| Introduction to Flexible Packaging Nnamdi Anyadike ( | | 1] \ [ I L i U ubishdty Fira intertional Led im Randalls Road, Leatherhead suey 722 hs aK uu ‘T +4a (0) 372 02080 F +4g (0)1372 802079 E pibleatnsepre cask L ete | ——————‘he focs stout inthis publication ae obtained fom sours which we bole tobe reliable Honever we acept no legality of any kind for he publstion contents, no any Information contained therein not ceedusions drown by any patty fem it No pattof this publcaton may 7 be reproduced stored in a revival syst of transmitted, in any form orby ay means, electron, mecharica, Photocopying: cording 0° otheruis without the prior peimssion ef the Copight © Copyigt Fira Intemational Lid 2003, 15@N 1 85802 95 5 Publisher ‘Annabel Taylor annabelt@piracouk ‘Customer services manager Denise Davidson publicatons@pire.couk ‘Tag ohaT2 Boz080 ‘Typeset in the UK by Jeff Pore, Doepng St James, Peterborough LincsSeed eed Contents list oF figures v Curency conversions vi Raw materials and production Petrochemicals 1 Prices 7 Naphiha 2 Ethylene 4 Cellulose 4 Chernical pulps 5 Sulphate (aft) pulp 5 Cellulose film 5 Paper 6 Flexible packaging papers 6 ‘Aluminium foil 7 Flexible materials 8 Pololefins 11 Types of Rexible pasties 13 Other materials 14 Conversion of exible plastics 14 Polyethylene 15 Cast PP 16 PA 6 PENT WC 1S Galutoss 18 Barer packaging materials 18 Exhylene vinyl alcohol 19 Polyacrylonitiile films 19 PCTFE 19 PVOH, metalized fs 19 Polyethylene 19 Polypropylene 19 Poiyinylidene chloride: exomple Soran 19 High-barier substrate materials 20 Page lll © Copyrigh: ira intematonal lté 2003 WOH 20 PvdC 27 ‘Some polymer developments 22 etalocene polymers 23 exible packaging implications 25 Fruit and vegetables 26 Development drawback = process, cos, patent concerns 26 The technology 28 Competition 29 ‘Other polymers 29 olyers 30 Aliphatic polyketones 30 Liquid crystal polymers (CPs) 30 Films 31 Fim type and manufacture 31 Cast film 3 Blown fim 32 ‘Multilayer (high barter) Fim 33 Coextruded film 34 Taminated fm 35 ‘Metalised film 37 Tntelligent/smart fms 38 Oriented polystyrene films 39 Microwavable fis 38 ~ Edible and soluble films 39 innovations in flexible materials 41 ‘Modified atmosphere packaging 47 ‘Commercial examples 43 Retive packaging 4 Fresh foods 44 Processed foods 44 ‘Systems 44 (Other developments 46Introduction to Flexible Paclaging Contents Barer films 48 ‘intelligent packaging 49 Tntelligent plastics for packaging 49 Antimicrobial fm 49 Antimicrobial packaging fims 50 Hexible based retail units 53 Pouches 53 Commercial examples 54 idding 59 Bags 61 ~Bag-in-bax packaging 62 Bick packs 62 Reclosable devices 63 Flexible cans 65 Shaped bags 66 Sacks 67 Pe sacks 67 Hayy duty PE sacks 67 Wrutipacks 68 ‘rapping fim 5 Shrink sleeves 70 Label market 72 Gawure 73 leo 75 iithography 77 Digital printing 73” Flexible packaging machinery 85 alendering 85 Extruding 86 Blown fim exiusion 68 Sit diecast enrusion 69 Pageiv © Copytight Pre Interetional Lid 2003, Coexteusion 89 ‘Thermoforming 90 Veciura forming $7 Pressure forming 91 Thermoformefllseal 91 Lamination 91 Metalised lm 93 ‘Alurinium 93 Form/fil/seal 93 Legislative issues 97 Food contact materials 97 ‘Current activities ~ possible future 98 Raga 99-- CHIP CECH---CEEEEPEEE European legislation $9 “Notional legisiation 100 End-use markets 107 ed 17 ee ‘Meat and poultry 107 Vegetables 108 Frozen food 108 Frozen potatoes 109 ‘Soup 109 Salad ua TO Bead 1 Snack foods 112 Bits ‘Cokes 112 fn ana ta 2 Centebanny T3 Dried foods 113 Pharmaceuticals 114 DIY 15 Household detergents 115 Labelling 15ceo) t of figures 2a Monomers 12 22 The evolution of metallocene olefin polymerisation catalysts 23, ‘Structure ofthe flexible spout pouch 53 52 Dual chamber pouch 54 53. Structure of the dispenser pouch 55 5 The design of Procter & Gamble’ refill pack for liquid detergent 55 535 A resealablpouch's unique structure gives easy peel and reclosure 57 Unique structure of @ resealable pouch 56 57_An alterna adhesive closure 57 5B The concept behind Amcor Flexibles Europe's EasyPack system 63 5. in family 66 510 Film structures for pharmaceutical ister packs 69 BT Schematic of @ webled gravure printing unit 73 2 A conventional flexographic printing unit 76 Pagev © Copyight Pre intamationl Lt 2003 G3 The blanket-to-blanket configuration used on perfectors and vebed offset presses 78 ‘GA Typical layout of sheetfed offset press 79 65 Multiple nozzle, continuous inkjet printing mechanism 80 66 Continuous inkjet printing mechanism 81 Impulse (or drop-on-demand) inkjet printing mechanism 81 8 Dry toner electrophotographic ([aser) printer 82 71 Foursoll inverted L calender coater 85 72 Schematic oF simple extruder 86 7 Schematic of a simple extruder 88 74 Thesmoforming techniques 90 75 Crosssection oF atypical lamination 92 76 Wet method lamination 92Currency conversions Si=€095 fim €152 = €0.008 Fin=€o.5 Fin 0x7 Esc1 = €0.005 Skn=€on m Page vi © Copyright Pca Intenatonal Ld 2003ome oon) a] a Cc Petrochemicals Prices Raw materials and production Flexible packaging normally refers to the manufacture, supply and conversion of plastic and cellulose films, aluminium fols and papers. These may be used, separately or in ‘combination, for primary retail food packaging and labeling; nor-food applications, such as DIY and household detergents; and certain other specialist non-food niche sectors, such as medical and pharmaceutical packaging, This chapter endeavours to explain in simple terms, the basic primary production method of polymers used to make plastics for flexibie packaging from raw materials, With the exception of regenerated cellutose film and cellulose acstate, with its sub variants, all plastics are ultimately based on petrochemical feedstock. Consequently the price of raw materials for flexible packaging is very dependent on the price of crude oil PVC isa special case as about 50% by weight is accounted for by chlorine, which is available from salt or seawater. The main building blocks for producing plastics are ‘ethylene and propylene, which is obtained from one fraction ofthe feedstock via catalytic crackers of petrochemical refineries. Plastics manufacture accounts for only a sal proportion (about 496) of total world oil consumption. However, while this pattem has not changed greatly in the past it may well do so if other end users snitch to other forms of raw material or energy sourdes. The fact remains that while the flexible packaging industry is not very important to the oil industry, the oil and downstream, refined products industry remains hugely important tothe flexible packaging industry. ‘The supply of crude ol to markets in both the developed and developing world is surprisingly free from disruption considering the fact that a large portion of it comes from regions that are inherently unstable, such as the Middle East and Africa, For much of the 1980s, two of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (Opecs) major producers, ran and traq, were at war with one another and, as ofthe fourth quarter of 2002, all the signs were thatthe US was about to launch a second war against Iraq. However, while supply has tended to be unaffected by events in the Middle East, oil prices have long been subject to volatliy Ths volatility, which affects ethylene production costs and thus the price of a key polymer forthe flexible plastics packaging industry, helps to explain the various ways that the industy is attempting to introduce more cost-effective ethylene production Throughout 2002, the crude price of oll has been subject to 4 number of spikes and dips in response to sluggish world demand, quota-busting by Opec members, scarce commercial inventories, government stock-building and the prospect of war against Iraq In January 2002, a barel of Brent crude fetched $1752; this rose 70% to just under $530 at the end of September amid fears of war in the Gulf, Then during October the price of crude fell back 1% as the threat of war appeared to recede. As a result of the soft demand, supply slumped in 2002 as 4 milion barrels a day Were taken off the market. Opec has made progressive cutbacks over the 18 months to November 2002 in a bid to bolster the price of ol Page 1 © Copyright re Intemational Lid 2003Naphtha Introduction to Flexible Packaging aw materials an producton ‘The Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES) forecasts that Opec will be forced to cut back its production to 2533 milion barrels a day in 2003 compared with 271 million bartels in 2002. Sauci Arabia, as keeper ofthe oil surplus, has cut the bulk ofthis, and other countries’ quotas have been reduced in proportion to their production, Meanviile, commercial US crude ol stocks were at their lowest level in November 2002 since US energy authorities began keeping weekly records in 197g. Stocks are normally high ahead of winter in Europe and the US. The shortage suggests that prices could spike in 2003 ifthe winters especially cold. However, other industrialised nations have been quietly building up oil stocks to deal ‘with any supply interruption during a confic with Iraq, The US, Japan and Germany hold a total of 38 billion barels in stock, some 14 days of net imports. President Sush has already announced that the US is seeking to fill its strategic reserves. Nippon Oil of Japan has started to buy crude from Russia as wel as the Middle East. ‘Should cil prices, as seems likely, rise further in the current economic climate then mast upstream industrial activity wil be affected, High ol prices wil feed into inflation, hhamger industrial productivity and, in industries such as flexible plastic packaging where oil is a key raw material, the pressure on costs wil be severe. ‘The term naphtha is usually resticted to a cass of coloudess, volatile, flammable liquid tydrocarbon mixtures, one of the more volatile fractions obtained from the fractional distillation of petroleum (when i is known as petroleum naphtha). tis widely used as a solvent for various organic substances, such as fats and rubber, and in the making of varnish. Technically, gasoline and kerosene are also naphthas. Naphtha is also a feed in olefin production in the production of propylene and ethylene, roughly in a ratio of 3. I, however, the concentration of n-parafins in the feed ‘can be increased, the yields of ethylene relative to the feed can be substantially higher, up to 38-39% or more. With the reduced margins that most steam crackers are forced to ‘operate unde, cost reductions and improved yields are seen as essential Naphtha isthe mest common feedstock sent to naphtha cracking units for the production of ethylene. A typical naphtha feedstock contains a mixture of paraffinic, naphthenic and aromatic hydrocarbons with varied molecular weight and structure, The composition of naphtha feedstocks varies considerably, yet the composition has @ significant impact on ethylene and by-product yields, Ifa high ethylene yield is required, then itis preferable to have a high concentration of normal paraffin in the naphtha, Normal and non-normal paraffin decomposes to ethylene in a cracker, but the ethylene yield from normal paraffin is much greater. Coincidentally, refiners and aromatics producers prefer naphtha feedstocks that are depleted of normal paraffin, Naphtha that is depleted of normal paraffin contributes tote octane value to the refine’s gasoline pool and increases the aromatics yield in an aromatics complex. ideally, ethylene producers would use naphtha with a high normal paraffin Page2 © Copyright Pa Intemational id 2003, —$eee oo Introduction to Flexible Packaging ‘Raw materials and production Petrochemicals glossary Ethylene (CH,) Cracking Naphtha The simplest alkene, with two carbon atoms, ethylene isa colourless flammable gas, made industrially by the cracking of a fraction, typically naphtha, fom the fractional distillation of petroleum. itis often used in the manufacture of other chemicals. For example, direct hydration of ethene gives ethanol, whereas oxidation gives eponyethane and thence ethane-,2> CoH # GH ‘Thermal cracking involves heating the alkane to between 800 and 100°C, sometimes in the presence of supetheated steam. The reaction mechanism involves radicals. Another type of cracking is catalytic cracking (or ‘cat-cracking’). This does not require such high temperatures, 500°C being common, but does require a catalyst, such as silica (Si0,) or alumina (AO), The mechanism isles certain but may involve carbocations. The biggest difference is that the carbon skeleton suffers more rearrangement in catalytic cracking. This is put to good use in reforming. A fraction of petroleum obtained by fractional distillation. Different oll companies use different names for the fractions which have five to ten carbon atoms; the range from five to eight is often termed ‘gasoline’ and that from nine to ten ‘naphtha’. Naphtha contains mainly alkanes, both strightchain and branched. Its curently the favourite feedstock for further refining by cracking concentration, and refiners and aromatics producers would use naphtha that is depleted ‘of normal paraffin to increase their yields, However, relatively few steam crackers, particulary in Europe, are in a postion to increase their yields. The rain limitation is a lack of suitable opportunities for process integration that not only reflect the increased yield in ethylene but also provide for the enhanced utilisation ofthe remaining components: isoparaffins, naphthenes and aromatics. New technologies coming onstream seek to incorporate a processing unit that can effectively separate n-parffins from the remaining hydrocarbon components present in the naphtha feed. ‘Vapour-phase IsoSiv™ units were used to enrich the feed to steam crackers as far back as 1967, Various designs and operating modes were used for such units in general, hhowever, these units had faily high utility and operating requirements and there has been litle interest in the use of this technology in recent years. Recently, UOP LLC introduced a new approach, the MaxEne™ process for maximum ethylene production, which is an extension of the Molex processing concept, MaxEne Page © Copyright Pra interational in 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging aw material and production opetates in the liquid phase and was developed for the seperation of n-paraffins in the Ci-Cq range or as required (more often Cy-Ca oF Cy-Cu) as feed to steam crackers for the production of ethylene. “The recovety of n-paraffins from a MaxEne unit are claimed to be very high, typically rote than 90%. But while single-pass ethylene yields with the MaxEne unit have increased by over 30% the yields of propylene remain largely unaffected Ethylene Ethylene is the primary building block for many of the plastics we use every day. Ethylene is used to produce PE plastic from which a number of plastic packaging items are made, Ethylene is also used in other plastics, such as polystyrene (PS), polyester and acrylics, and is the main ingredient in ethylene glycol antifreeze. Ethylene’ role in flexible packaging is crucial, indeed, the raw material for al packaging plastics is ethylene. Ethylene is @ gas derived from natural gas or from 2 fraction of crude oil that has a composition similar to natural ges. Soth natural gas end crude oll are products of fossils and are therefore non-renewable. Producing and refining ethylene uses a lat of eneray, requiring combustion to achieve high reaction temperatures and refigeration to achieve extremely low temperatures to condense and separate gases (down to about -260°F, Largely because refrigeration is inherently mechanically inefficient, producing ethylene consumes atleast 20 megajoules - (MU) per kilogram of ethylene produced - 20M) would run 2 100W light bulb for 5& hours. ‘Much of this energy i generated at the production site by buring some of the feedstock of natural gas or crude cil ‘Once ethylene has been produced, its combined with solvents, comonomers, additives and other chemicals that will participate in the planned chemical reactions “The mixture is then subjected to a chemical reaction called ‘polymerisation’ which creates Jong:chain molecules Mono’ means ‘one’ and ‘poly’ means ‘many! so a ‘monomer’ is a single molecule like ethylene ~ which can be bound with other molecules to form ‘a polymer} The new polymer is extruded, pelletised, or flaked and the product is called ins Sold, re-extruded, and made into containers, films and other products (see Chapter 2) aresin, Cellulose This ‘bio’ raw material is used to make paper and film, both of which are used as flexible packaging materials. Paper is made of pulp that is mostly cellulose. The cellulase is sully derived from various vegetable fibres, chiefly cotton and linen, or from wood pulp. ‘The pulp and paper industry uses several processes to convert wood fibre into cellulose pulp, which is then manufactured into paper, newsprint, cardboard and thousands of other products. The basic pulp process reduces wood to fibre by mechanical means or by heating in chemical solutions. To make paper, the fibres are mixed with water and extruded in continuous sheets, which are pressed and dried. l Pulp is the product of the mechanical or chemical breakdown of fibrous cellulose ‘materials, more or less into component fibres. When mixed with water the mass of fibres | Page 4 © Copyright Pra Intemational Ld 2003, et' U Chemical pulps Sulphate (kraft) pulp Cellulose film Introduction to Flexible Packaging aw materials and profucion ‘can be spread as thin layers of matted strands. When the weter is removed the layer of fibres remaining is essentially paper, although in practice other materials may be added to sive the paper a better surface for printing, reater density or extra strength, as is the case for cardboard used in packaging, ete ‘The principal aim of chemical pulping is to remove lignin and other materials that bind individual cells together, so making fibres directly available for papermaking. Fibres are less likely 0 be datnaged in chemical pulping than in other pulping processes. Chemical pulping requires a significant amount of energy, mostly for process heat but uses less electrical energy than mechanical processes. However, many modern kraft pulp rls are totally self-sufficient in energy, with the combustion of residues and waste products meeting all heat and electrical needs. This process, where chips are cooked in a mix of more of less equal parts of caustic soda and sodium sulphide, is an improvement on the soda proces. kraft pulp is used where strength, wear and tear resistance, and colour are less important. The most obvious examples are brown paper bags, cement sacks and similar sorts of wrapping paper. Cellulose is a long-chain carbohycrate with no crosslinking, The large number of hydroxyl {groups in each molecule results in alot of hydrogen bonds and a consequent strong attraction between the chains. Cellulose is not thermoplastic, Cellophane is an important cellulose-based biofilm. Iisa transparent and flexible film, with good tensile strength and elongation properties. Cellophane is a regenerated form of cellulose Its often coated (e.g, with nitrocellutose-wax (NC-W) or polyinylidene chloride (PVdC)) to improve the water vapour barrier and make it heat-sealable. NC- \W/cellophane is fully biodegradable, but PVdC cellophane degrades to small PYEC fragments, which are not biodegradable, Uncoated cellophane is a good barier against coygen, fats, oils and flavours at low relative humidity, but these properties suffer 2s relative humidity increases. As cellulose is not thermoplastic it cannot be extruded, Cellulose films are not edible, although modification can solve this problem, Cellulose ethers (methyl cellulose (MC), hhydroxypropyimettyi cellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC], carboxymethyl cellulose {CMC)) are edible. These films have moderate strength, are flexible, transparent and resistant to oils and fats HPC is the only edible and biodegradable cellulose-derived polymer that is thermoplastic and, therefore, extrudable, One cisadvantage is its sensitivity to water, However, coating with solid lipids can be one solution, e.g, bilayer films of MC ot HPMIC. with steaic acid ot palmitic acid have been produced, Cellulose acetate or ethylcellulose ae thermoplastic, too, and can be cast from a non-aqueous solution or extruded, They provide good bariers against olls and fats, but not against water Page 5 © Copyght Pa Intemational itd 2009Imeroduction to Flexible Packaging aw mates ae production ‘Although cellulose acetate is not a good barter against water or caygen, it works well jhrmoisture products, because it breathes and does not fog up. Properties of cellulose-based films Films cast from aqueous ethanol solutions of these cellulose ethers have improved properties. They are resistant to oils and fats and act ‘as moderate barriers to moisture and oxygen. Other properties are: moderate strength, flexible, transparent, odourree and tasteless and water-soluble, MC is the most hydrophobic ofthe cellulose ethers, but its still not a good moisture barrie, However, is an excallent baie tthe migration of fats and cis. Cellulose-derived edible polymers are not capable of being extruded or injection moulded, because they are not ‘thermoplastic (except for hydroxypropyl cellulose). MC and HPMC both form thermally- induced gel coatings and are used on frozen French fies, onion rings and other fried foods to decrease oil absorption during cooking. Paper Paper and board-based packaging accounts for some 40% ty weight ofall packaging in the world. The main strength of paper-based packaging is its flexibility It is easy to print con and can be used in conjunction with other materials, such as plastics or similar coatings, for waterproofing. Unlike plastics, paper-based packaging Is made from a renewable material source ard there are already extensive mechanisms in place for the recycling ofthese grades. Paper is used to make three main types of packaging: comugated, sack kraft and containerboard. Corrugated board for packaging remains popular due to its relative strength, low cost and adaptability Paper products can be divided by grammage into two categories: paper and board Papers consist of one layer and weigh 25~300g/m:, Board is manufactured using a multilayer technique, and weighs between 170 and 6009/m ‘The line between paper