The new Achenbach product OPTIFOIL establishes itself worldwide

Exactly ten years ago, Achenbach Buschhütten as specialists in rolling mill machinery took the strategic decision to expand its range of first-class OPTIMILL rolling mills for non-ferrous metals and supporting process and media systems OPTIPURE by offering also first-class foil slitting machinery.

Axel Barten, President & CEO sen. of the traditional, family-owned company, at that time: “Our goal is to provide our rolling mill customers also with innovative and effective foil slitting machinery solving its often very challenging and tailor-made doubling, separating and slitting tasks optimally. In particular we want to remain specialists and at the same time expand our product range in order to provide maximum customer benefit.” In terms of strategy this means that Achenbach aimed to optimize the complete manufacturing process of foil prod-ucts right from the start. With respect to the whole value-added chain Achenbach is still the only company building both, rolling mill machinery as well as foil slitting machinery and offer-ing credibly tailor-made solutions from one single source. Achenbach’s great enthusiasm for technology was one of the success factors for the intensive development work which has started in 2006.

“Today, ten years later,” André Barten (CEO jun.) sums up, “it is no exaggeration to say that Achenbach as leaders in technology and quality is also being well-received by the worldwide markets of foil slitting machinery. A large number of OPTIFOIL doublers, separators and slit-ters have been put into operation during this time and are running in many countries of the world at our customer’s whole satisfaction. The spectrum includes new installations as well as comprehensive modernizations, mainly focusing on aluminum but also on copper and brass products.” Among the customers are technology-leading customers like HYDRO, AMCOR, ALCOA, ASSAN, ASAS, CONSTANTIA, UACJ, KUNSHAN, LAMINAZIONE and another four large OPTIFOIL® machines are currently being built.

One of the keys to the success of the foil slitting and winding machines is that all the individual components are made to last and are of high quality like the solid and robust design of the machine frame. Furthermore, innovative components like the single contact roller system’s technology, process control system and a system of outbalanced contact rollers are decisive. The emphasis of the development work is on achieving short down-times and minimum conversion times. An important factor in successfully achieving these high aims is the strategy of developing technical solutions in an interdisciplinary manner, something that is rigorously pursued by Achenbach. Integrated technology means adopting a holistic approach with a two-way development process involving mechanical design and in-house process au-tomation, and a high precision drive control geared to this development.

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With respect to technology and sales Achenbach is willing to continue along the OPTIFOIL path which has been started exactly ten years ago: high-quality, close to the customer’s ben-efit and always focused to optimize the whole production process. Achenbach will present this product range at ICE Europe exhibition in Munich, March 21-23, on the its booth in hall A6, E66.