Nam Kyung chooses Vetaphone

According to Kim Seon-Chang, CEO of Nam Kyung Co (NKC): “We pride ourselves on the lead we take towards a cleaner environment and are constantly striving to adapt to its fast-changing requirements through process change and the development of new products to ensure customer satisfaction.” An impressive introduction to a company that is still family owned and managed.

Founded in Korea in 1977, NKC developed many packaging material manufacturing facilities around Asia to facilitate entry into local markets, culminating in a joint venture in Indonesia in 1986, and a newly built plant in PyeongTaek in 2003, which has transformed production with the installation of a European manufactured 8-colour CI flexo press and solvent-free lamination capability.  The factory also uses water-soluble coatings.

In 2009, it established a wholly-owned facility in Vietnam that specialises in the manufacture of flexible packaging for the food and confectionary industries.  Nam Kyung Vina is located in the Binh Duong Province, some 50km north of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).  The plant, which covers 23,0000 sqm and employs 160 people supplies a range of products to an elite portfolio of international brand owners, including Orion, Ottogi, Dan-Pak, Masan, and CJ. 

To meet the exacting standards demanded by international brand owners, the company is committed to regulations on occupational hygiene and safety as well as food safety and hygiene in accordance with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018, and HACPP.  This quest for quality extends into the company’s investment policy, which sees a preference for the latest technology offered by European manufacturers.

Most recently, this included an addition to one of its three solvent-free Nordmeccanica Simplex SL mono-layer laminating lines in the form of a Vetaphone corona treater.  Mr Ha Tran An Phat, Production Deputy Manager explained: “We have European corona treaters on all our laminating lines but were experiencing quality issues that were causing problems downstream, so began looking for an alternative supplier.”  His conversation began with Mr Nguyen Anh Tu at the Vietnam agent for Nordmeccanica, Song Song Co Ltd, based in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Song Song represents a range of top-end manufacturers supplying the flexible packaging industry in both wide and narrow web formats from extrusion through to converting and processes in between, acting as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the Vietnamese market.  One of its premium brand manufacturers is Vetaphone, the Danish pioneers of the corona process, and the acknowledged global leader in surface treatment technology.

The conversation between NKC and Song Song resulted in an order for a Vetaphone VE1L-A (C4) Model that was installed in September 2022.  This 6kW corona treater has a web width of 1.3m and can match the typical production speed at NKC of 250m/min on a variety of substrates including PET, CPP, and LLVE up to 100-micron. 

Commenting on the new treater, Mr Ha said: “The Vetaphone gives us a consistently better quality surface treatment with a stable dyne level that guarantees adhesion.  Its design makes it much easier to maintain and service and this has saved us a considerable amount of time, and therefore money.  It was a great recommendation by Song Song who handled the installation and commissioning, so our future corona requirements will be met by them.”

In addition to laminating, the NKC plant handles extrusion coating, and printing on three rotogravure presses, which altogether deliver an annual sales value of $20m that represents an output of 350m metres.  Currently, 80% of output goes to Vietnam based customers with the remaining 20% exported to the USA, Canada, Europe, and Korea, with plans afoot to add Indonesia to export list of countries.  Nam Kyung has ambitious plans for growth and knows it will need the support of local experts like Song Song and industry leaders like Vetaphone to secure its future.