and board is not clear cut, because the lightest boards are lighter than the heaviest papers. More important than weight, its use that determines ‘where the line is drawn ~ paper for printing and board for packaging “The strongest packaging paper is made of kraft paper. Unbleached or bleached kraft is used for making sacks, bags, linets and wrappers. L Flexible packaging This form of packaging is widely used 2s a disposable wrepping for food products and papers drinks that are not already packed. They are also used as a presentational outer covering for different types of products. Wrapping paper may be supplied coated or uncoated and ' in colour, Their main applications are in food and gift-wrapping and to give temporary protection to other loose retail products. Inthe wrapping of food, packaging papers can be used! to wrap products such as newly baked bread and fresh cheeses. The latter application is popular in France In the Handles well through machinery; I > Cheaper per square metre than other films {although more expensive than PE) due to: its lower density and higher yield. BOPP’s main drawback is its relatively high melting point of 160~165°C and very narrow thermal melt threshold for sealing purposes, which necessitates constant monitoring of the packaging line. u ‘The principal demand sectors for BOPP film include: Snack foods Confectionery \ Baked products 4 Biscuits } vvvvyy fees] vyvyy Page 10 © Copyight Fe Intematonl Ltd 2003 |et J poe c Polyolefins Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flee mates > Carton overwrap > Tea and coffee Polyolefins is the generic term used to describe a family of polymers desived rom a particular group of base chemicals known as olefins. The polyolefins family includes PP and PE, Polyolefins are made by joining together small molecules (monomers) to form Jong chains (polymers) with thousands of individual inks. ‘The base monomers, propylene and ethylene, are gases at room temperature, but \hen linked together they become long chains of molecules called polymers. As polymers, ‘hey form tough, flexible plastic materials with a large variety of uses. ‘The monomers are linked together by polymerisation. This requires high temperatures ‘and, in many cases, high pressure and the use of a catalyst system. Catalysts are generally «a mixture of titanium and aluminium compounds, Without these remarkable substances the production of polyolefins would not be feasible; the polyolefin success story is in large part due to increasingly powerful and sophisticated catalyst systems, Although ethylene had been successfully polymerised inthe 1egos, it was not until the early 19506 that progress was made with polymerising propylene, One of the problems ‘was thatthe propylene molecule, being slightly more complex than ethylene, could attach itself to the growing chain in one of three different ways. Unless al the links are facing in the same direction, however, the PP formed is an oily liquid. The secret to creating an “isotactic form of PP les in the catalyst used to drive the reaction: the right catalyst lines tp the molecules to ensure they are facing the right way when they join the chain After lenathy experiments with diferent catalysing agents, the breakthrough came on ‘1 March 1954, Over the following decades the catalysts and process systems used to produce PP and PE have been progressively refined. As development continued, catalysts became more powerful and sophisticated, the PP and PE produced became purer and more versatile and the production process became simpler and more efficient. Polyolefins are the world’s fastest-growing polymer family. Modern polyolefins cost less to produce and process than many of the plastics and materials they replace. In addition, continuous improvement in strength and durability enables manufacturers to use less of them. Todays polyolefins come in many vatieties. They range from tough, rigid ‘materials for outdoor furniture and car parts to soft, flexible fibres. Some have high heat resistance for microwave food containers, while others melt easily and can be used in heat sealable food packaging. Some are as clear as glass, others completely opaque. ‘Through research and development, the varity of materials available is increasing and polyolefins are steady replacing other polymers and traditional materials in many applications. Films made of polyolefins are widely used for packaging food and other goods, They are made by squeezing molten matetial through @ narrow slit. The film produced in this way may later be stretched to make it stronger. Films may be used for coating other materials such as paper to make them glossy or waterproof. ‘AS well as being highly transparent and glossy, the materials used for making films Page 11 © Copyright Pir Intemational td 2003 |Vinyl chloride monomer: Introduction o Flexible Packaging Flexble matels must also be strong enough to resist tearing orspiting during manufacture. When used to wrap food they must be acceptable under food contact rules The word's most widely used food packaging material is PP film because it provides strong, attractive protection fora wide variety of foodstuffs The latest advances in polyolefins are currently giving rise to interesting new developments in film technology. Page 12 © Copptight Ara Intenasonal té 2003,oo; ‘Styrene monomer: Types of flexible plastics Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flxile materials Flexible plastics packaging benefits from the wide range of polymers available, each with its own combination of physical and chemical properties, These polymers can be used alone o in combination with other polymers or with other materials such as aluminium or cardboard. The following is a broad breakdown of how these materials may be used: > Mono-material - shopping bags, candy wraps/twistwraps; > Polymer multilayers ~ detergent refill packs, PP big bags with PE liner, blood/ fluids bags; D> Combined with other materials ~ metallised film, PE line in steel drum, bagrin-box packages Polyethylene PE is produced in several forms. HOPE is used for both rigid and flexible packaging applications. In flexible applications, its used in the manufacture of Blowin ‘and cast films for many food items. LDPE is used in the manufacture of industrial liners, ‘vapour bariers, sink and stretch-wrap films, while LLDPE is used in the manufacture of stretch/cling film, grocery bags and heavy duty shipping sacks. Polypropylene FP is used in the manufacture of medical packaging, moisture-proof ‘wrapping and fet-esistant films. PET This is used for both rigid and flexible packaging In flexible packaging, PET is commonly used in the manufacture of pouches for boil-n-bag foods and pouches for steilisable medical applications. PVC Also used for both rigid and fiexible packaging applications, in recent years PVC has had to contend with concems from the environmental lobby. itis stil used, however, the manufacture of films for butter, meat, fish, poultry and fresh produce. itis also used Page 13. © Copycht Pra nternatonal Lid 2003,Other materials Conversion of flexible plastics Introduction to Flexible Packaging File matvls to make bags for blood and intravenous solutions and in the manufacture of blisterpacks for medical devices, pharmaceutical products, hardware and toys. Polycarbonate (PC) PC films are used for pre-baked bread, biscuits, confectionery, meat ‘and processed cheese, Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVAL) Also refered to as EVOH, this material is used in multilayered flexible packaging to provide an oxygen barrier. Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) This polyester is similar to PET but more temperature resistant iti expected to have a bright future when prices fall s production increases. PEtN offers a good balance of properties and manageability that provide many advantages in packaging applications that require: transparency, gas and water vapour barter performance, high-thermal performance, UV screening high strength and dimensional stability PEN's mechanical properties allow dawngauging to thinner films. It can also be blended with les expensive PET to produce a copolymer that is cheaper than PEN but ich retains PEN's superior bari properties. Polymers in combination Each packaging polymer has its own specific physical and chernical properties. One way of achieving optimum cost performance and a precise packaging function is to use a combination of different polymers. One example may be ‘the manufacture ofa toothpaste tube. Ths is commonly made out of several polymer layers, often with intermediate ‘tie ayers’ that bind them together It must also contain a barrier material Recycling also plays a role. In the packaging of detergents many containers are now rmade with three layers of the same polymer, such as HDPE, but with the middle layer ‘made from post-consumer waste, The outer layers of virgin polymer achive the desired surface characteristics and protect the contents from contamination, Polymers with other materials Plastics are sometimes used in combination with other materials. One example isthe breakfast cereal box where a plastic bag is often used inside a cardboard carton. Even here, to ensure maximum product freshness, the bag often has 2 mattilayer construction of different polymers. the case of pharmaceuticals, many products are packaged using plastic blisters and aluminium foil, ‘An important property of plastics, which makes them suitable for @ wide range of low-cost packaging applications, is their ability to be corwerted into a wide range of shapes, Extrusion The first of several shaping processes for plastics is extrusion. Granules are fed from a hopper into the barrel of the extruder where they are melted by heat and the age 14 © Copyight Fa Intemational ltd 2003Polyethylene Introduction to Flexible Packaging File materia mechanical action ofthe screw. The action ofthe screw forces the molten plastic through an orifice called a die, which determines the type of product produced, A die design will ‘create thin flexible plastic films of the type used for food packaging Cast film Packaging film can be produced by extrusion followed by cooling on chil rll ‘The temperature ofthe chil rolls is controlled in order to cool the film progressively. The gauge of the film is determined by the dimensions ofthe die and the rates of extrusion and take-off, When mote rapid cooling is needed, the film is sometimes passed through a water bath, During the production process cast film can be oriented ty stretching, This strengthens the fm and can also improve its resistance to gas permeation, Otientation can be in one direction (uniaxial orientation) or both (biaxial orientation). Film used to make bags is usually uniaxially oriented because most of the forces it experiences only occur in one direction. Calendering An aiterative method of producing film is to pass the extrudate through a calender. Unlike the chill rolls used in the cast film process, pressure is exerted in the sheet between the rolls of the calender. This enables special surface characteristics, either smooth or textured, to be applied. Sheet thickness can be controlled by the size of the aap between the rolls. The temperature of the rolls is controlled so that the film remains hot, uring the calendering process. Cooling is carried out at a later stage. Tight control over the film or sheet thickness can be achieved through the calendering process, which is often used in the manufacture of PVC, Blown film A popular way of making film is by a process of extrusion through an annular die to produce a tube. Ar is blown into the tube casing it to form a bubble. ‘When the bubble has cooled sufficiently it is collapsed between rolles and wound on to ‘a drum, The blowing action stretches the film radially; often the film is also stretched vertically by the winding process. The result avery strong biaxially-oiented film ‘Multilayer films, often used for food packaging, can be produced using this process. PE in its various forms ~ LOPE, LLDPE end HOPE ~ is by far the most common film ‘material used in converted primary flexible packaging, Its principal properties are: Cheap relative to other films Good puncture resistance Good low temperature performance Good sealing properties and the ability to be sealed to itself without coating Good moisture barrier properties, Poor gas-harier properties. PE mono web film uses include: frozen foods, confectionery, processed meat packs, coestruded inner bags for cereal packs, bead bags, rice, collation shrink wraps, and overwrapping for a number of products such as ktchen rolls and toilet paper. vYVVYYY Page 15 © Copyright Pe Intemational ltd 2003 | SLCast PP PA Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexible matals Historically growth in westem Europe is around 15% a year. Based on this consumption in 2006 will be just over1 milion tonnes, up from around 975,000 tonnes in 2002 Some 5: milion tonnes of PE films were consumed in western Europe in 2001, about 0% of this by packaging applications; under its broadest definition, this included stretch and shrink films, camier bags, fuse sacks, household bags and heavy duty sacks. E film usage in converted flexible packaging applications is estimated to be around {975,000 tonnes in 2002, having grow from around 920,000 in tag8. Future growth in demand is unltely to be high, which reflects both the maturity of the market and the encroachment of othelfilms such as BOPP in a number of applications. “The growth in consumption of CPP is expected to rise in western Europe in the years ahead, Annual growth, according to historic trends, wil be just under 5%, If this continues, demand for CPP will be atound 180,000 tonnes by 2006, ‘Among the properties for which CPP film is valued are: High impact strength Good moisture-barrer properties Poor gas barrier without coating Ability to be sealed to itself Excellent clarity and stiffness Easy to rege or incinerate. Its end use applications include: Textile packaging ‘Transparent windows in food cartons Bread and bakery products, with significant demand in Germany and Scandinavia Confectionery twistwrap, especially in Germany Medical and pharmaceutical applications in multilayer constructions vvyvvy Flower wrap Laminations with other materials, vvYyYVVy In 2002, some 100,000 tonnes of nylon resins were consumed in western Europe in flexible packaging applications. Inthe late 1990s, demand was growing at some 4000 tonnes a yee. Based on historic trends, consumption wil ise to close to 120,000 tonnes by 2008. Nylon films are used in a number of packaging applications. Their gas-bertier properties mean that they are often used in mullayer structures and frequently in combination with polyolefins for barter pouches and lidding films. Among the end-use applications are: PA/PE laminations reverse printed for conversion into pouches for processed meats and frozen fish; and coextrusions for processed meats, cheese and medical packaging, ‘Mote than half of western European demand for nylon resins fr flexible packaging applications is forcast nylon films (CPA). The remainder is for biaally-oriented nylon film Page 16 © Copright Pra ncernational td 2008Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fleible materials (B0PA), for which demand is growing at some 6% a year compared with 5% for CPA, barrier fis and other coextusions. PA's characteristics include: D> tis the most expensive of the main films used inflexible packaging: > Excellent puncture resistance giving high-tensile strength and the ability to remain flexible at low temperatures; D> Good gas- and odour barrier properties; D> Moderate to good moisture-bartier properties, D> tis not sealable to itself except with coextruded versions Some 60,000 tonnes of PET was used in westein Europe for flexible packaging in 2002. Based on historical growth rates of more than 796 a year, this could rise to around 75,000 tonnes by 2006. Polyester film is highly regarded forts advanced technical, properties, which are exploited in a wide range of food applications. The most important are in the packaging ‘of fresh meat, fish and poultry, processed meats, snack foods, baked goods, died foods and convenience foods. Polyester film, which is expensive relative to PE and BOPP, has the following properties: Superior puncture and stretch resistance Very strong Good thermal stability High cary Available in thin gauges down to 12 microns Moderately good ges and moisture barrier Excellent cartier web for coatings and vacuum metalising Cannot be sealed to itself except when coextruded or coated with a heat-seal layer ‘The main trends associated with the different types of PET film include: Growth in the use of corona-treated film because suppliers now sell it at the same price as plain film; > PVdC-coated PET films ate being replaced by silicon oxide- and EVOH-coextruded PET films; > tis anticipated that coated PET films, such as acryliccoated films, wil become the standard commodity film in place of corona-treated and plain PET film, ‘The PET packaging film market in western Europe is growing at around 4.5% a year based 6 historic trends, and should continue to do so over the next few years. ‘The principal reasons forthe continued growth in demand for PET films reflect those for growth in the flexible packaging market as a whole, These include: the growth of packaged foods in western Europe, particularly prepackaged fresh meat, snack foods and convenience foods, such as ready-made meals; and the growing use of prepackaged foods in southem European countries like Spain. vVYYVVYVY vy Page 17 © Copytght Fra Ineratona td 2003,Pvc Cellulose Barrier packaging materials Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexible mates In addition, polyester film-based flexible packaging is replacing other packaging formats and materials, including rigid packaging, and aluminium foils are being replaced by retallised polyester fim in laminate applications. Very little growth is expected for this sector in the years ahead. Demand for PVC films for flexible packaging applications in western Europe was around 53,000 tonnes in 2002 and is expected to rie to $6,000 tonnes by 2006. By far the most importent applications are for machine overwrapping of fresh meat, fish, poultry, cheese and carton overwrap. Some PVC film is also usedkfor confectionery twistwrap, particularly in France, Spain and other parts of southern Europe In western Europe as a whole, consumption of PC films is growing at barely 1% a yeat. This is largely because the use of PVC packaging fim hes come under attack from the environmental lobby, but also because of downgauging, Environmental concerns have been the main reason forthe decline in consumption of PVC films in the northern European markets of Germany, Scandinavia and the Netherlands since the eatly to mid-iggos. By the late 1ggos, demand in the UK, which had previously held up because of effective lobbying by the industry and the higher cost of alternatives, also began to deciine ‘This was in part a result of the multiples moving from in-store PVC overwrapped EPS trays for red meat to centrally packed MAP systems. In other areas, such as overwrap for fresh poultry, demand has been resilient, although new thermoformed packaging formats are challenging PVC overwrap. : Alternatives to PVC film for cling overwrap include newly-developed high-larity ‘thermoplastic elastomers and pastomers based on olefin and styrenic monomers. Wester European demand for cellulose film for flexible packaging applications in 2002 is estimated at around 15.000 tonnes, 2000 tonnes less than in 1gg7. Although the steep declines of the late 1egos are leveling off, Further decline is expected in the years ahead; demand in 2003 is forecast at 13,400 tonnes. Cellulose has been the vitim of material substitution by BOPP and other films in high-volume standard packaging applications. One of the drawbacks of cellulose film is its relatively high cost compared with BOPP a result ofthe expensive chemical production process involved in its manufacture, Nonetheless, despite this adverse price differential, cellulose remains popular among ‘many small food processors that operate older or slower equipment, as itis a ‘forgiving’ material with a wide thermal-sealing tolerance and good machineability. Itis expected to continue to fulfil a niche role in flexible packaging. New products, such as pearlised colour effects, are being developed to broaden its appeal. ‘The presence of a layer of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) in, for example, high-barrier pouches dramatically lowers the oxygen transfer rate (OTR). Their lower OTR makes these Page 18 © Copright Fra Intestinal td 2003Cc Ethylene vinyl alcohol Polyacrylonitrite films PVOH, metallised film Polyethylene Polypropylene Polyvinylidene chloride: ‘example Saran Introduction to Flexible Packaging edhe mates Pouches a good choice for products, such as sliced luncheon meats and cheeses. EVOH is far and avay the most widely used barier material. However, itis sensitive to moisture ‘As moisture increases, EVOH!'s crystalline structure plasticises and creates pathways for ‘925 molecules, Its effectiveness as an oxygen barter then decreases accordingly. Polyacrylonitite (PAN) films are fabricated using both spin. and solvent-casting techniques, and pyrolyzed to produce carbon flms 200~50,000A° thick. These films have higher electrical conductivity than carbon films produced from most ther precursors at similar temperatures Just over 25 tonnes a year of PAN is used as barrier material in packaging worldwide and growth is estimated at just under 4% a year. Larger amounts are used in composites for non-packaging applications in, for example, the automotive, construction and aerospace sectors. “The best current moisture-banier film is polychlorotrfluoroethylene (PCTFE), which has a water vepour transmission rate (WVTR) of less than o.03mg/day for most structures and is the only true high-moisture-barrer Film resin. The WVTR is usually determined at 100° and go% relative humidity, High-bartier films have WTR values of o.03mg/day or lower. ‘A-commercial example from the pharmaceutical sector is Acler®, Honeywell International, Inc's registered trade name for its high-barrer films made from PCTFE. PVOH is used as a coating to give packaging film high-barrer properties. One commercial ‘example is Hifipac Ss cast P, acryic/PVOH-coated transparent flm for packaging dried fruits and nuts. This package is said to have an eco-iendly structure and a good combination of materials for high baner, transparency and gloss. Low-density PE film is @ poor gas banter, but resistance to gas transmission increases with density. PE is frequently laminated with other, often more expensive films to combine its ‘good moisture-barrier and heat-sealing properties with other desirable properties. (OPP film is usually stronger and more resistant to the transmission of water vapour and gs than PP Ths orientated film has sightly lower water vapour and gas transmission rates than'a medium-density PE. It is resistant to fat, acids and alkalis. ‘Manufactured by Dow, Saran F-Resins ae available for solvent coating of cellophane and ‘other film substrates. Polywinyldene chloride (PVC) is inert when in contact with food and can be used either as a film or asa coating on other films Ii often linked chemically with PVC to produce a range of copolymers. PVEC provides an excelent barier to water vapour and oxygen and is therefore useful in preventing fat in fish from going rancid, Ibis resistant to fats and oils and to many organic solvents, PVC and its copolymers are most frequently used as thin coatings on other, cheaper fils. Page 19 © Copyight Fira Inernational Ltd 2009 | ESHigh-barrier substrate materials EVOH Introduction o Flexible Packaging Feb materials § \Westem European demand for high-barier substrate materials, such as EVOH and PVC {or flexible packaging applications, was put at around g5,000 tonnes in 2002. The growth in demand i high and, in 2006, is forecast to reach 140,000 tonnes, a near doubling in demand compared with 2000 when it was 79,000 tonnes. “The development and exploitation of a growing range of sophisticated barrier films in the form of laminations, coextrusions and coated films, induding metallised materials, has been contral tothe success of flexible packaging inthe past two to three decades. In the years ahead new developments are expected which will lead to greatly extended shel iver a wide range of food products, The use of ‘smart’ films, which can ‘modify their barier properties in response to external changes in temperature and humidity, is also expected to grow. | High-barrier substrates are often loosely defined to include a wide range of | laminated, coextruded, coated and fol substrates that offer a better oxygen and soisture transmission barrier than monolayer and coextruded films. ' EVOH is a polymer with superior oxygen-barier properties in dry conditions but not when ‘exposed to water and steam during thermal processing or retorting. However, EVOH can, be partially protected from moisture when its coextruded as an internal layer in multilayer plastic retortable structures that include high temperature-esistant polymers i such as PP. Because of theit excellent gas-barrier properties EVOH resins offer outstanding protection against odour and flavour permeation and are finding applications in the active packaging area. EVOH's growing importance as a food packaging polymer is a result of its excellent } processability high thermal stability and recyclabilty. indeed, some studies forecast that demand for EVOH will grow at 10.6% a year, as it has proven its value when used in coextrusion structures, “The biggest EVOH producer in Europe, EVAL Europe NV. (Antwerp, Belgium), a subsidiary of Kuraray Co. Lid, is currently doubling its praduction capacity from 12,000 tonnes to 24,000 tonnes a year. The new facility, which is costing an estimated ¥8.5 billion (€68 million), is scheduled for completion in the, third quarter of 2003. | ‘This is considered necessary in order to meet growing worldwide demand for EVAL™ L EVOH resins EVALM is the egistered brand name while EVOH copolymer resin isthe chemical name of the product EVAL Europe is the only producer of EVOH copolymer resins in Europe and is a world leader in EVAL™ EVOH production and development Kuraray has continued to expand its food packaging business since commercial production of EVOH resins began in 1972. Principal EVAL applications include food packaging (coextruded flexible films, sheets, bottles and tubes), automotive components (fuel tanks and lines), and medical and 4 pharmaceutical packaging. : Worldwide growth in demand is over 10% a year, with growth in the food and | age 20 © Copyright Pra Intenatona Ltd 2003 (] EEE cece eee cecePvdc Introduction to Flexible Packaging leibe materials pharmaceutical sectors accounting for a large proportion of this, The company has plants in Okayama, Japan (annual capacity 1,000 tonnes), Pasadena, Texes (EVAL Company of ‘America, 23,000 tonnes) and Belgium (annual capacity 12.000 tonnes). The combined ‘capacity of the Kuraray Group stands at 45,000 tonnes, which the company estimates will rot meet growing demand and explains the reason for its expansion plan. Kuraray designates EVAL™ as one of its core businesses in its five-year New Medium- ‘Term Business Plan (C-21). The plan focuses on the strengthening and expansion ofits global business. EVAL is also regarded as a key product for expanding demand in eco- friendly areas, one of the four strategic areas defined in the company's expansion plan. In line with this goal, it aims to ensure that the new procuiction facilites feature process improvements that take environmental presewation needs into consideration, After expanding in Europe, Kuraray is considering a similar incease at its EVAL Company of America site in Texas, US. The plan is to increase capacity by 12,000 to 24,000 tonnes @ year to 35,000 to 47,000 tonnes a year. EVAL produces a number of EVOH resins fora range of applications > EVAL has the loviest ethylene content of any EVOH and is suitable as an ultra high barrier grade for several applications. > EVAL F offers superior barier performance and is widely used for eutornotive, bottle, film, tube and pipe applications. D> EVALT has been specially developed to obtain good layer distibution in thermo- forming and has become the industry standard for multilayer sheet applications D> EVALJ offers thermoforming results said to be superior to those of EVAL T, and can be used for unusually deep-draw or sensitive sheet-based applications D> EVALH has a balance between high-banier properties and long-term run stability. It is especially suitable for blown film. There ate special ‘U' versions that allow improved processing and longer running times even on less sophisticated machines, D> EVALE' higher ethylene content allows for greater flexibility and easier processing. ‘There are different versions for cast and blown film as well as for pipe. b> EVALG has the highest ethylene content, making it the best candidate for stetch- and shrink-ilm applications. EVAL's main customers are in the food and non-food packaging sectors. Foods packaged include: meat (fesh meat, dry meat, fruits, cheese, ham, pasta, piza, sausage, salami, yoghurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, bread, coffee, tea, milk, beer, juice, snacks and pet food. [Unspecified growth is forecast forall sectors to 2007. PVC was developed in the 1950s and therefore has a long history of use as a high-barrier ‘matetial n the early 1990s, it was one of four options for customers that required barrier properties in their packaging: the others were nylon, EVOH and metallised films. Nowadays, PVAC is commonly used in multilayer constructions with other materials to provide enhanced barrier properties. Copolymers made from PVdC are resistant to a number of foreign materials, They Page 21 © Copyight Fir Intemational Ltd 2003Some polyme developments Introduction to Flexible Packaging in Fide ates all provide a barier against gases, odours, water, water vapour, ils and fats, and are also used in the coating of various materials (paper, plastic film, thin aluminium foil) which is primarily used in the packaging of food and pharmaceuticals, Widely used to over wrap foods, Dow's Saran wrap is a commonly used trade name ‘or PVdC. Saran monolayer films come in a variety of grades, with various cing, shrink, batter properties and colours. Each grade can be supplied in a range of widths, lengths, and thicknesses, and several grades are available in a rainbow of colours, Saran films can be used in a number of ways: i > To wrap items.such as cheese, bakery goods, marzipan, processed meats and other food items. > in more sophisticated packaging applications they can be heat-tacked and sealed ' using radio frequency sealing equipment on form/fill/seal(FFS) machines >in tubular form forthe production of low-shrink bags ot for sausage production, ; > As patt ofa laminated packaging structure or in water vapourretardant structures in} the building and construction industry. Saran PVEC has a unique molecular composition, which gives the film high-bartier | properties, including cost-effective and dependable oxygen-bartier performance for the : packaging of meats and fish, It also has an improved moisture-barrer performance that = keeps crackers, cereal and shelfstable baked goods fresh and crisp. i Dow claims that its PVdC has superior barrier characteristics to EVOH as it delivers I il performance at eal-world temperatures and humidities, not the zero relative humidity i environs where EVOH is typically tested, n The flexible packaging industry is poised to introduce and capitalise on new technologies It will also benefit from new specialty PP copolymers and terpolymers, including functionalised resin systems that make it possible to produce both engineered and clastomeric PP grades. Many of these new technologies result from improved rmetallocene/singlesite and traditional Ziegler-Natta (2-N) catalyst. Wiite large producers such as Basel, BP, BowonMotil and Dow are leading the way, the PP industry as a whole retains latent and commercially underdeveloped product technology with cost/performance advantages. Access to these technologies will play a U role in improving producers’ long-term profitability. Although PP offers @ cost/ performance advantage over other materials, it i stil applications driven. PP product applications development, diversification and substitution ‘or existing plastics and materials have been and will continue to be a lifeline for PP producers. n addition to the obvious economic benefits derived from consolidation, improved access to technology will broaden the range of higher value products offered by larger players. { Page 22. © Copyight Pia iteration Ltd 2003 I— Metallocene polymers Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexible materals Metallocene-based catalyst technology is revolutionising the polyolefin industry, particularly the markets for PE and PP Some have called metallocenes the single most important development in catalyst technology since the discovery of Ziegler-Natta catalysts, This optimism is reflected in the R&D efforts of the major polyolefin producers which, according to some estimates, spend about 75% of their total polyolefin research effort on metallocenes, with the remaining 258% spent on the incremental improvement of conventional technologies. ‘Metaliocene polyolefins are projected to penetrate many polymer markets. Firs, the higher priced spegialty markets, followed by the high-volume and commodity markets. New markets ate also expected to be created with the development of new classes of polymer that were not possible with corventional Ziegler-Natta technologies. Conventional LDPE accounts for 5596 of the polymers processed by European film extruders. But an AMI study shows that linear low density and metallocene polyethylenes (mPE) are growing steadily; they accounted for 28% of films in 2000. oud BO sero we ll Source Piro Intemational 6d ‘The primary reason forthe increased interest in this new technology is that metallocenes offer some significant process advantages and produce polymes with very favourable Page 23 © Copyright Pre intemational it 2003 (4Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flee razaals Differences between Ziegler-Natta catalysts and metallocenes Ziegles-Natta catalysts: > Tho presence of several metal sites gives less control over polymer branching > Monomer insertion occurs at the end of the growing chain > Changing metal cente is ineffective Metallocenes: Single metal site allows for more control over branching and molecular weight distribution; > Insertion of mongers between metal and growing chain of polymer; > Versatility with countless variations (ie. bridging atoms, overcrowding), properties. Metalocenes are a relatively old class of organometallic complexes, with ferrocene the first to Ue discovered in xgs, At the time, the term metallocene was used to descibe a complex with a metal sandwiched between two etas-cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligands. Since the discovery of ferrocene, a large number of metalocenes have been propared and the term has evolved to include a wide variety of organometallic structures including those with substituted Cp rings, those with bent sandwich structures, and even the haifsandwich or mono-Cp complexes. ‘The sandwich structures have been known for decades, but were not considered practical as catalysts. Then, in the mid-igBos, German professors Walter Karinsky ofthe University of Hamburg and Hans H, Brntzinger of the University of Konstanz showed that rmetallocenes had industrial potential. Since then research has focused on modifying, improving and extending this catalyst family ‘Metallocene-based polymers tend to have the following features, for example: increased impact strength and toughness; better melt characteristics, because of the control over molecular structure; and improved clarity in films, Most ealy applications have been in specialty markets where value-added and higher-priced polymers can compete. As the technology develops and catalyst costs decrease, metallocene-based polymers are expected to compete in the broader plastics market {exon Chernical and Dow Plastics are leeding the plastics industry into the metallocene era. Competition comes from other plastics producers which are polishing technologies to increase productivity, reduce costs and create intellectual property estates. Exxon first produced metallocene-based polymers with its Exxpot catalysts in 1got.t now markets about 3 grades of ethylene-butene and ethylene-hexene copolymers under the Exact trade name. in April 2002, ExxonMcbil Chemical Company and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding, inc, began expanding thelr metallocene ethylene elastomer production facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, The facilities ate expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2003 and will add capacity of more than 90,000 tonnes a yeat. ‘The capacity expansion will include EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber), plastomers and novel polymers all produced using Exxpol metallocene technology. Exon age 24 © Copyight Pra Intemational Ltd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging File mateals 4 4 believes that having both conventional Ziegler-Natta and metallocene catalyst technology gives it the opportunity to supply its customers with a broad range of curent and new products. Dow uses its Insite technology to make ethylene-octene copolymers, which the ‘company launched in tag3. Copolymers with up to 20% (oy weight) octene are sold as Alfinity ‘plastomers and compete with specialty polymers in packaging, mecical devices and other applications, Dow says its catalysts permit the uniform introduction of comonomers and long-chain branches that improve processability in otherwise essentially linear polymers. 2 ‘With an octene content of more than 20%, the copolymers fll into the elastomers Fresh fruit, vegetables and salad > Dry foods, meat and cheese > Food on high-speed packaging lines, ‘Although metallocene-based films have been commercially available in the US since the early 1gg0s, they have not been generally available in volume in Europe until finly recently, However, investment in new plant over the past two to three years has resulted in big improvements in the availability of metallocene-based films in Europe. In the 1990, biopolymers, which are biodegredable materials produced from agricultural feedstock, were being touted as a possible replacement for more established hydrocarbon based polymers. They have many of the properties of traditional plastics and can be processed using conventional techniques to produce films, coatings, mouldings, Page 29 © Copyight Pa intemational Ld 2003,Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fol materials containers, laminates and sheet. Their attraction is their biodegradability in a varity of ‘environments, such as sil and sewage systems, and the fact that they can be disposed of by composting. “The main drawback is that biopolymers are expensive and unlikely to be considered viable in mainstream volume-packaging applications until they can be produced on 2 conimercial scale to compete with conventional polymers ‘The wider use of biodearadable films is also held back by their inability to fit into any regular revalorsation channels. ‘Aliphatic polyketones This high-barier polymer material has similar properties to EVOH, Aliphatic polyketones ate strong, tough and perform well a high temperatures, Materials can be produced with melting points up to 140~180°C. ‘Work is being undertaken on grades for packaging, engineering and fibre applications. The materia’ low gas and particularly oxygen permeability offers potential applications in long shelife food packaging and other packaging sectors, such as household products, medical products and pharmaceuticals, Liquid crystal although only used in engineering applications at present, itis predicted that LCPs could polymers (LCPs) be promising material for packaging in the future because of ther very high-barier properties, high strength and clarity. Until recent, LCPs could not be made into a usable packaging film material because conventional blow extrusion techniques produced a product with low tear resistance, streak and pinholes in the cross machine direction Recent work appears to have resolved some of these problems. In the longer term, LCP could be used in LCP/thermoplastic coextruded laminate strictures for use in high- barier packaging. ‘Although LCPs are expensive, prices are expected to fal, which could make them competitive in applications such as retortable food pouches and microwaveable trays and lids, Thee is also the potential to use go% PET/10% {CP resin blends to exploit the high- barter properties and mechanical strengths of LCPs and produce a competitively priced- material with properties markedly superior to conventional PET. i ‘This could in theory offer the possibility of producing 2-micron films of consistent thickness and strength, but with barrier properties comparable with 20-micron PET. Page 30 © Copyright Pra Intemational 6 2003,(rams i i Film type and manufacture Cast film ‘Much of the growth inflexible packaging can be attributed to the increase use of films and the manufacture of better resins that produce films with a wider range of applications than was previously the case ‘The film industry is witnessing a growth in the popularity of oriented plastic films, \which are now used extensively in flexible packaging, Bi-orented polypropylene (PP) films are the langest segment ofthe oriented-flm market, with global consumption of more ‘than 2.24 milion tonnes in 2002. Orientation technology is used extensively in plastics processing to improve virtually all ofthe plastic fibres on the market today. End-users of films and fibres may not be ‘concerned with the use of orientation directly, but the film and fibre products they use are significantly improved by the technology. Tensile strength, toughness, and barter properties are justa few of the properties often improved by a factor of three or four ‘when compared with their non-criented counterparts Another benefit of orientation is that it can create shrink characteristics in films. The molecules of a plastic film, if stretched at the correct temperature, wil retain a memory to retum to their original shape. Thus, films oriented at the corect temperature will shrink back to their original shape when re-heated, ‘A variety of plastic resins can be processed or oriented to create a shrink film. PVC, polyester, PP and polyethylene (PE) resins ae all very popular all are used as raw materials for oriented films and all are processed to form shrink films. However, each family of resins and resulting shrink films has its own processing requirements, its own characteristics and its own market niche. Oriented polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a popular choice for security sleeves, shrunk around bottle closures for products around the globe, Oriented PP is a popular shrink film for consumer products where lower levels of shrink are required. PE is used as a bundling shrink film, where cost isa significant factor. In the blown film process, resin pellets are melted and forced through a circular die. Cold air is blown into the middle of the moiten film and forms it into a bubble, The thickness of the bubble wall can be as thin as o.onicm and must be held to close tolerances. The bubble cools on its way up a tower. On the way down, the bubble is collapsed and cut into two film webs. Finally, the webs are trimmed to size and wound around cores to form the rolls of stretch film that are sold to customers (Cast manufacturing is different, After the plastic esin pellets are mixed and melted, the molten plastics extruded through 2 long, precsion-made die onto 2 rotating drum. ‘The drum has a highly polished stainless steel surface and is filed with a chilled liquid to keep it at around 60°C, The surface of the drum gives cast film its clear, smooth appearance. After the film solidifies on the drum, its fed to the cutters, then the winders, Cast film isa thin, non-oriented, clear, flexible substrate with high-impact strength and good tear resistance, Because of the immense number of polymers and combination of Page 31. © Copyight Fira itemational td 2003Blown film polymers that can be cast, properties can be tailored to meet almost ary packaging reed, including high-barrer performance against gases and water