Located in Parabiago, in the outskirts of Milan, the company, as many others worldwide, had a rough start to 2020 due to the pandemic. This however did not stop Kemind from operating. The company continued working, celebrated 35 years in business and became a sympathizing member of The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO). Over the past years, Kemind has also been developing and commercializing a new glue concept.
– We got a request from one our customers saying that they wanted to increase the mechanical actions of the glue concepts for their corrugated boards. We did a fair bit of research and came across graphene, which seemed like a possible candidate to help us achieve that, so we decided to try it, Paolo Massarutto explains.
Lower drying temperature makes a huge difference
By adding 2D fab’s graphene to the glue formula Kemind managed to increase production efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality for various corrugated board products. Their new graphene-enhanced additive glue concept was given the name Kemigraph® B.
– With Kemigraph® B we can increase production speed with 20-30% and reduce cost in production since the temperature needed to dry the glue is a lot lower. Another important parameter that Kemigraph® B contributes with is that it reduces the quantity of glue needed. The benefits are many, says Paolo Massarutto.
Corrugated boards are used for packing food, furniture and all sorts of items sold and bought not least via e-commerce. And it is a big industry. In America alone close to one hundred billion cardboard boxes are produced each year. Since Kemigraph® B increases the mechanical resistance in the glue it is especially suitable for heavy packaging.
– It is also very useful for fruit and vegetable boxes that need to be kept cold. When you put the boxes in the fridge regular glue can dissolve. Kemigraph® B however, in synergy with the WS Resins used for this scope, helps to keep the glue intact and prevents ungluing of the boxes, says Paolo Massarutto.
