthy. Still, Hyytiäinen does not lay the blame on consumers; it’s the industry that has failed in its educational role, at least to some degree.

“We are talking about a conservative business, where new ideas and products are not easily adopted. In that sense, it’s good that governments are giving a gentle push to the designers and builders.”

Michel Smit is confident that the new innovations for breathable membranes will open attractive new markets for Walki.

“We expect a great future for this new technology, since the market is changing towards durable and air-tight roofing membranes,” he sums up.


INNOVATION 15

Better capacity, faster delivery times and superior quality. That’s what customers get thanks to a new tandem line in Wroclaw.

The jackhammer is hitting the asphalt relentlessly outside Walki's Valkeakoski plant in Finland. The first steps of a sizable new investment at the plant are being taken.

NEWS


A new production line is being added to the plant, and to make it fit, the plant has to be expanded. Hence the jackhammer at work. The next step is to tear down a wall to allow for the expansion of the plant.

While the Valkeakoski plant is big on consumer products like the indispensable carton cup we drink our coffee from when we rush to work as well as packaging for the food and pharmaceutical industry, the biggest growth is expected to come from the construction industry. Although economic growth has yet to recover in some parts of Europe, the outlook for the housing market looks fairly bright.

The reason that lies behind this is EU's ambitions to curb emissions. One important objective is the 20-20-20 target, which aims, among other things, at a 20% improvement in energy efficiency. This has a direct impact on the market for insulation materials because keeping our houses warm consumes a lot of energy. A well-insulated building can make a big difference when it comes to energy consumption. Multilayer-laminates, either with polyurethane or mineral wool insulation, do the trick when it comes to capturing heat inside our homes and keeping them energy-efficient.

Henri Torkkola inspects the quality in the laboratory in Valkeakoski.

INVESTING IN GROWTH

16

text Sami Anteroinen & Lena Barner-Rasmussen photo Karl Vilhjalmsson

“If you want to save money on your electricity bill, improve insulation,” says Olivier Lucas, Business Line Manager, Con-struction Facings.

Construction of energy-efficient buildings is one driver, but growth is also anticipated to come from the need to renovate European houses.

“A lot of houses in Europe are currently not well protected by insulation”, says Lucas.

This will further drive the demand. “The demand for insulation is about to explode”, says Kari

Salminen, EVP Construction.

Broad know-howThat said, Valkeakoski has always been the company's most versatile plant. The new production line will further add to the diversity. This diversity translates into flexibility: whatever the market needs, the Valkeakoski plant can adapt to the changing demands.

So the new production line will be able to tend to whatever demands customers might have.

"We will have more flexibility when it comes to deliveries, and our product offering will be more diverse"; says Heikki

With the new production line at Valkeakoski comes the very latest technology too, ensuring the highest quality throughout the process.

“The new production line will have state-of-the-art technology. For example we'll have top-notch quality measurement and process control systems”, says Henri Torkkola, Technical Sales and R&D manager for flexible packaging at Walki Oy.

A stable level of humidity is important for keeping the barriers in place when the customer uses the material in their product. To make sure that the quality is equally high throughout, each run is tested in the laboratory at Valkeakoski.

Top notch technology

What's up in Garstang?Desmond Murphy is a seasoned packaging industry guy – he's been his entire career in this industry, mainly in the corrugated sector. After working for different companies in the industry he's now stationed in the UK, running Walki's plant in Garstang.

? How are things in Garstang?Walki`s business in Garstang has so far been doing well in 2015. Our sales volumes are increasing. We are currently reviewing ways of becoming more efficient so that we can achieve better output.

? What can you do even better? We need to constantly enhance our skills in the plant in order to support the volume growth. Our lead times need to be competitive – ie. short – so that we can offer good customer service. We also constantly need to focus on quality through out the process.

? What motivates you the most?I'm driven by achievement and success. I strongly believe in teamwork, because every individual is important to a successful business.