vapour. The principal applications for cast film are food, textile, pallet stretch, cling, stationery and medical packaging. ‘The cast film process involves the extrusion of polymer melt through a slot or flat to form a thin, molten sheet or film. This film i ‘pinned! to the surface of a chil roll (typically water-cooled and chrome-plated) by a blast of air from an alr knife or vacuum ‘box The film quenches immeciately and then has its edges slit prior to winding ‘These fast-quenchapabilities mean a cast film generally has much better optics than a blovn film and can be produced at faster line speeds. However, it has the disadvantage of higher scrap due to edge-trim, and very litle film orientation in the crossdirection, Cast films are used in a variety of applications, including stretch/cing films, personal care films, bakery films and high-carity films. Coextrusion is also @ growing process technology, which can provide additional functional, protective and decorative properties Blown film moulding uses a jet of air to blow plastic polymer into @ circular cross-section blown film. Once the plastic has been blown out, rollers flatten it into a sheet of double~ thickness film and it is automatically cut to length “The whole process i vey efficient because litle polymer is needed to produce large quantities of film, Blown film plastics are usualy thermoplastics. Blowin film is one of two principal processes used in the fabrication of film products. Films are typically defined as less than 10 mils (0.254mm) thick, although blown film as, thick as 20 mils (oxgmm) can be produced. The blown film process is used to produce a ‘wide variety of products, ranging from simple monolayer films for bags to very complex rmultlayer structures that are used in food packaging ‘The material feed system combines virgin polymer with recycled material from edge ‘rim or scrap film, The recycled material may be chopped film, compacted material or repeletised, The virgin material can be a single component or blends of two or more polymers. Various additives, such as slip, antiblock or pigments, can also be blended into the feed to the extruder. The feed can be monitored for output ate using gravimetric load cells, which control the extruder screw speed or the haul-off dive speed to maintain constant film thickness. “The extruder isthe heart of the blown film process, It consists of a motor drive, gear box, bartel with heater/cooling zones and a rotating screw. This mechanism conveys the poljmer into the extruder, melts the polymer then creates enough pressure to push the ‘molten polymer through the die, “The blown film die forms the molten polymer from the extruder into an annular shape. The die is designed to provide a uniform polymer velocity around the circumference of the die exit. ‘After the molten polymer exits the die itis formed into its final dimensions and Page 32 © Copycight Fira Intemational itd 2003a a a Multilayer (high barrier) Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fins cooled. The molten polymer is stretched by expanding the bubble using ar pressure trapped inside. The web is drawn down withthe nip rolls educing the film tothe desired thickness. Airis ejected through an air ring onto the bubble surface to ool the molten polymer web. When the molten polymer is solidified, the tube is stabilised and collapsed in a frame just below the nip rolls, After collapsing into a flat web, any of several auxiliary processes can be performed, such as treating, sitting, sealing or printing, The fnished.im can be made into rls using a winder for later processing o fed to an inline bag machine and converted into bags, ‘A multilayer structure (MLS), either laminated or coextruded, is needed to give fiexible packaging both strength and barrier properties, Some of these MILSs, even those for seemingly simple products like snack foods, may have seven or more different plastic layers, ech performing different structural barrier or adhesive functions. ‘There has been significant growth in plastic banier packaging since the discovery and development ofthe fist synthetic specialty barrier resin, polyvinylidene chloride (PVAC or Dow Chemicat’s Saran R brand) in the 1950s and 1960s, The commercalisation of ‘ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) came later, in the to70s. The development of coextrusion technology enabled the efficient manufacture of multilayer plastic structures in a wide range of thicknesses in a single pass through a ‘machine, Ths eally caused barter packaging growth to take off in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Before then, Mi structures were made by laminating two plastic layers together, a slower and intrinsically less efficient process, Lamination is still an important IMLS method, especially for resin combinations that are difficult to coextrude. ‘The perfect polymeric barier does not exist, and probably never will since each application has different requirements, n some cases, for example in the packaging of meat, PVC film, which is not a good oxygen banir, is commonly used in supermarket meat displays since it keeps the meat colour red and inviting for the short time it is on sisplay But forthe long-term transport or storage of meat. a good oxygen barter is needed to prevent spoliage Current batrier packaging plastics are good, but problems remain that restict their use or hinder their growth in many applications. These include: D> High cost ~ they ate almost always more expensive than a simple monolayer plastic package of, for example, LOPE or LLDPE. > Susceptibility to contamination or degradation, especially by moisture. EVOH best illustrates this problem. Its hydroxyl groups give it good barrier qualities but also ‘make it susceptible to hydrolysis. As a result, EVOH only can be used 2s an inner layer inan mits > Disposal or recycling problems. Most MLSs contain more than one type of plastic, so cannot easily be commingled and recycled with, for example, HDPE or PET. Mary Page 38 © Copyright Fa Intemational itd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging n Fs } muhtlayer containers have to be classified and labelled with the SPI recycling number i "7 or ‘other. > Challenges from competing materials, some as old as olas, others new, such as sllicor-oxide glass coatings, which can provide a superior barrier, ‘Most of the plastic multilayer Films used in the food packaging industry contain several thermoplastic films to combine hydronhobic, diffusion barrier and mechanical properties. But mukilayer films can only be recycled if tey are added to a commingled plastics recycling process. Tie alternative resuse ofthese plastics has recived litle attention, Studies are | underway to look into the possibility of reprocessing multilayer plastics, Five-layer ! LDPE/nylon-6 films with an overall content of 7 wt LOPE, 24 wi% nylon, and 5 wi% adhesive (a PE-based graft copolymer) have been successfully reprocessed under both | rninimal and extensive mixing conditions. Minimally reprocessed film has given better mechanical results than extensively mined samples. The minimally reprocessed film had O, and HO vapour-barrier properties on a par with es-teceived film. Coextruded film Cosxtrusion combines two or more molten polymer layers into @ composite extruded web or tube that provides functional, protective or decorative properties. The introduction of new high-performance polymers, the development of new processing equipment technology and the emergence of many new packaging applications has resulted in high ‘growth rates in coextwusion. For food packaging, medical packaging and general packaging applications cast cooxtruded banter film of three layers (exposed nylon) or five layers (buttied rylon/EVOH), comprising @ barrier layer made of nylon or EVOH and outer layers of PP and/or PE, can be used, The different layers are designed to give heat seal, erinting and barrier properties to the end package. It provides excellent oxygen/gas/aroma/moisture- barter properties for Food packaging resulting in a much longer shelfife. Applications eu include fresh and cooked meat, retort pack, bakery and cheese packs and processed fruit packs. These films are also used in medical packaging, eg. for syringes and needles. i “The majority of new equipment being installed for both blown- and castfilm al extrusion willbe capable of coextrusion, The shift to coextrusion is being made because =|, the technology can meet a wide range of application needs, including the ability to achieve specific performance properties, to reduce cost, to use fewer processes and to reduce waste. ‘The advances in coextrusion equipment technology the new polymers introduced, and the market application development have made coextruded films attractive. But to take advantage of coentrusion technology, companies must develop the techniques and knowledge necessary to produce these sometimes complex film structures, In ecent year, there has been an increase in the number of polymers available for eotruson, There are several to choose from, with attibutes such as high Larirs, selected age 34 © Copyight Pa Intemational Lid 2003 i —_—_———Laminated Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fins permeation rates, adhesion, high-strength sealants, easy-opening (peelable) sealants, low. temperature sealants, high hot tack sealants, high-tensile strength, high-impact strength, high-tear strength, high modulus, high-temperature resistance, low-temperature impact, high clarity, abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, low taste and odour, high cing, ow slip, stabilised, degradable, antistatic, antifog, pigmented, thermoformable, the list goes ‘on. The performance attibutes of polymers will continue to grow as new application needs are identified Sometimes the requirement for specific perfomance properties cannot be met by a single polymer, dFeven by blends of different polymer types extruded in a monolayer film, Blending may not be desirable ifthe polymer types are incompatible. Coextusion with a ighstrength polymer can allow significant downgauging while maintaining or improving ‘ey properties. Heatseal polymers can be incorporated into a film structure to improve packaging line efficiency or speed. CCoextrusion can lower the cost to produce many films by reducing the amount of expensive polymer used, increasing the amount of less costly polymers, using recycled material, or reducing film thickness, Competitive advantages can be achieved for many coextruded film structures, ranging from the high-volume trash bag market, to high technology-barrir food-packaging films. Coextrusion can reduce the number of process operations required when several polymers ate needed to obtain the desired properties. Combining operations into a single process provides more space for cther equipment and generates less scrap than multiple process steps. Coextrusion can also eliminate the use of solvent-based adhesives. This may provide some cost savings in raw materials, With increasing regulations governing the use and disposal of solvents, the cost of incineration or recovery can be high. Eliminating the use of solvents can also help to reduce these cost. CCoestrusion allows scrap or trim material to be recycled into the core of the structure. ‘The increased desire to reduce waste and use recycled materials makes coextrusion an ‘even more attractive option. Flexible plastics can be used in lamination with other materials, This is an important _application area because it can provide enhanced properties such as barter performance. In vacuum packaging, oriented PP (OPP) films laminated with PE are used to achieve 2 tight vacuum, because OPP film is more resistant to gas permeation and effective at ‘maintaining high carbon dioxide and low oxygen levels inside packages as well as the flavour ofthe products, Such multilayer film is considered to be an active packaging film because gas concentrations inside packages reach desirable levels a short time after sealing, At high temperatures, however, OPP-laminated film packages become loose and inflate As government regulations to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions become more and more stringent, film-laminating converters are faced with several choices that enable them to comply with the new laws. Page 35 © Copyright Fa Internationa td 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging elms First-generation adhesives The first solentiess laminating adhesives developed were polyurethane moisturecuring products. These adhesives are made from isocyanate prepolymers, the product of a reaction between polyol and excess isocyanate. The prepolymers are high in viscosity, which gives excellent initial bond strengths, but require an application temperature of go to 100°C. The adhesive is coated onto the primary film ‘and atmospheric moisture reacts with the excess isocyanate groups to crosslink the adhesive after the secondary film has been mated to the primary film; slitting can usually take place in 2g to 72 hours. Fitst generation curing mechanism: BANCO + H,0 = RANH, * CO; ANH, + R-NCO = R-NHCOHIN-R ‘The problems encountered inthe use of first-generation adhesives are bubbles in the lamination, a cloudy appearance in clear films and the inconsistency ofthe cure rate. The bubbles are produced by the by-product of the curing reaction, carton dioxide, and can be trapped when high-barter films ate amtinated. The amount of atmospheric moisture that comes into contact with the adhesive as itis coated can lead to a cloudy appearance in clear films and inconsistency in the cure rate. Moisture is often added to the primary film bry means of a soray boom just prior to nipping the secondary film, This wll increase the rate of cure, but it also reduces the clarity ofthe laminated film by leaving a cloudy ‘appearance. This cloudy appearance is readily seen in clear laminations and inthe clear package window areas of printed structures, ‘Second-generation adhesives The next major advance in solventess laminating adhesives was the development of two-part polyurethane adhesives. These comprised a polyurethane prepolymer and a polyol, both fow in viscosity. The components are mixed together with a meter-mixdispensing unit at room temperature and pumped onto the coating station of the laminator through an inne static mixer. The meter-ix, in combination with the static mixer, ensures that the proper ratio of adhesive components is present and completely mixed to give @ consistent cure rate. ‘Second-generation cuting mechanism: RANCO + HO-R' = RNHCOO-R’ The problems encountered in the use of second-generation adhesives are low initial bond strengths and the presence of high residual monomer. The low initial bonds are a result of the low viscosity of both adhesive components, which means tighter laminator controls ‘are needed to prevent laminations from tunnelling before the adhesive has a chance to cute. Slitting of the lamination can only take place after @ 12 to 48-hour cure time. The high residual isocyanate monomer causes a phenomenon known as anti-seal. This occurs Page 36 © Copyright Pra Intemational Led 2003 or ar raeeemnarnneomenn rete ee 3 =ur Introduction to Flexible Fins seeder when the isocyanate monomer migrates through a soft sealant film, such as PE, and reacts with atmospheric moisture. This reaction creates a very hard and thermally stable polyurea layer that renders the laminate unsealable. in addition to the amti-seal problems, there are possible health risks from worker exposure to the high-residual monomer. Finally, the presence of isocyanate monomer requires Environmental Protection ‘Agency (EPA} documentation and reporting, which can be time-consuming for any laminating converter. To address the problems associated with using first- or second-generation solventless adhesives, thtc-generation two-part polyurethane adhesive systems with a consistent cure rate, low residual monomer and increased initial bond strengths have been developed. secretin Third-generation adhesives Typical thic-generation adhesives are based on moderateviscosty polyurethane polymers that require a 50 to 70°C application temperature. The increased viscosity of the third-generation versus second requires @12- to 24-hour cure time before slitting. Third-generation adhesives are made using a process that removes nearly all of the excess isocyanate monomer from the prepolymer Component, which consistently results ina blended adhesive system with less than 0.08% free isocyanate, The low residual isocyanate monomer eliminates the antiseal issue, health concerns from worker exposure to isocyanate monomers and the regulatory documentation associated with isocyanates, Thitd-generation curing mechanism eee eee) RANCO + HO-R' = RNHCOO-R’ c ‘The majority of solventiess laminators in the US still apply a second-generation adhesive system, The meter-mix dispensing units are not generally equipped with heating capabilites. In order for a laminating converter to begin using a third-generation adhesive, capital expenditure is necessary to equip its meter-mix-dispensing unit with heating capabilities. This capital expenditure can often delay the conversion to a third- generation adhesive or altogether discourage a converter from changing toa third- u generation system. To overcome this hurdle and minimise the equipment expenses associated with using a third.generation adhesive sytem, a third-generation adhesive has been developed that can be purmped and mixed at room temperature through existing meter-mix dispensing Units used for second-generation products. Ths system gives laminating converters the many benefits of using a third-generation adhesive without the need to invest in expensive meter-mix dispensing equipment upgrades. L Metallised film — Metallisation involves the application of a thin layer of aluminium to a film substrate. The process takes place inside a chamber, where heated aluminium is evaporated onto the film as itis unwound and then rewound at high speed in a vacuum. The resulting film is Page37 © Copyright Pia Intemational itd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging : Fins not only visually more attractive but also considerably more resistant to oxygen and water vapour transmission. ‘Mainly used in the packaging industry, metallised films can be used simply for decorative purposes or as sealer to prevent the absorption of moisture through i ‘board, They can also be used in the lamination of fish boards and carton lidding for the same reason. Metalised films can be overprinted with a colour wash to give the effect of ~ ‘coloured foil board ~ in any colour Metallisd film is used in a wide variety of food packaging applications where either high-barier properties. ora striking appearance is required. Examples include: crisp packing (BOPP), bread wrap (PE) and sweets (CPP). The process is also used to metallse i BOPET for capacitors, ; Polyester-metalised film is one of the most widely used plastic films in the world. i “There is great demand for its lustre properties and itis used in highly diverse applications, : ‘rom industial to decorative packaging, UCB Films produces a range of metallised films, including Propafoil™ RVG, a high- brilliance metallised film which is supplied in a range of thicknesses for use in lamination ‘or as a monostructure for products that require superior on-shelf aesthetics. ‘Another example is Propafoil™ RM, which has a low heatseal threshold acrylic coating that provides an excallent oxygen barrie for biscuit products. RMC can also be used as a single web or laminate ‘The development of these films reflects the growing use of metallised film inthe packaging of confectionery and biscuits. UCB Films works very closely with confectionery packers to ensure its research and development resources are concentrated on those areas, of greatest importance to them. Intelligent film/ Intelligent or smart films are a variety of specialised films engineered for packaging ‘smart films requirements where the performance of standard film is not deemed good enough, Patents are being taken out in the US on a film developed to provide temperature- sensitive variable oxygen permeability. This coextruded film could have important implications for packaging high-tespiration foods such as fresh fruits. t works by means of the differential expansion of two film layers. The film is cut with a pattem of small U-shaped incisions, which curl at certain temperatures to allow higher product respiration. ‘Another more sophisticated technology produces a film in which the permeability of the polymer is modified at the molecular level by changes in temperature. Film converters are also offering high gas-permeability micro-perforated films that will allow produce to breathe, thereby helping to extend shelf life. Food companies are also testing the potential of these films in bacteria detection. ‘Such detection tests could then be incorporated into food packaging. One possible BL scheme under investigation is for film wrapping with an indicator that changes colour ‘when certain bacteria, such as Ecol are present. a | Yee RAR Page 38 © Copyright Pra Intemational Lid 2003,Oriented polystyrene (ors) Microwaveable films Edible and soluble films Downgauging Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fins (OPS films are now starting to be used for decorative shrink sleeves and tamper-vident neck seals for drinks bottles. OPS film is also used as a lidding membrane enabling single material tub and lidding film to be used for easier recycling, But the general consensus is that they are unlikely to make fast headway against existing materials used for these applications, Food manufacturers are putting a lt of effort into developing microwaveable food products, such as ready meals, soups and sauces, Results have been mixed with some foods, such as microwaveable pizzas, proving disappointing. Problems include uneven ‘ooking and moisture build-up in product packs, which makes the food soggy Converters are attempting to address some of these problems by developing special microwave films and rigid containers. Some of the films absorb the oils or moisture produced during heating. The materials are manufactured from a combination of paper pulp and non-woven PP, which taps the moisture in ‘pockets. But these technologies are relatively expensive and because the packaging is