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www.paintshow.com.br
10
Novembro 2012
PAINT & PINTURA
sustainable and more competitive from the point of view of
costs, this state of affairs will eventually change.
Biocides - Defender Against Fungi and
Bacteria
Growing consumer requirements lead paint manufacturers
to seek biocides that can extend the quality and integrity of
paints against the destructive action of microorganisms. In
addition, there is a demand for low-cost, low-VOC and less
toxic products with high versatility in application.
The ideal biocide will act bravely to control the spread
of bacteria in the paint can and prevent the fungi from
growing on the paint film formed upon application onto
the surface. With a product that protects paints in these
situations, while favoring good performance when used in
combination with environmentally friendly additives, the
paint industry can provide coatings with the appropriate
biocidal protection.
The market in biocides is currently focused on products
more specifically designed for certain high-quality and
high-efficiency applications. There is a trend towards the
development of environment-friendly and sustainable bio-
cides, as well as VOC-free and APEO-free formulations, but
these often involve higher costs, and the prevailing need in
the Brazilian market unfortunately still is for products that
are less costly and, as a result, more toxic.
However, this scenario has been changing gradually around
the world. Molecules and formulation are already being
developed which are less hazardous and have a lower impact
on the environment. More toxic molecules tend to be repla-
ced once restrictive regulations are imposed, and therefore
we will progressively get to a point where only low-toxicity
and highly effective products will be used. To achieve all
that at low costs, which is the ideal situation for the paint
market, formulations need to be improved towards the deve-
lopment of products that allow more hazardous materials to
be used in much smaller amounts.
A well-accepted technology is a molecule that bolsters the
effects of standard biocides, thereby increasing their yield
and decreasing their content in paint formulations. In
addition, it is important to combine an excellent protection
level and a good cost-benefit ratio with safe handling and
minor effects on the environment. These properties can be
achieved by a combination of active ingredients.
Packaging - Half a Century in Business,
Reference for Sustainability
A joint venture between two successful companies is attai-
ning its fifth year of providing intelligent industrial packa-
ging solutions. Schütz Vasitex combines Schütz’s technology
and global leadership with Vasitex’s 50 years’ experience
with responsible packaging life cycle management and envi-
ronmental preservation.
The union of Brazilian company Vasitex with German com-
pany Schütz created a joint venture with production and
service operations in two plants: Schütz Vasitex (manufactu-
ring), with a total area of 20,000 square meters; and Vasitex
Vasilhames (services), covering an area of 22,000 square
meters, the both of which are located in Bonsucesso, Guaru-
lhos, São Paulo, and employ 260 people altogether.
To get the joint venture started, R$ 35 million were invested
in January 2008 to build up the plant and its machinery and
equipment. But that wasn’t enough for Schütz Vasitex. In
has invested another R$ 15 million in equipment, the expan-
sion of the both units and automation this year alone. “We
have purchased an extremely productive machine to make
IBCs, so much so that it turns out more containers than the
Brazilian market demands, as we were betting on growth.
At first, that machine would produce both IBCs and 200 and
220-liter drums, but shifting from one product to another
resulted in losses of raw material and electric power. Now
we have independent production lines, each producing a
certain type of container,” explains Schütz Vasitex’s presi-
dent Luiz Antonio da Cunha.
Still for this year, the joint venture will invest in the auto-
mation of its internal product conveyor system, having also
purchased another machine that uses a technology never
before seen in Brazil. With it, the business will be able to tri-
ple its capacity for 50-liter bulk containers. “This machine
will be the first of its kind in Brazil with an electric start-up
system, as all of the machines used to produce blow-molded
containers in this country run on hydraulic systems. This
will reduce our consumption of electric power, while ensu-
ring a much cleaner operating environment for the machi-
ne, which will put us in a better position especially in more
restrictive markets, such as foods. For a price estimated at
R$ 4 million, the machine will arrive in February 2013 and
start up in March,” says Schütz Vasitex’s manufacturing
director Luiz Antonio da Cunha Filho.
Schütz Vasitex has made significant investments over the
past two years, including in the implementation of the SAP
management system, the purchase of an exclusive plastic
drum machine and upgrades of other manufacturing equip-
ment, always seeking sustainability for its production costs
and good prices for the packaging products supplied to its
customers. “In addition, in order to be certified by the Anvi-