? What can you do in Garstang when you have some time off?Garstang is located in central Lancashire, not far from the beautiful English Lake District and only 15 miles from the Seaside town of Blackpool, so everyone will find something to do.

NEWS


17

Kari Salminen, Heikki Lumme and Henri Torkkola welcome more capacity.

Lumme, Business Line Manager, Flexible Packaging.“The production line can cater to several different product

segments in addition to the main segment construction products, such as flexpack and medical products. The extrusion possibilities are also vast”; adds Salminen.

Thanks to the new production line, the Valkeakoski plant will be able to run new barriers on products, and Lumme, Torkkola and Salminen are keen on continuing investigating new solutions together with customers with the aim of expanding their product portfolio and enabling them to grow in new markets.

"We will be even better equipped than before to develop new products that help our customers succeed in their markets," says Salminen.

The capacity will also be increased thanks to the new production line.

"We will substantially increase our capacity in all our product segments. This means that we can guarantee short delivery times as we can respond swiftly to customers’ needs with tailor-made solutions," says Torkkola.

The new production line will be up and running during the first quarter of 2016, and customers can expect deliveries shortly after that.

THE GAME-CHANGING

ANTENNA

The Pietarsaari plant is now ready for a quick ramp-up as the processes and materials are now in place.

“4E offers a new sustainable and cost-efficient antenna ma-terial for the RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) market and for inlay manufacturers specifically.

“Currently, RFID inlay manufacturers are using etched PET antennas for their inlays. Our technology enables – for the first time – affordable and sustainable antennas on paper material,” says Sipi Savolainen, Business Line Manager for 4E Technol-ogy at Walki.

He points out that the introduction of new technology al-ways takes time, but there is a strong consensus on the market that paper antennas are a real game changer. Presently, there are qualification processes going on at the customer sites and preparations are being internally for market growth and high-volume manufacturing.

“Processes and materials are now in place for a quick ramp-up of the production in the Pietarsaari plant,” Savolainen says.

Product for the futureThe four E’s of Walki®4E stand for efficiency, economy, ecology and exactness. Compared with etching, the technology elimi-nates a whole step from the tag production process (or from the converter’s process), thus combining efficiency and economy. Since paper is used as a substrate, the RFID manufacturers can leave out the insertion of the PET inlay into paper altogether.

“Efficiency and economy revolve around providing lower price levels for the inlay manufacturers,” confirms Savolainen.

And then there are the environmental benefits. The absence

Walki®4E is ready for big things. Expect affordable and sustainable antennas on paper material.

of liquid chemicals leaves the RFID manufacturers with an end-product that is 100% recyclable: made of paper and aluminium only, the antenna it is easily recycled in a fibre recycling pro-cess, where metal detectors sort out the aluminium.

The final ‘E’, exactness, means that the precision of the laser-cutting of the patterns allows for smaller chips, greater repeatability in the production process and higher accuracy of the antenna.

“Exactness is important when chips get smaller in the fu-ture – etching technology or printing technology is not able to achieve our accuracy levels,” says Savolainen.

One million strongChinese company Shang Yang RFID Technology Yangzhou has been collaborating with Walki since 2013, performing two spe-cific trial runs with Walki engineers to try out 15 different kinds of Walki paper/PET antennas. According to Marketing Manag-er Michael Wu, more than a million inlays for customers, who use Walki antennas, have been assembled during this time.“We have witnessed great progress in the Walki paper anten-nas,” says Wu.

“We have gained a lot of new knowledge and the production process of paper antennas has improved through these experi-ments, which also helped us to grab the chances to present a new type of inlay products to our customers with Walki paper antennas.”

Wu believes that as the Walki paper antenna provides stable performance after being made into an inlay, this is a “remarka-ble advantage” in comparison with other paper-based antenna technology options.

“The Walki antenna has already built on its unique charac-teristics in the market, and I believe it will be successful.”

Sipi Savolainen thinks that the paper antennas are real game-changers.