often cf multimateril construction can contravene environmental initiatives to minimise packaging. Nonetheless, they are likely to find acceptance in northern Europe where there is a high household penetration of microwaves and widespread consumption of ready meals, such as pizzas, ‘The trend towards minimising packaging and single pack materials could, according to Pira’s predictions, result in demand for edible and water-soluble films in the next few years, These mateiials ae particulaly suitable for applications where plastic wrapping is used, such as shrink-wrapped pizzas and frozen ready meals. Edible films, such as those produced from cellulose, have been around for some time, but these cannot be used as a moisture barrier because they are completely soluble, New wheat-based gluten materials, on the other hand, do not break down when they come into contact with moisture at normal temperatures. The material has high- temperature solubility, which results in it melting away when heated in a microwave. Soluble films are also being used in non-food applications. Downgauging of materials has been a key response to the ongoing need to maximise the cost effectiveness of packaging, while maintaining functional performance through the supply chain, Examples include: on packaging lines, achieving higher filling speeds and reduced waste; in dstibution, by using lighter materials; and for the consumer, improved product protection, incteased freshness and reduced waste. ‘This development has been particularly apparent in the barrier layers of laminates, (usually the most expensive materials) Today, aluminium fol is typically used at 2 thickness of nearer six microns compared to seven, nine or even 12 microns a few years ‘ago. EVOH layers in extruded laminates have also been downgauged from 5-10 microns 2 few years ago to two microns or less today. Page39 © Copyright Pia Intemational Lid 2003| k Introduction to Flexible Packaging Films ‘These improvements have been made possible through process development by fil, foil and resin suppliers, as well as by flexible packaging converters, allowing better web ‘tension control and more even layer distribution in film coextusion. The barrier properties cof metallsed films have also improved significantly. This is achieved by improved adhesion to the base substrate, which allows the barrier performance to be maintained throughout conversion, packing and distribution. “The European Commission (FAIR project is examining the future of biodegradable packaging film materials in high-barrer applications through research into film forming, coating and lamination technology. “The aim of the project is to produce biodegradable polymer films ~ using short-term renewable resources ~ for medium and high-barrer flexible packaging applications which, compared with the conventional polymers in present use, are > Competitive in terms of functionality > Comparable in integral costs for materials, processing, use and waste management D> Compatible with biological waste management strategies > An improvement in terms of environmental impacts over the whole product lifecycle. Cellulose films are seen as offeting good perspectives and have been selected for the project. Gut as cellulose alone has neither sealing nor sufficient water barier properties, further conversion steps ~ compatible with the key targets of biodegradability and the renewable sources of the materials - are necessary to achieve the functionality profile ‘essential for packaging “The European Commission expects the project will develop two groups of transparent biodegradable packaging film laminates ~ one with medium-barter properties and one with high-barrer properties ~ based on: > Cellulose films with plastcisers from renewable sources; > Additonal polymeric barie/sealing layers also from renewable sources, and thin inorganic banier films with sufficient gas and watervapour barter properties, also i humid conditions and the applicability on typical packaging equipment. 40 © Copyright ia Intemational Ltd 2003 i i i ‘ i | iModified atmosphere packaging (MAP) Innovations in flexible materials The growth in the use of flexible packaging has been helped in no small measure by the development of new and better film types which have increased the range of applications. The development of new-generation films and polymers mean that in the course of the coming months and years we can expect to see greater use of films containing active ingredients, intelligent or ‘smart films, anti-microbial films and rmetallocene-based films Since the 1990s, the spread of metallocene-based films has transformed biawally- oriented polypropylene (BOPP) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLOPE) packaging fils used in the wrapping of fresh fruit and vegetables, ry foods, meat and cheese. Investment inthis technology is proceeding apace in Europe and recently there have been big improvements in availability, ‘There has been a rise in the use of active packaging intelligent packaging and high- barter packaging, all of which has required new development in film technology or adapting to the ways in which flexible packaging film is used, Together with the development of new polymers it is clear thatthe use of flexible packaging will continue to increase in the future as converters and customers alike find innovative ways in which to package their products, |In recent years, the plastics industry has developed new catalyst technologies to ‘manufacture resins used in breathable films for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems, giving processors more options for keeping fresh-cut produce fresh. The premise of MAP is fairly simple. After produce is harvested, it continues to live and breathe, consuming oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide in the process of converting ‘lucose and cxygen to water and carbon dioxide. MAP extends the shelf life of fresh-cut produce by reducing its respiration rte and the aging associated with it Designing a successful MAP system is a somewhat complex task involving multiple variables, itis important to consider the produce being packaged. Lettuce, spinach and ‘cabbage, for example, all have different respiration rates and reactions. The dimensions of the package (volume and surface area) and the weight of the produce in each package ate also important, as are control over storage conditions and refrigerated temperatures from field to table. ‘A properly designed MAP system should reduce produce respiration, but not completely stop it A fine line exists between extending shelf life and creating an atmosphere in which produce spoils. Care must be taken to maintain enough oxygen in the package to allow limited eerobic respiration. If very litle or no oxygen is present, ‘anaerobic respiration takes place, followed by rapid spoilage. For this reason, high-barrier packages, vihich prevent most transmission of oxygen and other gases, are generally not suitable forthe long term packaging of fresh-cut produce, Packages designed with selective barrier properties that provide a controlled oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and effectively control the oxygen concentration inside the package are the key to successful MAP applications Page 41 © Copyight Pia lmemationl Lid 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging trmovations in flexble mates ‘While oxygen and carbon cioxide concentrations are important, temperature can be the ‘most important factor in determining the produce respiration rate. When produce is stored at room temperature it ages rapidly. For this reason, many types of produce are refrigerated at or below 40°F. Once produce requirements have been determined, its important to select a film structure that meets them, OTRs, optical properties, hot-tack initiation temperatures and strengths, and heatseal initiation temperatures and strengths should be determined, Each should be appropriate forthe product. Printabilty, machinabilty and toughness should also be considered. Historically, products such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) have been used for packaging fresh-cut produce. EVA, however, has disadvantages compared with polyolefin plastorers (POPs) and ultra low-density polyethylene (ULOPE) resins, which provide better optics, better seal performance, higher hot-tack strength and much lower watervapour transmission rates (WVTR) at comparable OTRS. POPS are a new category of polymer material that has found widespread use in fresh-cut produce packaging and other high-performance applications. Because they offer a unique combination of high oxygen transmission, relatively low WVTR, excellent seal performance, excellent optics and low offtaste and ofFodour contribution, POPS are preferred for use as the sealant layer and high OTR structural layers in fresh-cut produce packaging, Once film selection has been made, itis important to ascertain that all minimum requirements of the film have been met, Can the selected film thickness be easily fabricated and formed into bags on high-speed vertical form /fil/seal (FFS) lines? How ‘easy is itto manufacture? Will the CO, concentration in the package ever exceed the ‘maximum acceptable CO, concentration? Does the package meet the legal requirements for materials and labelling? Will the package meet the requirements of the grocer? Changes in eating habits inthe western world and more recently in parts of the developing world are helping MAP to increase its market, One area is in case-eady and fastfood outlets. Case-ready is the term normally used to describe meat products sold at retailer, ie, fresh meat that is already cut, packaged and labelled. ts similar to centrally processed beef, ie. meat that aries already cut but which is then packaged and labelled store, These can either be MAP or vacuum packed. ‘One company, Convenience Food Systems, expects ready-meal growth in areas outside of the UK (whichis growing by 096), namely France (179), Spain (896) and the US (12%). Growth is also forecast for Scandinavia and Germany, where the market for hermetically: sealed chicken is taking oft. Forecasts over the next five years in the industrialised world include a greater move towards: easy meal solutions, smaller portions and convenience packaging, marked value chain considerations fresh distribution and food safety, These trends will all have positive benefits for MAP. In this emerging market sector, growth will be seen in fastfood restaurants, modem retailing, increased exports and frczen distribution, Page 42 © Copright Pir Intemational Lt 2003Commercial examples Active packaging Introduction to Flexible Packaging Innovations i lable materals ‘There will be continued growth in portion packs witha ise in pack value of some 12% a year and a rise in the tonnage packed of around 3% a year. Prepackaged salad with tomatoes. Ready-to-eat salads that include tomatoes and feature an extended shelf are on sale in US supermarket chains. The produc, branded ‘Salad for You’, stays fesh for 2-14 days using SunBlush’s Maptek Fresh MAP. The packaging circumvents the process whereby tomatoes naturally emit ethylene gas, which yellows lertuce overtime. As a result, salad ingredients can be kept crisp for longer. According to Suniflush, the packaging construction includes a top web consisting of a semi-permeable four-layer film laminate, long with a clear, thermoformed plastic tray on the bottom, which has individual cells for the various salad products. Using Maptek Fresh packaging, according to SunBlush, tomatoes can be processed when their colour is slightly less than what would be considered optimum for eating and will continue to ripen inside the package. Cut tomato wedges then have a shelflife of 14 days ata storage temperature of 41-45°F. As ripening takes place inside the recyclable package, according to SunBlush, flavour volatiles are not lost, and the texture of the tomatoes is maintained with litle deterioration during the storage period Prespacked cheese with MAP Dutch cheese manufacturer Kaptein B.V. has improved the texture and appearance of its pre-packaged cheese slices with MAP using Mapax gas supplied by the gas-technology firm AGA. The MAP system has enabled Kaptein to achieve superior product quality and consumer appeal, and extend the high-quality shelf life ofits packaged product. Kaptein supplies the Dutch market with millions of slices of cheese ennually in addition to its export activities. Compared with traditional vacuum-packing technologies, which eliminate free space around the packaged cheese, AGAS Mapax system is used to package cheese with an ‘optimal gas mixture that actually allows the cheese's aroma and taste to develop within the package. Unlike the rubbery-looking cheese slices commonly produced with conventional vacuum packing systems, AGA Mapax produces attractive cheese slices that ate easier for consumers to separate. For each daity item that isto be packaged, AGA develops a product-specific mixture ‘of gases, using carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen as appropriate, This minimises microbial growth while promoting the natural functioning of the food products. Mapax technology can be applied to packaging for a variety of dairy products, including hard or soft cheeses, cottage cheese, yoghurt and cream, Mapax can also be used with both deep-draw and horizontal flowswrap machines to meet a wide range of capacity and product requirements, ‘Active packaging refer tothe incorporation of additives into packaging fl, or within packaging containers, with the aim of maintaining and extending product shelf lif, There are a range of technologies involved in active packaging. These include: oxygen Page 43 © Copyight Aa Intrntional Ld 2003,Processed foods Active packaging Introduction to Flexible Packaging inavations ia Fite mates scavengers, carbon dioxide scavengers/emittes, ethylene scavengers, preservative releasers, ethanol emitters, moisture absorbers, lavour/ odour absorbers, lactose and cholesterol removers, temperature control packaging, anti-bacterial films, MAP and controlled-atmosphere packaging (CAP) ‘The market segments where this type of packaging is used include: meat and poultry, fresh fish, frit and vegetables, dairy products, dried foods, fresh pasta, snack foods, biscuits, bakery products, beverages, ready meals, pharmaceuticals and electronics. ‘The main purpose of food packaging is to protect the food from microbial anc ‘chemical contamination, oxygen, water vapour and light. Active packaging does more than simply provide a barrier to outside influences, It can control, and even react t, events taking place inside the package. Immediately after they have been harvested or slaughtered fresh foods are still active biological systems. The aimosphere inside a package constantly changes as gases and moisture are produced during metabolic processes. The type of packaging used will also influence the atmosphere around the food because some plastics are poor barriers to gases and moisture ‘The metabolism of fesh food continues to use up oxygen in the headspace of a package and increases the concentration of carbon dioxide. At the same time water is produced and the humidity in the headspace of the package builds up, This encourages the growth of spoilage microorganisms and damages the fuit and vegetable tissue. ‘Mary food plants produce ethylene as part oftheir normal metabolic cele. This simple organic compound triggers ripening and aging, This is why fruit such as bananas and avocados ripen quickly wen kept in the presence of ripe or damaged fruits in a container and broccoli turns yellow even when kept in the efigerator. ‘Active packaging offers a solution in this area where itis difficult with conventional packaging to optimise the composition of the headspace in a package “The shelf life of processed foods is also influenced by the atmosphere surrounding the food. For some processed foods, a lower oxygen level is beneficial. Tis slows down the discolouration of cured meats and powdered milk and prevents rancidity in nuts and other high-fat foods. High carbon dioxide and low oxyger levels can pose a problem in fresh produce leading to anaerobic metabolism and rapid rotting, However, in fresh and processed meats, cheeses and baked goods, carbon dioxide may have a beneficial antimicrobial effect, Active packaging employs a packaging material that interacts with the internal gas environment to extend the shelf life of food, Such new technologies continuously modify the gas environment (and may interact with the surface of the food) by removing gases from or adding gases to the headspace Recent technological innovations for the control of specific gases within a package Page 44 © Copyight Pe Intemational Ltd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Innovations in fleble mateials involve the use of chemical scavengers to absorb a gas or other chemicals, which may then release a specific gas as required, Ethylene scavenging A chemical reagent incorporated into the packaging film traps the ethylene produced by riening fruit or vegetables. The reaction is irevesible and only small quantities of the scavenger are required to remove ethylene in the concentrations in which itis produced. Films containing scavengers are already being used as a valuable means of extending the export life offi, vegetables and flowers. These systems can involve the inclusion in the package of a small sachet, which contains an appropriate scavenger. The sachet ‘material itself is highly permeable to ethylene and diffusion through the sachet isnot a serious imitation. The reacting chemical for ethylene is usually potassium permanganate, which oxiises and deactivates it ‘Oxygen scavenging The presence of oxygen in food packages accelerates the spoilage ‘of many foods. Oxygen can cause off-lavour development, colour change, nutrient loss ‘and microbial attack. Several different systems are in production or being investigated to scavenge oxygen at appropriate rates for the requirements of different foods One of the most promising applications for oxygen-scavenging systems in food packages isin the control of mould growth, Most moulds require oxygen to grow and in standard packages it is frequently mould growth that limits the shelf life of packaged baked goods such as cakes, crumpets and packaged cheese. Laboratory trials have shown that mould growth on some baked products can be stopped for at least 30 days using active packaging; significant improvements in the mould-free life of packaged cheese have also been achieved ‘Another promising application is the use of active packaging to delay oxidation of and therefore rancidity development in vegetable oils Discrete sachets containing axygen absorbents have already found commercial application. In this instance the scavenging ‘material is usually finely divided iron oxide, These sachets have been used in some countries to protect the colour of packaged cured meats from oxygen in the headspace and to slow down staling and mould growth on baked products, eg. pizza crust. This approach of inserting a sachet into the package is effective but meets with resistance fiom food packers. The active ingredients in most systems consist of a non-toxic brownblack powder or aggregate which is visually unappealing if the sachet is broken. ‘A much more attractive approach is the use of a transparent packaging plastic as the scavenging medium, Carbon packages because they inhibit the surface growth of microorganisms. Fresh meat, poultry fish, cheeses and strawberries all benefit from being packed in a high carbon dioxide atmosphere, je release High carbon dioxide levels are desirable in some food Payeas © Copycht Pa Intrntional Lt 2003,i tl ' i Other developments ‘snevatons in floble raters However, with the introduction of MAP there is @ need to generate varying concentrations ‘of carbon dioxide to suit specific Food requirements, since carbon dioxide is more permeable through plastic films than oxygen, carbon dioxide will need to be actively produced in some applications to maintain the desired atmosphere in the package. So far the problems associated with the difusion of gases through the packaging, especially carbon dioxide, have not been resolved and this remains an important area of research. Ethanol release @hano!'s (or common alcoho's} antimicrobial activity is well known and is used in medical and pharmaceutical applications, Ethanol has also been shown to increase the shelf life of bread and other baked products when sprayed onto product surfaces prior to packaging A novel method of generating ethanol vapour, recently developed in Japan, is through the use of an ethanol-eleasing system enclosed in a small sachet; the systern is approved in Japan to extend the mould-ee shelf life of various packaged cakes. Food: grade ethanol is absorbed onto a fine inert ponder which is enclosed in a sachet permeable to water vapour. Moisture is absorbed from the food by the inert powder and ethanol vapour is released and permeates the sachet into the food package headspace. ‘The examples given above are only some of the commercial and non-commercial applications of active packaging, This technology is the subject of research in many countries and rapid developments are expected. Other systems of active packaging, already available ot which soon could be, include: > Sachets containing iron powder and calcium hydroxide which scavenge both oxygen ‘and carbon cioxde. These sachets are used to extend the shelf life of ground coffee > Film containing microbial inhibitors other than those noted above, Other inhibitors being investigated include metal ions and salts of propionic acid. > Specially fabricated films to absorb flavours and odours or, conversely, to release them into the package. ‘Active packaging has been around for many years in a variety of forms, but interest has grown recently thanks to @ rash of publicity about the development of newiy-enhanced ‘oxygen absorbers, antimicrobials and ethylene absorbers, ‘Along with this interest have come new opportunities for food packaging, such as the concept of applying indirect food preservatives from the package into the food. Much of the initial work on active packaging tock place in Japan, where oxygen scavenger sachets were introduced in the late 1970s. These ‘ageless’ iron-based scavengers from