Buhler expands extrusions business

As part of its extrusion engineering expansion programme, global technology group Buhler hasacquired the family-owned company Millbank Technology in New Zealand.

"The outlook for extrusion technology is bright: The process is being increasingly applied in the food, feed and pharmaceutical industries,where experts are convinced it stands to become a future key technology. Extrusion is therefore a promising growth segment for the Buhler Group,"​ the company commented in a press release.

Buhler is currently a leader in the field of high-value twin-screw extrusion technology. With the acquisition of Millbank's activities, the company is completing its product line by the addition of the more straightforward, lower-cost single-screw machines. Currently these type of machines are in particularly high demand in the markets of Latin America and South East Asia, where growth hasresumed.

Millbank, which is based in Auckland, is particularly active the growing South East Asian extrusion equipment market. In the context of a successorship settlement, Buhler acquired all the activities of the company inSeptember, integrating them in its Extrusion Systems business unit. Theequipment, which to date has been marketed under the name "Miltenz", will now be offered under the "MillbankExtrusion"brand. In view of the fact that Latin America and South East Asia are the main markets for this equipment, equipment and components will continue to be supplied to customers from Auckland.

According to Buhler the merger offers a number of advantages, including economies of scale and a global sales and service network that is already highly developed.

Buhler Extrusion Systems is currently focusing a large part of itsenergies on the Pacific Rim. Its commitment to this region became evidenta year ago, when it signed a licensing agreement on cooking technology with the Australian company Sanitarium Health Food. The company says that the acquisition ofMillbank technology further underscores its commitment to the region, where the food processing industry is growing exponentially.

Buhler is a global Technology Group and System Partner for plant and equipment and for process expertise in the fields of food processing,chemical engineering, and die casting, with a worldwide payroll of about 6,500.