NEWS18

text Sami Anteroinen photo Walki


LEANER AND CLEANER IN

JATNE

The Jatne plant has always specialised in supplying the paper industry with the packaging for copy paper, so some of its production lines were used for manufacturing corrugated boxes. But this process creates quite a lot of dust and takes up space too. On top of that, the main customer for the corrugated boxes has their premises a fair drive from Jatne. So to make life easier for them, box production was moved to the newly opened Walki plant in Kwidzyn.

This change brought with it many other benefits.With the Jatne plant so crowded, Walki needed to rent

production and warehouse space in a building close by. Although situated next door, it was still an extra step in the whole production process. So a new warehouse was built, that connects to the Jatne plant’s main building.“By removing corrugated box production, we gained a lot of extra space. This meant that we could house all of our ex-trusion and printing machines in one hall,” explains Tomasz Kusowski, Director of the Jatne, Kwidzyn and Svetogorsk plants. “We now have all our operations under one roof. The production process begins from the extruder, where we coat the paper with polyethylene. Then we take it to the printing ma-chines and finally to the warehouse, where the finished product waits to be shipped to our customers. The whole production process is leaner and cleaner.”

The new 1,700 m2 logistics warehouse also drives efficiency improvements throughout the entire operation, while emphasising a ‘safety first’ environment. For example, raw materials are now stored closer to the production facility, and with automation from production to packaging, this means less forklift traffic.

But the centre-piece of the refurbishment project is the new Flexo printing machine, from Spanish supplier Comexi. This 10-colour, high-end printing press enables Jatne to print packaging designs for the most demanding customers. The new Flexo also brings efficiency improvements, with a printing speed exceeding 300 meters per minute, as well as a much

The Jatne plant used to be a very crowded place. But that’s all changed now, thanks to a new modernisation project.

No reckless tearing needed with Walki's perforated strip.

Tomasz Kusowski is happy with the refurbished Jatne plant.

shorter change-over time compared to the older machines. Another key investment at Jatne is the Tear Strip machine,

which provides a new, much more convenient method of opening the packaging on reams of paper, and is the first product of its kind on the European market. The machine incorporates a perforated strip into the ream wrapper, allowing for easy opening by end-users. In contrast, the current wrapper design often leaves it ripped, requiring further means of storage for the paper. But with a tear strip, the integrity of the packaging remains intact. The Tear Strip machine also opens up exciting new options in ream wrapper design, for drawing the eye to the tear strip. The machine was developed in close cooperation with our customers.

“The investment in the Tear Strip machine shows how important both Jatne and Poland are to Walki, and how we’re always open to collaborate with our customers to find optimal, innovative solutions. Tear Strip packaging is well established in North America, but we are the first to offer it to European customers,” says Kusowski.

As part of Jatne’s transformation, it was also decided to eliminate solvent-based inks from the printing process and replace them with water-based inks, which is the standard at all Walki plants. This helped improve the working environment at Jatne, as not only is the risk of explosion or fire much higher with solvent-based inks, but they also create a distinct smell which makes for an unpleasant work environment. On top of that, water-based inks are much more environmental-friendly products, making the modernized Jatne plant cleaner in every sense.


NEWS 19

text Sami Anteroinen & Lena Barner-Rasmussen photo Walki

TACKLING

HEAT

EcoCool's thermal blankets reflect IR-radiation. Heat is kept in during transportation of sensitive chemicals in winter, while heat is kept out during air cargo for sensitive pharmaceuticals.

text David Nikel photo EcoCool

Certain cargo is more sensitive than others. You want your chocolate to arrive in perfect condition. Walki helps customers manage heat challenges, whether we are talking about housing insulation or sensitive cargo.

Using innovative Walki materials, German company EcoCool produces thermal blankets and insulated shipper boxes for a wide range of logistics clients, reducing the need for fully refrigerated solutions on trucks and aeroplanes.

The insulation product produced by Walki, Isohood 2L2, is simply double-layer bubble film coated with aluminium. The product was originally invented to be used as housing insulation (and it continues to be used for the same), but it was soon


20 INNOVATION

Jan van den Brink has been with Walki for a little over a year, but he has a vast experience from running different types of plants.