Mitsubishi Chemical have been used in numerous Japanese food packages. While they have never proved popular in the US, there ate still many packages on the market that use the sachets, In recent years various films have been developed that contain on, Many of these are opaque and are not used widely due to initiation problems. Page 46 © Copyght Alea Inemationa td 2003 oe § / } k yIntroduction to Flexible Packaging Innovation inflexible materials Another vital area of development has been in academia, where meny types of active packaging concepts for foods have been introduced. There have also been sporadic projets at film suppliers such as C1yovac Div. and Sealed At, government organisations, and research and development abs in Natick, MA, and CSRIO (Australia) “The rise of caygen scavengers is evident With a growth rate estimated at more than 50% a year for bee crowns alone, bottles fr other beverages, fut juices, sport drinks, and caseready meat also head the lst. Other substantial markets include trays and lidding stock for homexeplacement meals and composite cans. Projections suggest oxygen scavengers willbe used in 3 billion packages by 2004 in North Americe and more than 6 billion worlwide. “There has been a significant increase inthe use of oxygen scavengers in PET botles for beer and other beverages. These include products such as Amsorb DFC from BP Chemical. Aimed atthe non-cerbonated frit juice market, the additive emoves oxygen that permeates the side walls of PET bots. In the exible packaging area, Cryovac (Duncan, SC) introduced a range of 0S" (oxen scavenger films with @ polymer vere the film itself isthe oxygen scavenger. “These are multilayer films wit the polymene scavenger incorporated into the film. The film is initiated by UV light and is completely transparent. Ibis used by Nest in its Buitonifesh pasta packages. Other films are under development ky CSRIO, Chevron Philips (US), and CLP (sae “Tere have also been many developments in ethylene gas removal in packaging “Orega' film hes been developed to preserve fruits and vegetables ts ethylene-absortive properties work through the adition of fine porous material such as 2lolita or carbon CSRIO has also intioduced a compound that removes etfylene gas from around plants — ethylene gas causes leaves to tur yellow, An organic reagent that reacts with ethylene and diffuses into the package has been incorporated into the film. ‘The diffusion rate largely determines the reaction rate and, preferably, the reagent should be included in the more permeable layers of bare films. Only small quantities are required to remove ethylene at levels ofa few parts per milion In moisture control, developments have proceeded far beyond the use of silica gel sachets. There have been attempts to produce desiccant combinations incorporated into the packaging film. Although stil fairy blue-sky, prospects look promising. For flexible packaging converters, both cost and converting applicability are important inthe successful use of most active packaging concepts. Because the technology is o new, it tends to be fail expensive. It is useful to perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the extension in shelf life i overshadows the increased cost. But other factors should also be considered, including the | possibly of quality improvement, distriouion changes and nuttional enhancement. t Only then can converters decide how advantageous it would be to include active packaging in ther product mix, Page 47 © Copyright Pre Intemational td 2003Barrier films Introduction to Flexible Packaging Inaovatons in feb esenils ‘Current barrier packaging plastics are good, but there are @ numberof problems that restrict their use or hinder their growth in many applications. These include: > High cost ~ almost always higher than the cost ofa simple monalayer plastic package of, for example, LDPE or LLDPE. D> Susceptibility to contamination or degradation, especially by moisture. EVOH is the best example of this problem, since its hydroxyl groups give it good barrier qualities but also make it susceptible to hydrolysis. As 2 result, EVOH can only be used as an jinner layer in @ multilayer structure (MLS). > Disposal or recycting problems. Most MiSs, because they contain more than one type of plastic, cannot easly be commingled and reqycted with, for example, HDPE or PET. > Challenges from competing materials, some as old as glass, others new, such as silcon-exide glass coatings, which can provide a superior barter. Barrier packaging is taking on increased Importance each year as both producers and customers seek longer shelf lives, better product integrity, flavour, potency, etc. Developments over the past few years have seen the introduction of more sophisticated multilayer barier packaging structures to sole the most dificult barter packaging problems economically. Inthe early agos, four basic bari materials were developed: VAC, nylon, EVOH and metalised fms. But consumer demand for foods with a longer shelf if, higher quality, and excellent flavour and freshness retention has led to these ‘more sophisticated MLSs, which are often thinner than their less-fficient predecessors. ‘This is because there is a greater choice of barriers and structural layers in the NALS. ‘The types of bartar resins now availabe include EVOH, PCTFE fluoropolymer, nitrile (AN-MA) copolymers, nylons, thermoplastic polyesters, PVAC, tielayer resins and vapour permeable films. Of te three major application groups ~ food, chemical and industria products, and healthcare products packaging ~ food is by fr the largest segment. ‘The use of vapour-permeable or selective barier films that zllow a relatively high ‘transfer of gases is important in food packaging, These are so-called “breathable' films such as PVC for meat packaging and DuPont's Tyek® brand of spun-bonded polyolefin, and CAP or MAP permeable films for food packaging, A barrier resin has the following permeability characteristics: D> Onygen: resin with permeability to onygen (measured as oxygen transmission rate or (OTR) of les than ami/milthickness/tooin: (65qcm)/24-hour day at one atmosphere pressure, Standard metallsed PET films have an OTR of about 03 or lower. Any material with an OTR below on is usually considered to be a high-berrier material these include PVAC and EVOH. Others are called moderate barriers, > Wiater (moisture) vapour: a resin with a WVTR of ess than o.soma/day. Very low barrier films have a WVTR greater than o.o, low-barier WTR are 0.06 to 02, intermediate barier 0.03 to 0.06, and high-barter films have WTR values of 0.03 of lower. The best current moisture-barier film, PTCFE, has WVTR values lower than 0.03, for most structures and itis the only true high moisture-barier film resin, Page 48 © Copyright fire Intemational Ltd 2003Intelligent packaging Intelligent plastics for packaging Antimicrobial film Introduction to Flexible Packaging Inevatons inflexible materials However, gas permeability and other barrier properties can shift as a result of a number of ‘variables, These include ambient conditions (particularly temperature and humidity), exact ‘grade of barrier plastic, particular packaging structure (including other matarils, te layers, adhesives, etc), processing conditions and operations performed by the processor ‘or end user in, for example, retort or hot fill packaging, Intelligent polymers are one of a number of novel ‘mart’ materials. They combine sensors, actuators, information processing and energy storage/ conversion functions into the one ‘material or composite material system, The smart material is capable of detecting a ‘change in its environment (2.9, the onset of corrosion) and actuates an appropriate response (e4. releases a corrosion inhibitor) autonomously and becomes self-powered, There are a number of polymers that handle one or mare ofthese functions and work is taking place to develop truly integrated intelligent polymer systems. ‘The discovery in the 19705 that certain polymers are electrically conductive is leading to practical applications in smart packaging, Research is underway at various locations into improving these polymers and extending thelr range of applications. Plastic memory circuits, for example, are found to be suitable for food packaging in which integrated circuits made of silicon would be too expensive. The memory circuits can cary information to help togistcs, for instance. ‘Another range of applications is taking advantage of the light-emitting property of conductive polymers Finnish researchers at VIT Electronics have developed a processing technology by which a thin, flexible polymer film can be made to produce light and attached to products. This property can be used to produce signal lights or advertisements, for instance. ‘The use of conductive polymers in a variety of products isin the first stages worldwide, Displays based on light-producing polymers (LEDs), which compete with liquid crystal displays (LCDs), have been developed by a couple of international companies, In the UK, Disperse Technologies has been contracted by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to undertake new research into applying its novel thin film encapsulation (TFE) technology in the packaging and printing industries. ‘The award is running for two years from 1 March 20oz. Combining antimicrobials with packaging films to control the growth of microorganisms in foods could have a significant impact on shelfife extension and food safety. However, antimicrobial agents incorporated into plastic film must have several important properties: they must be safe and approved by the authorities as either a substance or a food additive; they should not be deactivated by ingredients in the food; ‘they should not impart any changes inthe sensory characttistcs of the food; they should have controlled migration with activity at low concentrations: and they need to be ‘thermostable for extrusion if incorporated into a plastic Page49 © Copyright Ata Intemational td 2003Introduction to Flexible Packas innovations in Haile mateals Many casses of antimicrobial compounds have been evaluated in film structures, including organic acids and esters, enzymes, bacteriocins, plant-derived compounds and essential oils ftom spices and herbs, lipids, and miscellaneous compounds, such as liquid smoke extracts, ethanol, ticlosan, siver zeolites, and chlorine dioxide, Results from these efforts show that antimicrobial packaging is an extremely challenging technology in terms of efficacy, the level of antimicrobial activity needed and the mode of delivery. Ultimately, ‘one must weigh the benefits of releasing the antimicrobial from a film against adding it directly to the food product. Researchers inta active packaging are also looking at the development of sterile films ‘capable of producing an antimicrobial effect for food and drinks, The first basic approach to antimicrobial packaging consists of binding a reactant to the surface of the packs with the aid of a molecular structure that is large enough to maintain the microbial activity on ‘the cel walls even if trapped in the plastic. The second approach involves the release of agents into the food or drink or the localised removal ofan essential nutritional ingredient forthe growth ofthe microbes. ‘Some of the latest developments include > Mitsubishis antimicrobial film ~ this technology is based on the integration of particles of zeolite into the surface of laminates that come into contact with food. > Maxwell Chase Technologies ~ this new technology is already on the market in the US under the name Fresh-R-Pax. It promises to help protect consumers fiom ecoli and salmonella, and is able to remove microorganisms from food (especialy fresh-cut vegetables) D> The Univesity of Kyungnam, Korea, has conducted a study using films containing naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds derived from grapefruit seeds, which perform better than LDPE films used to pack lettuce and beansprouts. The films used, \which contained 1% orapefuit seed extrac, have been found to have particularly {good inhibition effects on e.coli and staphylococcus aureus Packaging materials can possess antimicrobial activity when subjected to radiation methods. These may include the use of radioactive material, UV tight or laser- excited materials ‘The list of antimicrobial agents thet have been incorporated into packaging materials includes: propionic acid, peroxide, ozone, chlorine oxide, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, ally isothiocyanate, iysozyme, nisin and EDTA. Sorbic acid and Potassium sorbate have been incorporated into a variety of feod packaging materials to improve product shelf life Fungicides and antibiotics have been added to food packaging films to delay mould growth Other antimicrobial film developments In the US, BAG. Corp.® and its fabric supplier 8P are developing an antimicrobial Super Sack® container. BAG. Corp. will offer FIC (flexible intermediate bulk containers} constructed of PP fabric containing a Page 50. © Copyight Fe Intemational ud 2003 si a eeIntroduction to Flexible Packaging Innovations in eb materials proprietary siterbased additive. This inorganic additive is Federal Drug Agency (FDA) ‘approved for indirect food contact and remains effective for multiple tips. The fabric is also registered with the EPA, which has authorised the antimicrobial for use as a preservative to protect fabric plastics ‘The silver-based antimicrobial compound does not affect the packaged product’s taste, odour or appearance in any way. Silver has along history as an effective inhibitor of bacterial growth. People have used silver for centuries to prevent infections and to line ‘vessels intended for long-term water storage. Because silver molecules are inorganic, bacteria cannot dexelop resistance to it Silver Sentinel antimicrobial PE liners and film are ‘also being researched. Products in development stages include those for indirect food ‘contact forthe food industry and film for non-food related applications, such as the ‘construction industry. The potential use of both the Silver Sentinel Super Sack container and liner together would make a complete antimicrobial bulk package. New enzymes Dr Joseph Hotchkiss at Cornell University has developed an enzyme in a film material used to reduce the bitterness in cittus juice. Using naringanase, an enzyme- derived fungus, the material was incorporated into the film liner ofa juice carton, Since the bitterness in grapeftuits is primarily due to @ common plant compound that has sugar molecules attached to it the enzyme clips off those sugar molecules, thus making the juice taste sweeter Hotchkis is also currently working with an enzyme called iysozyme, which is most commonly found in a hen’s egg white. lysozyme also occurs in human saliva and tears, and is a fairly common antibacterial enzyme, The material has been successfully incorporated into a film. Other possible concepts include using a cholesterol-teducing enzyme in a packaging film to reduce the cholesterol content of milk or dusting the inner surface ofa film with an antimicrobial powder spray. PageS1 © Copyright Pra Intemational Lid 2003,Flexible-based retail units Flexible packaging has made significant strides because it satisfies consumer demand for attractive, innovative and userriendly packaged produce. The variety of pack types and end uses is increasing and flexible packaging is making significant inroads into all aspects of packaging, particularly food and drink, Manufacturing processes are becoming more cost effective and efficient and a number of next-generation technologies are showing promise. This suggests that new flexible packaging anplications will increasingly feature in packaging in the years ahead. Pouches The flexible pouchris showing real promise as @ packaging solution for a range of products from food and drinks to pet food (see Figure 5). An indication of the expected ‘growth in consumption of stand-up pouches (SUPs) in the three major markets of North America, Europe and Japan can be gleaned from industry forecasts. These suggest that in the sixyear period from 2000 to 2006 the market share of pouches will almost double, oa Mouth fr filing ee Europe is expected to see consumption increase from 5-7 bilion pouches in 2000 to 1072 billion pouches in 2006; Japan will experience a jump from 4 to 6 billion SUPS; and inthe US consumption of flexible pouches with active oxygen traps is already estimated at: billion writs. {nthe member states of the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) ~ the Us, Canada and Mexico ~ consumption is expected to grow from 4,8 to 1 billion pouches cover the same fivexyear period, | Source: Pr Iteration Ld | t Beverages have already consumed 3.5 billion SUPs a year since 2000 in the NAFTA. 53 © Copyight Pre International it 2003Pouches ~ commercial examples Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexblebesed etal units ‘erty. By 2006, this figure is expected to double. Dry animal feed accounts for 300 million units and is expected to increase to 800 million by 2006, Wet feed is expected to tise from 200 milion to 2 bition, snacks from 300 million to 700 milion, ceep-feeze pouches from 100 million to 500 milion, and éry products end sanitary articles in SUPS from, in each case, 00 million pieces to 300 milion units (see Figure 52) ee ___—— Mouth for iting “fasy-peo seal Subchamber Main chamber Soure Fira Intemational id Around the world, major players are constantly endeavouring to improve the performance Cf SUPS. Major fexible-pouch specialists have already committed a great deal to this, quest. The market capitalisation of the ten largest manufacturers, most of which are US companies, is somewhere in the region of $145 billion (€152 billion). The ten leading European companies, which ave also active worlwide, have a capitalisation of around €3.4 billion. Single-use or teil pouches for liquids are a recent introduction, They have a combined spout and reclosure, Refill pouches are mostly injection-moulded PP spouts with a screw or plug cap. Tamper-evident devices, such as those for the plug stopper on a miso soup Pouch, have been introduced in the past year. Many of these pouches are bottom. usseted and are therefore selfstanding (see Figure 53, opposite). Packaging volume reduction has seen zippered standing pouches replace paper cartons for nor-liquid products. The pouch for Nescafé stick packs of instant coffee powder is typical. Refill packs such as pouches fr liquid detergents are relatively new in Japan. Most rely on cutting off one of the top comers ofthe pouch. Procter & Gamble was the fist to use a pouch designed to refill vry narrow diameter bottles without pillage. Welded to cone inner face of the shaped ‘pouring corner’ section isan injection-moulded short PP strip. ts 1sem width is split into three hinged strips. Once the tip of the corner is cutoff, consumers are shown how to pres the stip into 2 05 x 0 x oscmwide pouring channel (Gee Figure 5.4) Page 54. © Copyight Pia Intemational Lie 2003asa) t=] Introduction to Flexible Packaging Feilabased retail nits URE 5.3 Structure of the dispenser p ‘Non-etum vahe sellosing spout Seance: ir international ltd Source: Pra Interntione td Spout Pack, by Cow Pack, i a selfsealing pouch for products such as liquid foods, detergents and shampoo. A decade ago, this US-developed system was a major prize: winner in Japan's annual Good Packaging competition. It promptly disappeared. Now it is back, but in upmarket form with hanging string attached to meet the needs of cash- conscious consumers. An example ofa resealable pouch and its unique stucture are shown in Figures 5 and 5.6 (overleaf Since 2002, predominantly new products were being packaged in SUPs, with meny food companies repackaging their existing products. Nabisco decided to go down this route with its Ritz Snack Mix. This product moved from a typical bag-n-box application to a stand-up, Doystyle pouch with reclosure. According to Nabisco, sales ofthe product ‘more than doubled just by changing the package. PageS5 © Copyright Pir Intemational Ls 2003,Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fxbletbased etal units § q 4 Source Pa Intentional Ld Nabisco wanted consumers to perceive the product as more of a hand-to-mouth snack, “The bag-in-box package is perceived as more of a cracker According to the company, a package change can influence the perception of products, particularly those positioned between catagories such as the Ritz Snack Mix. The product had an image problem because it was placed between the cracker and snack categories, “The Ritz Snack Mix is packaged in a metallised oriented polypropylene film (metOPP}. The packaging, with Its sharp metallic graphics, is louder than most Nabisco products as it was designed to attract teenage consumers. “There are few products consumers will not acceptin exible packaging but, according +0 Nabisco, there are some products consumers are less likely to accept in a flexible pouch = milk, for example, However, the market for pouches for liquid products like sauces is growing, Reclosable pouches UK-based Parkside Flexible has installed a US-made PD! machine for stand-up and flat formats. Installed at Parkside's Stoke plant, the machine can make several types of pouches, including reclosable zipper and hanger punch applications, for ‘a wide range of end-use markets. ‘The plant will cater to the pouched soup market, along with pet-food sauces, food mixes and a number of other products. A popular option for the company could be the production of large reclosable zipper bags for multipacks of snacks. The usual bags split and spill the smaller packs, leaving them difficult to store until needed, Parkside is set to add a pouch sports cap unit to the PDI machine and is investigating the benefits of flexosprinted pouches after adding a second Novoflex machine to enhance its digital flexo process and offer gravure standard flexographic print. ‘The company believes that plants that fil more than s million units a year will probably find in-house pouch making from printed reels the best option. But for less than §5 million units, they wil seek to source outside. Milk, oil nd some ready-to-eat convenience foods offer growth opportuities for pouches. Reclosabilty is the number one convenience consumers want, especially in larger Page 