Arnon commissions new Welex^® V-PET sheet line, doubles capacity

February 10, 2014

An affiliate of Al Fozan Group of Companies, one of the leading trading, investment and industrial groups in Saudi Arabia, Arnon Plastic Industries Co. Ltd. (‘Arnon’) was established in 1999 to produce PE rolls and sheets for the construction industry as well as PS and PET food trays and containers. Arnon commenced production in 2000 and, today, manufactures its products in 3 modern facilities in Dammam.

‘We commissioned our first Welex line in 2002, which was lost in a fire that consumed our plant in 2004,’ said Arnon managing director Majed Alsulaim. ‘We replaced that line in 2005,’ he added. In subsequent years, Arnon’s business grew, requiring additional capacity. In 2013, the company ordered an additional Welex line with effectively twice the capacity of the original. This latest line, commissioned in January 2014, features tandem 130mm extruders to process PET, PP, and HIPS sheet with several advanced features: 

– V-PET vented single-screw extruders which include high vacuum moisture evacuation pumps enabling high quality PET sheet production without the need of recrystallizing or pre-drying 

– Polyside® enabled for two-color striped sheet production for clamshell packaging with colored bases and clear lids 

– Tandem, fully automatic transfer turret winders featuring automatic removal 

– State-of-the control system with remote access

‘This new Welex line exceeded not only our technical requirements, but also our expectations. The team that commissioned the line was professional and proficient,’ said Alsulaim. 

‘From the time Arnon ordered the line to its installation, Welex was acquired by Graham Engineering Corporation (‘GEC’), a global leader in rotary extrusion blow molding technology. GEC’s acquisition of Welex has been seamless and positive for our region,’ said Abdullah Al Sanea, GEC’s Welex brand representative for the Middle East. ‘It was the newly combined team of GEC and Welex service technicians who commissioned the line,’ he added.

‘The first Welex line in Saudi Arabia began production in 1971. We are privileged to have been involved over the decades as this market has grown. To my knowledge, this is the most sophisticated line yet in the country,’ stated Jim Nissel, GEC Director of Welex Sales – EMEA and APAC. ‘We are excited to support the growth and innovation.’

Visit Welex at Saudi PPPP 2014, hall W4, stand #122-4 February 17-20, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Media Contact: 
Gina Haines, Vice President & CMO
Tel: +1 404.386.6830
E-mail: ghaines@grahamengineering.com 

The Graham Group acquired majority interest in American Kuhne in 2012, followed by Graham Engineering Corporation’s acquisition of Welex in June 2013. Together, Graham Engineering Corporation, American Kuhne, and Welex create a convergence of leading technologies, people, and capabilities in extrusion. Graham is a privately held company headquartered in York, Pennsylvania, USA. 

Graham Engineering Corporation (GEC) is the global standard in wheel and industrial extrusion blow molding solutions, with 400 installations in 20 countries. GEC offers package design, product development and processing expertise, along with monolayer, multilayer, and barrier extrusion blow molding equipment and technology upgrades. Visit www.grahamengineering.com. 

American Kuhne (AK) is the preferred provider of engineered solutions for plastics, rubber, and silicone extrusion. AK solutions comprise standard and custom single screw extruders, feed screws, extrusion systems, and specialized turnkey systems for laboratory, medical tubing, narrow web, wire and cable, pipe, tubing, and profile applications. Visit www.americankuhne.com. 

Welex is the global standard in high performance sheet extrusion solutions, with over four decades of leadership. Welex solutions are installed in more than 3,000 customer locations in 69 countries. The company’s innovations include co-extrusion and multi-layer methods that lead the industry as well as dozens of barrier lines installed globally. Visit www.welex.com.