AMI : Sheet extrusion is challenging competing processes
Market specialists AMI have now documented the continuing rise of one of Europe’s major plastics processing industries in their new guide on sheet extrusion. Sheet production now represents almost 10 % of European resin consumption and accounted for over 2,7 million tonnes of polymer in 1999. Last year polymer consumption in sheet extrusion applications enjoyed an increase in demand of 5,2%.
This dynamic growth is in part driven by the strong demand in most European packaging sectors. Demand was particularly high for polypropylene sheet, used primarily for chilled and prepared food packaging, which grew by more than 12% and is expected to top half a million tonnes during 2000. The increasing demand for PP sheet has largely been at
the expense of polystyrene and PVC.
Nevertheless, polystyrene still saw the highest consumption for sheet extrusion, accounting for over 1 million tonnes in 1999, as it is the dominant material for thermoformed packaging. Sheet extrusion is also one of the more profitable forms of plastics processing.