Peru-based Oben Group’s Oben Colombia operation has purchased a new BOBST EXPERT K5 3,650-mm-wide vacuum metallizer with BOBST iMA (above). The new machine will be installed in 2026 and will be the 13th BOBST metallizer for the Group in 20 years.

With the AluBond process, the new machine for metallized-BOPP film production will have a 1.5-meter-diameter roll — the largest BOBST has ever produced for a film metallizer. The larger diameter means the machine can run longer without stopping, reducing interruptions to throughput.

BOBST iMA, which was launched at drupa last year, is a major breakthrough in machine integrated process expertise and unique in the vacuum-metallizing industry. Its innovative vision system allows the operator to view the evaporation boats on dedicated screens mounted on the metallizer chamber.

With software powered by AI, mapping and controlling the size of the aluminum pool, which is usually done by a highly skilled operator, is done automatically. Doing this process manually is reportedly difficult on wide-web machines; BOBST iMA supports the operator by automatically selecting the required settings for different metallizing processes, giving a faster, smoother changeover time and reducing waste and consumables use.

Oben Group produces PP, PET and Nylon films used in flexible packaging; coatings for the graphic-arts industry; and thermoformed PP products. The company has 17 plants and eight distribution centers in 11 countries across the Americas and Europe.