? What are you up to at the plant in Haarlem?

We produce mainly construction membranes, insulation material and industrial packaging. The volumes for industrial packaging have slightly increased compared to last years. The construction business has been slow the last years, and we see a clear upturn now in the construction market, especially the housing market. Consumer confidence is rising and the amount of house permits is growing rapidly. Walki develops new products for the construction market and this will lead midterm to increasing sales.

? Any challenges?

We just finished a big refurbishment of our 3,2 metre wide extrusion line where we renewed all drives, upgraded the Siemens PLC software from S5 to S7 and renewed the gauging system. This meant working with three suppliers and making sure that we could deliver to our customers on time. Thanks to a constant dialogue with the customers and a dedicated logistics department we were able to manage quite well.

? You've been with Walki for about a year now. What is your impression of the company?

Walki is a medium-sized international company and this means that we have short communication lines within the group. The people that work here are honest, open and pragmatic and that is a very pleasant atmosphere.

? What would you recommend for people to do when visiting Haarlem?

Walk through the old center, eat or drink something at the numerous restaurants and bars, take a small boat tour and visit the Frans Hals museum to see the painters from the Golden Age of the Netherlands. The oldest museum of Holland, Teyler’s Museum, is also nice.

What's Up in Haarlem

Pharmaceuticals. Ever-increasing regulation of the pharmaceutical industry means managing temperature during transportation is a priority. Insulated shipping boxes can keep temperatures stable for up to 96 hours.

Online food delivery. The increase in coverage of online supermarket deliveries has caused a growth in demand for insulated delivery boxes. They are a cost-effective way for supermarkets to keep food fresh, especially items such as chocolate that are sensitive to changes in temperature.

Aviation. Amsterdam Airport and Lufthansa take advantage of thermal blankets to improve their capability to transport temperature-sensitive cargo over long distances.

Industry applications

discovered that the material worked well as a thermo-covering.

Effective insulation when it matters mostEcoCool's thermal blankets reflect IR-radiation, keeping heat in for the transportation of sensitive chemicals during winter, and heat out when used as an air cargo cover for sensitive pharmaceuticals. Quantifying the exact insulation effect is difficult, but as a rule of thumb, a difference of around 10°C between inside and ambient temperatures can be expected for about three hours.

EcoCool also uses the Isohood 2L2 material to insulate shipper boxes, ranging from a low-cost solution for the parcel shipment of foodstuff to long range distribution of pharmaceuticals.

Partnership within Walki“This product is a good example of innovation and cooperation within Walki group,” explains Steven Verheul, Sales Manager at the Haarlem plant in the Netherlands.

“The Valkeakoski plant in Finland provides us with a regular supply of lacquered aluminium from a different

business area that we combine with bubble film here at Haarlem. We deliver the material to EcoCool and they stitch it into covers and make it ready for use for their customers.”

Continuous improvementExpansion in the home food delivery market and increased regulation in the pharmaceutical industry drive a growing industry demand. To retain and build on their market share, EcoCool request continuous improvements from Walki, both in insulating properties and cost-effectiveness of the products. Walki has trialled around 20 variants of materials and production methods to stay ahead of the emerging competition.

“We are very happy with the partnership with Walki,” says EcoCool's Florian Siedenburg.

“The team at Haarlem, led by Steven Verheul, plays a vital part in our success, supplying us with a constant stream of sample materials to test. We have a personal and friendly relationship with Walki, which we highly appreciate. We know that we place high demands on them with varied volumes from our side, but over the years they have found a way to never let us down.”


21INNOVATION

F or several years, Manfred Ertle worked during the weeks in the sales office and later at the Steinfurt plant, and only came home for the weekends to the Palatinate Wine Route, where he grew up and still lives. Not so anymore. These days the

Consumer Packaging Export Sales Manager, responsible for Austria, Eastern & Southern Europe and Overseas markets, works mainly from home. And when he’s done for the day, chances are that you’ll find him outside checking on his grapes. Together with his father and brother-in-law, he produces up to 5,000 litres of wine per year.