56 © Copyicht Pia Intemational itd 2003fae eeee oes foe Introduction to Flexible Packaging este based etal unis Lo ‘Top web (fom outside) pooch var Corer iis SS o————— Adhesive PETP 36 micons ‘Adhesive (special PE a0 microns Bottom web (rom inside) Pe Adhesive Product | PVC or PET Source: Pe international itd ee \ Source: Pa Interaonal td package sizes. An example of a resealable structure is shown in Figure 56. The fear is that a closure device, such as @ zipper, could hinder consumption rates soit is important they are easy to open and close, Zippers are well known, simple to operate and most often the closure device of choice. An exemple of an alternative adhesive closure is shown in Figure 57). Page57 © Copyright Pir ntemational Ld 2003, |Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexblebesed ctl units Kraft cheese in a slider 2ip pouch Pechiney Plastic Packaging, Inc. won a Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) 2001 award fo its packaging innovation, which features a shredded cheese pouch, Further improvements include a new slider package with laser scored film, which replaces the conventional shredded cheese packaging with a header strip or tear-tape and a conventional press-to-lase zipper. The new package offers consumes three important advantages: its easier to open; easier to resea; and provides greater security due to its tamper-evident features. Pechiney incorporates the laser score into the film during manufacturing to deliver a builtin, easy-o-pogoff benefit without the risk of premature stess cracking along the line of weakness. Employing a slider clip system ftom Minigrip/ZipPak integrated into 1 Pactac V form/fill/seal (FS) machine, this package features a zipper body that is enclosed in a shrouded header for tamper evidence. A unique and attention-grabbing ppunch-out around the red slider gives consumers easy access to the slider, but prevents it rom moving freely back and forth. When the sider is opened, a peel seal incorporated into the zipper fiange is revealed, which provides a hermetic seal Tuna in pouches The fist pouch-packed tuna was launched in UK shops in mid-2001 by Princes Foods. The UK canned tuna market is worth some €170 million (€m.8 milion) a year. The 85g single serve portion is aimed at consumers who would typically buy Princes’ 11gg canned product. Ready to Go Tuna has been given ‘an easy-to-open teartop' and is ideal for sandwich and salad making, or eating straight from the pack ‘The pouch itself is printed and converted in Japan by Fujimori Sengo using a laminate construction of PET, ink, PA, aluminium and cast PP, and six-colour gravure print. ‘The producer and packer is BEM in Thailand, where local company LLH Printing and Packaging manufactutes the display carton, This |s made of microflute board with a Fluted insert to allow the pouches to stand upright. ‘Artwork was generated by Taybum Brands, Edinburgh, with repro by The Box Room in Tayburn Dairy Crest milk pouch trial Dairy Crest is currently tialling ¢ milk pouch system at selected doorstep delivery depots and supermarkets in the UK. The company says that although its to eatly to talk of the death of glass milk bottles for doorstep delivery, increasing environmental awareness among consumers means the time is right to introduce a new form of ‘green’ packaging ‘The two-pint see-through bag invites les packaging, less waste and less landfill according to Dairy Crest. The three ayer coextruded bag is being made by Glopak, Canada, where Dairy Crest says the technology was pioneered more than 30 years ago. Mik is sold in 2 x2 pint packs, which cen be frozen. After opening the bag is placed ina plastic jug specially sold forthe purpose ~ a more attractive proposition for the breakfast table, suggests Dairy Crest Page 58. © Copyight Pra Inwnatonal Ltd 2003cot Genet Gees (2 {ress} Introduction to Flexible Packs siblebased retail nts The pouch-and-jug concept mimics a system that other countries, including India ard, most recently, Switzerland, have already adopted. Sterile medical packs Sterile medical packaging demand in the US is projected to drow by 5.4% a year to $17 billion (21.8 billion} in 2005, stimulated by an ageing population incteasingly stringent infection-contiol standards and the convenience of sterile packaging configurations. Pouches are expected to be a major beneficiary, according to a study by US-based industrial market research fim Freedonia Group. Pouch demand is expected to increase by 5.7% a year to more than $390 millon in 2005, driven by the product's versatility and low price compared with trays, Bags will exhibit average orowth over the same period. Pouches and bags offer the best combination of cost and quality, says the report. ‘The fastest growing market for sterile packaging will be medical supplies and devices, 4s disposables continue to gain market share over reusable. Low. and high-density PE demand will pesent opportunities based on their ‘widespread use in bags and pouches. The strenath of bags and pouches hes been enhanced by using multilayer film structures incorporating nylons, metalocenes and other combinations, Nylon is increasingly used in the packaging of large, bulky procedure! kts and devices because of its toughness and abrasion and puncture resistance Lidding is an important growth area for a wide variety of flexible packaged products and banter lidding in particular is finding new applications in the packaging of foods Barrier layered PET/PE and OPP/?E films are the best solutions for sealing @ wide range of MAP {modified atmosphere) and CAP (controlled air) packaged foods for extended shel life. Barrierlayered PET/PE and OPP/PE lidding films give great mechanical protection for packaged food products and guarantee: > Stable gas mixture composition D> Stable taste and appearance > Noweight loss of the packaged food product > Stable food quality. ‘Where a dear view through the lid is called for, anti-fog treatment eliminates vaporisation ‘rom the top web and the food product, so enhancing its shelf appearance. Where consumer ease of opening is equited, easy pes! top lids are one option; a recosable lidding solution is currently under development. Lidding films can be used in combination with oxygen-scavenging systems to increase shelf life and give retailers more sales time between receipt of the product and its expiry date, This helps reduce spoilage related expenses and also allows the manufacturer to place the fiesh food product in retail channels where sales are slower or more variable, ‘Most analysts predict growth of oxygen-scavenger packaging products in the US and Europe will ie significantly in the years ahead and this will benefit trays and lidding for seady meals and composite cans Page 59 © Copyright Ara International Le 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexiblebased real units Dupont Tejin Films has developed two films for packaging convenience foods, including \what is believed to be the word’ first opaque heat sealable polyester film. : Mylar OL polyester film is resilient enough for seal strength, peelabilty and freezerto- ‘oven comveriance, claims OuFont, making it ideal for oven-ready meal tray idding, salads and fresh produce packaging. : ‘This biawaly-oriented,selfventing polyester film can be used as a single web or as part of a laminate, such as FFP Packaging's Esterpeel SR a tiple laminate film which replaces both sleeve and carton. : Meanuiile, Mylar WOL hes all the benefits of Mylar OL but is the fist flm ofits kind | | to have a biiliant white appearance without the need for overprinting, claims DuPont. ‘his is hoped to overcome the problem of the unappetising appearance of chilled convenience foods. ‘Another area to benefit from ldding is the market for self-heating coffee in Europe. Supermariets in Italy are selling more and more Tittle coffee machines’ and Nescafé has recently launched a consumer trial for its ‘Hot When You Want It’ canned coffee. au Lawson Mardon Singen, the German company involved in develoging Caldo Caldo’s hot cup! in taly, says rising demand has created a sale hit from a niche product that was previously only sold at sports venues and motorway rest areas U | ‘The idea was developed for Chiari & Fort, the italian food and beverage company, by | Nuova Bit, Chiaf's manufacturing subsidiary, which called of Lawson Mardon to supply j the aluminium components of an otherwise al plastic packaging format. | Lawson Mardon supplies the 6o-micron aluminium heat-ealed lidding and the inner | zro-micron lacquered aluminium strip cup that holds the beverage i Chiari & Forti has also launched self cooling Fredo Fredo, which reverses the technology and gives italians the chilled coffee they enjoy dinking in summer, ‘New lidding films from companies such as Cryovac® are now being used for pasta and dairy products. Nestlé's® Buitoni® brand fresh pasta uses Cryovac's 0S films effectively to remove residual oxygen and increase shelf life without altering the food i product's appearance or taste, OS films contain a proprietary polymer component that is included as a layer ofthe ldding material. Since the scavenger is partof the film, itis I invisible to the naked eye and does not alter the clear view of the fresh pasta product. 4 Cryovac OS films can be surface printed or trap printed depending on the application, Cryovac worked closely with Nestlé to design a lidding materia that maintains the Buitoni pasta brand image and existing look of the package, but also extends the product's shef if. ‘The Cryovac OS films idding material used by Nestlé removes residual oxygen fiom ‘the MAP packaging and achieves in pack oxygen levels of less than one-tenth of 1% By reducing the level of oxygen present, the active-scavenging process increeses the shelf life ofthe Buitonis refigerated pasta by 50%. Through a patented process, the oxygen scavenger is activated on demand, independent of the product in the package, by @ UV light triggering process delivered by the Cryovac Model goo system, co age 60 © Copytght Pea Intemational Lr 2003as) ao: = oC C c Cc i Introduction te Flexible Packaging Hlexibe based eta units ‘Metallised film can be used for lidding applications in the pharmaceutical sector. These include the blister lidding supplied by companies such as Reynolds, These lidding materials can be of a paper/ilm/foil structure that will not tear. Peelable metallised film materials with high-barrier protection have also been introduced as an altemative blister backing material ‘There is continuing strong demand for paper-based ling materials and some are said to possess far superior properties to traditional lds. These include Walkilid's new high-gloss printing paper and 2 multilayer polymer lidding with potential applications in the packaging ofdlary products, including yoghurt, ice cream and cottage cheese, and other types of food such as jams, candies and syrup. ‘The production of CPP or PE LDPE bags for textiles, foodstuff and hygiene products is a significant flexible packaging sector. PP and PE bags have a number of uses in the packaging of a wide variety of items, especially food. An independent study conducted by Plastics Research Associates (PRA) concludes that clear, squate-bottom plastic bag technology is ready to penetrate the quick-senvice restaurant (QSR) take-out bag market. According to the study, the stand-up plastic bag will displace the paper take-out bag in this sector, capturing almost 60% of the market by 2006. Based on processors’ consumption of plastic packaging (by product) in western Europe, sacks and bags already account for some 20% in terms of tonnage. PE dominates, accounting for 56% by weight ofall the plastic packaging produced. Five other plastics ~ PP, PVC, PS, EPS and PET ~ account forthe remaining 44%, Some 70% of LLDPE is used in film for food and cartier bags. The plastic bags used in many applications outside of food tend not to be made from ‘4 mono-materal. Instead, polymer multilayers are used to make bags such as PP big bags with PE liners, blood/fiuid bags and detergent refill packs Pasties are normally combined with other materials in the manufacture of bagrin-box packages. Innovations continue apace in the case of plastic bags for food, particularly frzen foods. A aumber of companies have introduced reclosable PE bags for food packaging, One example of the relosable PE bag used to package frozen vegetables has a sealed hole placed in the top comer of the pack atthe time of filling, The consumer can reclose the bag by pushing the opposite top comer ofthe pack into the hole and pulling the ‘excess plastic through. Other applications for teclosable PE bags include the packaging of ready-to-eat foods, ilk powder, fresh foods, fwits, vegetables, groceries, biscuits, pizzes, meat and seafood. ‘The bag is made from 100% food-grade virgin material. Features ofthe bag include: hygienic with tamperevident packaging: biliant clarity; superior strength and toughness; freezable; increases the shetfife of pershables; and suitable for oily substances, \Vacuum shrink bags are incressinaly seen as the perfect packaging medium for many perishable food products, such as prime meat, smoked and processed meats, and cheese, Page 61 © Copyright Fra inteational st 2003 elBag-in-box packaging Stick packs Feiblebesed etal units ‘These tough, multilayered bags offer excellent shrink properties, safe seals, high mechanical esistance and good clarity Some vacuum shrink bags have high-banier properties while others provide controlled permeability rates. Value-added features, such as easy-opening and reclosing systems, are also availabe from some manufacturers. Heat treatable shrink bags and casings are designed for vacuum cooking ané pasteurisation or cookin/ship-in applications of processed meat and poultry products, ‘They significantly improve product quality, prolong shelf life and increase product yields. Originally developed by German company Scholle nearly half a century ago as a disposable container for sulphuric acid battery eleczolyte, this unique packaging system comprises a flexible spouted bag held inside and supported by a rigid outside container Bag-in-box packaging offers substantial benefits over traditional rigid containers such as bottles, cans, pals, drums or tanks. its benefits include: D> Lower cost versus reusable rigid containers. D> Disposable, soit eliminates cleaning and transportation costs associated with retumable packages. > Packaging material source reduction: typically requires 20% of the weight of glass equivalents and 50% of the weight of #ho can equivalents > Collapsible, so empty bags take up less warehouse, tuck and landfill space than rigid containers. D> Cleaner and safer to use because the product is sealed in until the bag is emptied. D> Protects the product better through the use of high-berrier materials. > Connects quickly and easily to a variety of dispensing systems Bagiin-box technology is used in a range of food, beverage and non-food applications. Demand for stick packs in recent years has been growing in response to rising demand from food companies for stick packs of sauces, mayonnaise and vinegar, in addition to the more usual sugar, creamer and instant coffee, Companies are increasingly turning to stick packaging for liquids as well as powders having discovered that they can make material savings of up to 45% compared with traditional fourside-seal sachets, Ths has established stick packs as the optimum single-serve pack for powders, 1n 2001, Kraft Foods introduced Kenco Rapport coffee in stick packs in an attempt to appeal to what the company describes as people ‘on the go’, The launch vas backed by a large-scale sampling exercise of 35 million households and a poster campaign. ‘The packs, which resemble an oversized cigarette packet, each contain 20 ‘sticks’ of individual instant Kenco Rapport coffee and are aimed at the younger consumer market The stick packs have proved popular in France where they were launched in 1g96. raft produces a milion sticks @ week at its Banbury plant on a high-speed stick packing machine, The product now competes with the other high-profile coffee product, Nescafé stick packs from Nestlé, Page 62. © Copyright Pia Intsmatons td 2003Reclosable devices Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fexbletbased veil units Kenco Rapport’ target market is 16-34 year olds. The company believes that it has achieved great success in reaching younger consumers. More than £5 million was spent (on advertising in 2001 and a thicd advertising campaign is underway. ‘This was the first time ‘stick technology’ - mainly used to dispense sugar ~ was used to sell retail coffee. The potential for single-serve sticks in the coffee sector has been compared to the arrivat of new types of packaging in the soft drinks market. ‘The advantages of stick packaging are not only appreciated by food companies. There are clear indications that pharmaceutical and personal care packagers are beginning to recognise the many advantages ofthe stick pack. These include: superior quality liquid seals, ease of use and end-user friendly shape, coupled with excelent film savings over conventional pouches. Reclosable technologies ate an emerging issue inthe flexible packaging industry. There has been a marked increase in customer demand for reclosable products and growth is ramping up at a very high rate. The reason is that as consumers demand more ‘user- convenient’ products they are increasingly unwilling to switch from one container to anotier during the lifetime of the product, pefering instead to go straight from first ‘dispenser through to disposal There a number of reclosable flexible packaging devices on the market elthough EasyPack from Amcor Flexibles Europe is pethaps one of the better known. An illustration of the EasyPack concept is shown in Figure 58. In 2002, the Finnish dairy Valio Oy Vantaa chose the EasyPack system to keep its grated cheese fresh, EasyPackis a high- barrier laminated pouch with an innovative sealing system developed by Danisco which, together with Ackerlund & Rausing, was acquired by Amcor in June 2001. The high-bar‘er thiee-ply laminate structure features an overlap that peels away easly and is reclosed by Source Piro Intemational Led Page 63 © Copyright Pr Intamatona td 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flenibleases real uns i means of an adhesive strip, The pack is reverse printed in eight-colour gravure on a \Windmdller & Holscher press f Other examples include multiple reclosing, self adhesive sticker systems. One such i system is Pak-Seal, which is available from Di-EL Lid, This patented technology is { applicable to flexible packaging (laminate, multilayer, polyetilane, etc) in the food, tobacco and other industries. The main advantages ofthe system are that: > The customer cannot peel off the reclosing sticker ~ although the bag can be opened and closed thipughout the life expectancy of the product | i > The sticker size does not coincide with any other printed area on the bag and is designed to fit into the sealing seam or any other desired location. Ke f The sticker will not adhere to any other packing in the same box ~ itis fully self I ; contained and includes the reading instructions for its use I i Reclosable flexible packaging is providing a much needed solution to ‘on-the-go convenience’ and is now finding its way into multipacks. tn 2001, 2 multipack pouch for ye ‘Armour Big Ones meat snacks won an FPA avard forts relosable packaging, (Of the I seven winners in the Packaging Excellence category of the FPA's 2001 Packaging Achievement Awards, no les than four had zipper relosure features. Two are applied inline by FFS systems and two ative on pre-made pouches) i Previously, meat snacks were available only in non-reclosable, single-serve wrappers or in multipacks packed in high-barrier spiral.wound canisters. ‘The packages are designed for consumers who put a premium on portability. They are} made from an ultra high-barrer 6-mil stacture that contains nearly every popular barier material except fol, necessary to achieve the high quality and long shelf life, From the outside.in, the suucture consists of reverse printed, biaxiallyoriented nylon coated with PvdC. American National Can converts and flexo prints the film in seven and eight colours depending on variety. Rollstockis shipped to Kapak for application of the ipper and forming of the film into pre-made pouches. Zippers are supplied by Mirigiip/ZipPak. Although reclosable zippers are common in mary flexible packaging systems, making the inital tear can often be difficult. Often packages will not tear open, or the tear will simply run in the wrong direction, One solution to this is laser scoring, Laser processing delivers a well-focused laser beam to vaporise a natrow trough on the film, resulting in @ line of weakness along the score, which yields a directional tear. The scoring depth can be precise, often leaving the barter layer intact yet maintaining package strength. A laser- scored teat line combined with reclosable packaging answers consumer demand for \ convenience, the producer's need to presen food quality and the converters requirement for package integrity. The process is repeatable, clean, fast and easy to adjust for a variety of materials , As an altemative to the traditional zipper reclosure, in 200 SIG Pack introduced Easy | Snap, a new type of reclosable flexible package. Unike a zipper reclosue, Easy Snap : consists of two rigid ‘tracks’ that span the width of the bag, The tracks, which snap shut Page 64 © Copricht Fa International itd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fleiblebased veil units when pressed together at any point, eliminate the need to run one's fingers across the width of the bag, as is required on a zipper package. ‘According to SIG Pack, Easy Snap helps to maintain product freshness and reduce infestation. SiG's Easy Snap module can be retrofited onto existing vertical FFS machines. Although much of the interest in stand-up pouches stems from their potential uses in ctilled cabinet applications, suchas fr fresh Soups, another trend has been the development of stand-up pouches for products with longer shelf lives. The characteristics ‘of these new standup pouches have led some in the industry to dub them ‘lexible cans ‘They present new branding opportunities for fillers and at the