X-Core® Twinwall Polyprop

Lightweight and durable plastic material made up of polypropylene sheets that are structured like a series of connected boxes or wavy folds.

Overview

Features

Solutions

Apex Polymer Solutions (formerly trading as Perspex SA) has invested a significant amount of capital in their Gqeberha extrusion facility by adding a dedicated corrugated polypropylene line, well known in the market as Correx® or Coreflute, also commonly referred to as Twinwall Polyprop. “The decision came after doing a considerable amount of market research and due diligence with the result clearly indicating that the current market’s supply cannot keep up with the local demand, never mind exports into Sub-Saharan Africa,” says Stuart Hughes, Managing Director for Apex Polymer Solutions. “By expanding our extrusion facility we have aided job creation and will soon be in an excellent position to meet customer demand quickly, increase revenue & profitability and provide a sustainable solution with a competitive advantage over our competitors through exceptional quality & service.

In addition to the new line, Apex has also invested in a hydraulic large format guillotine so they can offer a cost-effective and time-saving ‘perfectly square cut’ sheet solution to all large format screen and digital print customers.

This long-term investment will allow Apex to keep up with market trends and supply a market segment that they haven’t fully supplied before. Apex aims to have the X-CORE line commissioned by mid-October 2023 which means they will be ready to supply the market in time for their year-end Christmas roll-outs and start allocating capacity to customers involved with the 2024 national elections.

What is corrugated polypropylene?
Corrugated polypropylene is a lightweight and durable plastic material made up of polypropylene sheets that are structured like a series of connected boxes or wavy folds. The corrugated nature of the material makes it strong and resistant to cracks and impacts, while also being flexible and easy to cut, bend, and shape.

Key differences in the flutes:
After considering the flute types currently on the market and engaging with various stakeholders regarding the exact specifications needed, Apex decided upon manufacturing the X-CORE boards, which demonstrate the best strength, integrity and quality thereby aligning themselves with exactly what the market demands.

Key benefits of X-CORE/X-CORE PRO Twinwall polypropylene:

Durability: X-CORE is highly durable and can hold up well against harsh weather conditions, moisture, and rough handling. This makes it an ideal material for outdoor signage and industrial packaging.

Lightweight: X-CORE is lightweight, making it easy to handle, bend, die cut, or guillotine cut-to-size.

Easy to print on: Because polymers and many other substrates are non-porous, they don’t absorb ink, paint, and adhesive. Instead, media sits on the surface without bonding to it. By increasing the surface tension through microscopic chemical changes of plastic materials, (corona treatment) the ink or glue now has something to “hold on to”. For printing applications, X-Core PRO (with Corona Treatment) will be the solution, making it easy to print on!

Recyclable: X-CORE is 100% recyclable, which makes it an eco-friendly material. It can be reused multiple times, reducing waste and promoting sustainability. With the increased use of environmentally-friendly, solvent-free paints, primers and adhesives the need for surface treatment is more important than ever. These sustainable water-based products resist adhesion to many substrates, especially polymers, but not once they are corona treated.

Cost-effective: Considering X-Core’s durability, chemical and water-resistance, X-CORE is a more cost-effective material compared to other packaging materials such as cardboard, wood or metal which will need constant replacing.