Manfred Ertle grew up in the Palatinate area in southern Germany. It is a typical wine area – Manfred lives about 20 kilometres from the French border. About 35 years ago, Manfred’s father decided to get a vineyard of his own, and today there are three vineyards on the family property. Manfred, his father and brother-in-law are each responsible for their own vineyard even though they rely on each other for help. Together, they produce two white wines, Riesling and Müller Thurgau, and a red wine called Dornfelder.

“We will also start producing Merlot soon,” he adds.

In the winter months there is not much happening, but come March the action begins. The first task that needs to be done is the cutting of the branches.

“It is the first action you take to influence the quality of the wine. This is later followed by cutting the grapes too,” explains Manfred.

Later on in May, once the grapes have grown a bit, you do another round of cutting followed by some fertilisation. The next round of hard work comes in early autumn, when the harvest season begins. During the summer, you hope the weather gods won’t be too fickle. The grapes need a lot of sun and the occasional rain shower.

“The worst that can happen is frost in the early stages of growing. We experienced that four years ago and in one of the vineyards 95 per cent of the crop was lost, which meant no harvest.”

After the harvest it's time for the actual wine making. You start by pressing the grapes in a wine press and then you carry out a first quality control to make sure you are in the right direction. That’s also when you enjoy the new wine and follow the fermentation process. Then comes the filtration process before the wine is finally bottled.

When he was young, Manfred Ertle's father had to gently force him out to help in the family's vineyard. These days it is his preferred place to be.


22 PROFILE

HARD WORK IN THE VINEYARD

text Lena Barner-Rasmussen photo iSTOCK & Manfred Ertle

Manfred Ertle relies on external help for bottling and quality control. Germany has quite strict wine laws to limit the possibility of influencing the quality by mixing other ingredients into the wine.

One thing you can do to influence the quality is limiting the quantity of grapes by cutting.

“Sometimes less is more.”The year 2012 was a particularly good year for the Ertle

family’s red wine.These days Manfred enjoys the work in the vineyard.“I like to be outside, alone with the wildlife. Sometimes

I'll see a pheasant or even a fox, and I can hear the birds. It is a very nice break from a hectic workday,” he says.

It hasn’t always been like this. In his youth, he would reluctantly join his father who prodded him out to work. And now Manfred has the same experience with his 18-year-old son.

“At that age you are usually interested in other things. I wouldn't say I have to force my son to help me, but I do have to work hard to convince him to join me,” he says with a laugh.

Maybe in a couple of years that will change too.

Hanging out in the vineyard wasn't Manfred Ertle's favourite pastime in his teens. These days it is.

WINE FACTS)

Europeans consume an average of 30 litres

per person per year.

European consumption accounts for almost

70 per cent of global consumption, making Europe

the most important wine market in the world.

The largest producer countries are Italy, France and

Spain, producing about 80 per cent of all European

wine. Germany is the fourth-largest producer

in Europe.

Manfred Ertle


23PROFILE

3 QUESTIONSDo you enjoy wine from other countries as well? Yes, I do. I enjoy wines from France, Chile and South Africa. You can find some excellent wines from those countries.

What is your favourite wine? For a white, I enjoy a good Riesling that I will drink with asparagus grown in this area or with white fish. With wild meat I usually enjoy a good bottle of Merlot or Bordeaux.

Do you grow anything else besides grapes? I don't but my parents do. They have a big kitchen garden with fruit and berries of all kinds.

Walki GroupAt Walki, we’ve created protective packaging solutions for a wide range of industries for decades. In everything we do, we aim to maximise performance by using the minimum amount of raw materials, working sustainably to minimise our impact upon the environment. This is the way we’ve worked in the past and it’s the way we’ll work in the future.

To find out how we’ve got your business covered go to www.walki.com

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