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On only two conversion lines, Pakistani woven PP bag manufacturer Crafters produced the record number of 11.3 million AD*STAR block bottom cement sacks in one month.
The woven plastic packaging producer, based in Karachi, Pakistan, achieved this stunningly high production output with just two AD*STAR sack conversion lines from Austrian machine supplier Starlinger & Co GmbH: Already in July 2026 Crafters produced 11 million AD*STAR sacks, only to top this record in the following month of August with 11.3 million sacks.
“Our Starlinger conversion lines run 24/7 with their nominal production speed of 140 sacks per minute and are only stopped for roll changes or necessary works such as sack format change or maintenance,” said Muhammed Ali Rashid, CEO of Crafters Polypropylene Packages (PVT) Ltd. Crafters operates a woven PP sack production plant equipped with Starlinger machinery for AD*STAR block bottom sacks and FIBCs, consisting of two tape extrusion lines, winders, circular looms, coating and printing machines as well as two ad*starKON HX block bottom sack conversion lines. Since the start of AD*STAR sack production in 2023, Crafters has manufactured nearly 365 million woven PP block bottom sacks—an exceptionally high production output with this machine setup.
“It is only possible to operate an AD*STAR sack plant at this level when the machines carry out every production step with utmost precision and the operators are good at their job,” explained David Grabenweger, AD*STAR product manager at Starlinger. “This starts with polypropylene tape production, weaving of the circular fabric, coating and printing, all the way to block bottom sack conversion. Only with technically perfectly designed and maintained production equipment, a good quality assurance department, and highly skilled operators such as the AD*STAR production team at Crafters it is possible to achieve this impressive production record.”
Aiming for the 12 million mark
Crafters recorded an average waste rate as low as 2.5 percent in the entire production process during the months of the production records. “This is due to the reliable operation and excellent production quality of the Starlinger equipment—from tape extrusion to weaving, coating and printing to sack conversion,” said Muhammed Ali Rashid. “Because each process step is fine-tuned to the following step, the machines interact smoothly. Starlinger looms, for example, have the lowest fault rate in the woven PP business, so the reliably high fabric quality with very little weaving faults ensures that the following process steps can be carried out with top efficiency and minimum waste rates. We have next to no production interruptions due to jammed fabric or other technical issues. In addition, the high degree of automation of all the machinery makes changing the machine settings or the sack formats on the conversion line quick and easy. We are aiming now for 12 million sacks per month on our two conversion lines,” he added.
Crafters supplies the AD*STAR sacks primarily to the cement industry, one of their customers being Pakistan’s biggest cement producer Lucky Cement. With a packaging weight as low as 65 g for a filling volume of 50 kg, which is common standard for cement sacks in Pakistan, the AD*STAR sacks Crafters produces weigh less than the usual 70—80 g for a 50 kg AD*STAR sack. Despite the low sack weight, Lucky Cement reports average sack break rates of 0.07 percent during filling and loading, compared to 0.3—1 percent with kraft paper sacks under similar conditions. The precise AD*STAR sack production process also ensures uniform sack geometry and filling valve placement, which is crucial for a smooth, fast and trouble-free filling process on the cement filling line.
Crafters Polypropylene Packages (Pvt) Ltd. manufactures woven polypropylene sacks for packaging cement, sugar, fertilizer, rice, flour, and other dry bulk goods. The company was founded in 2021 and employs 325 people in its production facility in the Special Economic Zone in Bin Qasim Industrial Park, Karachi. In 2023 Crafters installed the complete AD*STAR sack production equipment from Starlinger with a nominal production capacity of 95 million AD*STAR sacks per year. In the course of its latest expansion project the company has further strengthened its manufacturing capabilities: The acquisition of the second polypropylene tape extrusion line as well as circular looms from Starlinger in 2025 enabled Crafters to diversify into the FIBC segment.
Note: AD*STAR® is a registered trademark. AD*STAR® sacks are produced exclusively