same time are retortable, in the same way as cans, and often stackable or reclosable. They are also beginning to take matiet share from glass and, in pattcular, metal packaging materials. Pethaps one of the most significant applications ofthe stand-up pouch in the context of long shelf life products has been the packaging of fish, especially tuna, Retort pouches fortuna fish are expected to drive significant growth in the short- to medium-term, While these heat sterlisable flexible packages are more expensive than canned tuna, they significantly increase product quality by reducing cooking time and the amount of water involved. Pet foods and soups are also crowing markets for flexible cans. Pechiney Soplail Flexible Europe is one ofthe leading suppliers of stand-up pouches in Europe. Launched at Interpack 2002, the company’s retortable flexible can is promoted as an altemative to the traditional can and has a wide range of end-uses, These include: soups and sauces, cooked vegetables and meals, seafood, pet foods and other products, Flexible cans offer the following advantages: > Thy preserve flavour and texture due to faster retort times and the use of high barrier materials; They have greener appeal due to their small size and weight; ‘Their thinner walls permit faster, more eneray-effcient sterilisation; “There is more on-pack space for communication of the brand image ‘Their practicality - ease-of opening, reclosability and microwaveability Another example ofa flexible can is Amcor Flexibles Europe's FlexCan, a sixsided stand- up pouch developed in association with Rovema Verpackungsmachinen. An illustration of ‘Amco'sFlexCan i shown in Figure 59 (overleaf), FlexCan is being marketed as a cost effective alternative to traitional cans, jars and bagein-boxes. ‘As with many flexible can lines, one of the key advantages FlexCan has over cans is that it gives fillers additional branding opportunities. Its unique, cuboid shape permits printing on four sides, without any interruption of the graphics, which can occur with fin seals, base seals and closing gussets. ‘The other benefits claimed for FlexCan include: Dit can be stood upright on shelves and stacked one on top of the other > Reclosable version can be filled to 80% of its volume; the peelable one to go% D> it retains its shape at all times. vvyy Page6S © Copyright Fra Inceational td 2003‘Source Fita Intemational Ltd Shaped bags Introduction o Flexible Packaging Flexiblebased retail units Aeclosable Amcor FexCan In February 2002, Amcor Flexibles Europe announced the first commercial application of the FlexCan by Borges in Spain forthe packing of ten varieties of nuts, Ths was followed in May by the launch of KP Foods’ Hula Hoops Shoks in the UK. Specially shaped bags such as gloves, flower sleeves, rund bottom bags and stand-up bags with reclosable features are increasingly used, particularly in the git sector. Cosmetics is another important market for shaped bags ‘Today's prestige fragrance and cosmetic packaging has litle in common with the humble cardboard bax, and promotional shaped bags are a key matketing device for ‘cosmetic products. One packaging producer, PAK 2000, the prestige division of paper producer Asian Pulp and Paper, works with a number of major beauty brands, inc Ralph Lauren, Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, LOreal, Shiseido, Cartier and Matrix. The company produces bags with high visibly, strong brard recognition and low unit cost. Consolidation within the cosmetics industry has had far-reaching effects on numerous packaging providers and benefited mejor players lke PAK 2000. These larger corporations prefer to use suppliers that have the capacity to produce their entire worldwide programme under one root. French luxury packaging specialist Araidena incorporates innovations such as PP, textiles, non-woven materials and cardboard into its shaped packaging for Hermes and ‘Thiery Mugler perfumes. rapezoidal and triangular bags are available in a number of Gifferent colours Clatifol, the specialist producer of cast acetate lamination for printing, packaging and labelling, produces packaging for the personal care industry and has recently Unveiled @ new line of shaped bags for the beauty packaging sector, 9 Page 66 © Copyight Fa Inemationa td 2003lr { Sacks PE sacks Heavy duty PE sacks Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flxiblebasod retail units Plastic packaging altematives are destined to displace multiwall bags in many applications according to @ new report by PRA and industrial Handling Engineers of Houston, Advances in plastic resins, plastic films and FFS technologies are opening up ‘naw opportunites for plastic shipping sacks to displace multwall bags in their existing market strongholds, such as cement and pet foods. Many of these advances arse from the enhanced performances offered by the resin families of plastomers, metallocenes and high-molecular weight HDPE. New grades from resin producers allow film producers to create tougher, fastersealing and stiffer films, To the plastic shipping sack industry, these enhancements offer opportunities to downgauge films for packaging, create higher performance films for new applications and increase ‘operating rates for bag-meking equipment and FFS lines Advances are said to be just the tip ofthe iceberg, For packers current using ‘multiwall paper bags for 20- to Golb (7.5-22.4ka) sacks in most oftheir packaging applications, the switch to using FFS lines or pre-made plastic bags will reduce costs. ‘The economics of FFS ate said by the study to be quite dramatic when compared to rmultivall bag lines. For example, the payback period for replacing an existing multivall bag line with an FFS line in one scenario is claimed to be only one year PE and PP woven sacks are already being widely used. Demand for paper and board packaging is forecast to increase by 2% a year, but sustained losses of about 19% a year ate expected for paper used in grocery bags and sacks as plastic sacks gain marketshare ‘The modern equivalent of the hessian sack, woven PP sacks are used today in a wide range of commercial operations. They offer significant advantages over polythene and paper sacks in terms of both strength and durability, and their cost advantage when compared with hessian means that the PP sack market ~ mainly the agricultural, engineering, postal, document destruction and many other industrial sectors ~ is healthy. FS PE sacks offer substantial benefits for customers packing products on hightwolume, high-speed, fully automated equipment without active supervision. FFS is useful for the packaging of: chemicals, cried pet food, mineral sands and plastic resin. FFS is claimed to offer the following benefits Excellent protection against moisture sources and contaminants; High pallet loa stability with minimal load stabilisation methods required; Highly efficient pallet loads which assist in maximising warehouse utilisation; Superior film strength properties consistently meet the demanding requirements ‘of manual handling: biti completely requlable vyvyY Heavy duty sacks are designed to meet the demanding requirements of manual handling and automated processes. These sacks are designed with enhanced impact and tear resistance properties to cover a wide range of encl-use applications. They are useful for chemicals, dried pet food, mineral sands and plastic resins. Page67 © Copyright Pra international Lid 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Aleyibleoased metal urits Heawy duty sacks are claimed to offer the following benefits b> Excellent protection against moisture sources and contaminants. > A transparent antiskid lacquer printed on the film surface enhances the lowslip characteristics providing added stability for the sack when palletised and transported > Superior print surface when compared with paper and woven PP providing excellent receptiveness for printed images to enhance product tracemarks and company logos. b> They are completely recyclable. : Multipacks Changing consumeP iifestyles are contributing to the growth of multipacks for ready-to-eat foods and snacks. Consumers are living busier lives and therefore going increasingly for convenience products; snacking and out-of home eating is on the increase, formal meal times are dectning and meal substitutes are becoming commonplace. All these changes contribute to the steady growth in this market ‘Acrecent initiative isthe fourpack multipack of deli hams retailed by Sainsbury's. | Premium honey-cured and smoked ham is fled into four adjacent perforated formings. be “The 3009 packs may be opened individually, preventing the remaining cooked meat drying out and so encouraging larger pack purchases, | Confectionery packaging has also followed these trends resulting in the increased use of opaque multipacks at grocery outiets. n the confectionery market, strip confectionery an rmultipacks, in which each strip contains a different product, are now becoming popular. ‘Multipacks are also increasingly being used in the nutraceutical matket. As recently as ten years ago, nutraceutical packaging usually consisted of nothing mote than 4 plain label ] alued ont 2 plain ote Now sme maton supplement manufacures ae moving tof multipacs, blister packs and pouches, which, in addition to being more secure, can hap t those wh take eval yplemants ery day ogee the ragimen An example of a | blister pack is shown in Figure 510 (opposite) Using multipacks also makes sense for the industry, because many consumers take a | ‘few vitamins or supplements several times a day. Instead of carrying six different bottles pu around, you can have one pouch containing multiple vitamins or supplements F Although this type of packaging is increasingly popular in Europe and Japan, in the f | US bottles remain the dominant packaging format. The move toward blisters by ethical pharmaceutical companies is normally one of compliance. Nutraceuticals are less ‘encumbered by FDA regulations. ‘Another key market for multipacks is beverages, Sales of this type of packaging are showing steady growth as supermarket sales of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks take ‘off, However, sales tend to peak on special occasions For example, multipack drinks sales soared during the Millennium celebrations and again during Word Cup 2002. ‘According to analysts, the competitive price of muitipacks of canned beer in grocers ! has Jed to a substantial increase in sales compared to single drink sales. i \ ‘Multipack promotions have helped to increase sales of all drinks types, but in pata esr’ dik, On ofthe hy aosmutpadshave won meester || Page 68. © Copyright Pra Intemational td 2003Wrapping film ‘Introduction to Flexible Packaging Fleiblebased ret units FICURE 5.10 Fim stracres fr pharmaceutical iste packs To » oS Ain Pp » be be be ° a 2 F M Bec Source Pira Intemational td canned beer and carbonated soft dinks is because they are sold at competitive prices. ‘The biscuit market is one of the most diversified and fragmented in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) arena and is @ major user of multipacks, Many types of packaging materials are used for biscuits ~ tn-boxes, paper cartons, PVC, PE, cast PP, etc ~ but the three predominant materials are oriented PP (OPP), paper and carton. OPP isthe fastest-growing packaging material, Organic grows, substitution and innovations are driving growth to around 4~6% a year. The biggest markets for biscuits are the US, the UK, Japan, Germany and France, where snacking has become much more ‘common in recent years. Companies such as Danone, United Biscuits, Bahlsen, Nabisco, Barilla and Griesson have responded by marketing more single-serve packages or multipacks with single-serve packages. Multipacks with individually packed biscuits as well as stand-up pouches made ‘of OPP are becoming increasingly popular. Multipacks are also gaining in popularity in the US and Europe for the packaging of dairy drinks such as liquid yoghurts. In France, Yoplat first introduced a multipack for ‘rinking yoghurt and in the US Parmalat has introduced an alternative to traditional shelfstable beverages that go into lunch boxes with its aseptic processing and packaging technology. The company teamed up with Sesame Workshop/ Columbia Tistar Television Distibution to license the use of Dragon Toles and is logo on halfpint milk boxes. ‘The milk boxes are sold in three-packs, just ike juice boxes, and are placed next to them in grocery stores. Parmalat is exploring the use of larger multipacks for club stores. Stretch and stink wrap film is used for the manual and automatic wrapping of product loads. There are a range of stretch films available to provide cost-effective load protection and the stability required daring storage and transit. Page 69. © Copytight Fir Intemational Ud 2003,Shrink sleeves Introduction to Het Feublebace tal units Shrink wrap packaging is fast, inexpensive way of overwrapping any product in shepe- conforming, crystal-clear, stiong plastic wrap. Shrink wrap is presently used to wrap @ wide range of products such as confectionery boxes, videos, giftware, hardware items, toys and drugs. There ate two distinc steps to shrink wrap packaging: overwrapping the product in the shrink film and exposing the film to heat to cause it to shrink True production shrink wrap packaging is accomplished using an’ heat sealer and 2 conveyorised shrink tunnel: fr lower volume production a single arm ‘bar sealer and a shrink gun can be used to produce identical results at slower production cates When shrink wrap is manufactured basically its stretched ike an elastic band; when heat is applied the film returns to its original size. ‘Centrefol’ film is folded in half so that there are two sheets with a folded edge along the back ofthe rll. This type is readily ‘available throughout the world Highly-esilent blown machine film is suitable for a wide range of core-brake tmachine-wrapping applications including operations in the paper industry or distribution sector where film strength and load stability are of paramount importance. Cast coextruded film has excellent tensile properties ideally suited to corebrake machine applications in a wide range of market sectors. This film is designed for semi- automatic tumtable machines and possesses high-performance properties and power pre- stetch capabilities of up to 150% Cast coextruded film has stretch ratios of up to 300% Its ideal for semi- and fully. automatic machines using a power prestretch film delivery system that increases film economy and improves load stability. For low-volume applications, hand-held film systems are available from @ number of companies. The shrinksleeve market is growing ata significant rate with some forecasts predicting {growth of up to 20% a year. The range of end-uses is extending from just bottles and jars into new areas lke ready meals, dairy products and oral hygiene, among others. Much of the growth is driven by the fact that shrink sleeves offer both tamper evidence and heightened branding through metallised inks or UV printing, Sleeves are even used to lightweight glass. In short, shrink sleeves are becoming the answer to many innovative packaging needs. They can provide 360°, scuffresistant raps. The inside ofthe sleeve can also be printed on to keep print distortion toa minimum. The characteristics of the films used ‘allow them to shtink, primarily in one direction, when heated, so the sleeve fits the shape of the product exactly. The benefits of shrink sleeves include: Can provide 8-10 (or more) colouts; 360°, scuffresistant graphics: Custom designed to exact specifications; Finished ref, cut or preformed; vyvyY Page 70. © Copycht Fra incernatonal Ld 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexetased retal unis > Accommodates perforations, tear tabs and tear tape; > A range of promotional or incentive uses ~ multipacks, special offers, banding, seasonal decorating, proof of purchase, ete: D> Security and tamperevident seals; Ideal as primary label ‘The shrinksleeve market is dominated by PVC, which has a go% market share. However, fora varity of reasons, including cost, environmental concems and the introduction of new and better film types, PVC is facing increased competition. Other significant film types in this markat include PETG, OPP and OPS. Polyolefin films are not used for shrink sleeves as their shrinkage levels are low. However, they are used in non-shrink sleeve label applications. Full-body, shrinksleeve labels for contoured PET and other containers have for some time been popular with packagers because they increase retail shelf appeal and boost brand impact, PVC shrink sleeves were previously considered ideal because their high recoverable shrinkage permits application to complex contoured and severely tapered containers with no adverse effect on graphics. But PVC shrink sleeves present recyiability concems, especially in Europe. Separation of container and inkcontaining sleeve material by flotation methods is all but impossible in recycling operations because the specific gtavities of PET and PVC are similat. One company, Ticona GmbH, has addressed the issue by developing cyclic olefin ‘copolymer (COC) sleeve films with high recoverable shrinkage. Because COC sleeves have 2 low density of less than 1, flotation separation from PET containers is achievable. Blending with PE offers opportunities to reduce costs, Although the EU has recently adopted a less hostile stance on PVC than it dd in the 19905 ~ chiefly in Germany and Scandinavia, which led to a clampdown on the use of PVC in many end-use sectors ~ OPS has taken matket share from PVC, Oriented polystyrene (OPS) films are now being used for decorative shrink sleeves and tamper ‘evident neck seals for drinks bottles. They are also being used as a lidding membrane, ‘enabling single material tub and lidding film for easier recycling, Use is growing in areas ‘where PVC films have traditionally been applied, Some 35% of PVC films are used as an overwrap for meat with other uses including carton overwrap, confectionery twistwrap and medical packaging While historically PVC has been the material of choice for shrink labels and tamper. evident banding, new materials such as amorphous PET, OPS and OPP ate creating vibrant, totally recyclable labels. OPS, the main label substrate in Japan, has recertly been introduced in the US. Films such as OPP also cost less than PVC films, resulting in an estimated cost saving of about 30% to the packager. Additional cost savings can be realised in the conversion process of film to sleeves. One US company claims an overall saving of up to 2 cents per 1602 (4989) container can be achieved by switching to OPP and using the contour decoration system, Page 71 © Copyight Piz Intarnatonl ltd 2003Label market Introduction to Flexible Packaging ‘exblebased retail units Shrinksleeve labelling is identified as the fastest growing labelling method in Europe, with growth put at over 20%6 a year. The major enc-uses for shrinksleeves are beverage containers and tamper-evident label/seal applications. European label demand is about 68 billion f (6.3 billion m= and heat shrink labels constitute about 18 billion ft. The market for shrinksleve labels is growing at 1596 a year in coverage terms although the tonnage will ow at 2 lower rate due to downgauging of substrates and lower density films. “The primary matket for shrink sleeves is single-use containers and the major geographical marketstare the UK and France. Emerging markets include Germany, Austria ‘and a number of Mediterranean countries. ‘The fullbody shrink-sleeve label, a technology that could be classified as a hybrid label/flexible package, has found a strong niche on contoured bottles. The shrink sleeve ives marketeers more options than a straightsided label and significantly enhances package graphics on the shelf. in addition, aerosol cans and coffee cans, formerly composed of offset-printed metal now frequently sport wraparound plastic sleeves. This development is expected to provide significant cost advantages to companies with varied product lines and reduce inventory costs Packaging companies are increasingly relying on dramatic, intriguing packages to enhance differentiate and extend brand equity. Colourful shrinksfilm sleeve labels are popular on soft drinks and other bottled goods, but the process is expensive. ‘The sleeve market i traditionally gravure based but flexo sleeves are becoming more and mote popular with manufacturers. However, new technology is enabling manufacturers to produce gravure standard fexo, page 72. © Copyight Fira Interatina id 2003,mo peectitpaoeee Gravure Printing of flexible packaging {1 Europe, digital, flexographiy,rotogravure and lithography are all used inflexible packaging. The factors that determine which is used are normally cost and application. Lithography is ideal for printing short-sun, quick turnaround, high-quality flexible packaged goods. It produces at a quality similar to gravure but can have a much faster ramp-up time and much cheaper tooling costs, Digital printing is used where solutions to the difficult mariage between mass production and mass customisation are required. This changing structure has seen a tenfold increase in the number of digital presses installed in the past few years Rotogravure aay flexography, meanwhile, are normally used for long runs that require ‘ewer graphic changes Flexible converters using flexo and gravure tend to fulfil the high- volume orders for long-established product lines. Traditionally, there are cost and quality differences between gravure and flexo, but these are narrowing somewhat Painting unis (444 cofour) Trpesson roller Doctor blade Gravure ofinder Inking system Gravure, sometimes called rotogravure, is a traditional proces that has been around for many years. The basic principle is thatthe image is engraved onto the cylinder or sleeve Until recently the process of producing a printing forme was both costly and time consuming, However, with the advent of the plastic sleve the cost of prepress has come down, Although the orginal investment cost is still slightly higher than that for flexo, the cost of producing dgitally-engraved printing forme is competitive, ‘The common perception is that gravure is only for top-quality, long-run work in packaging. But while top quality remains a feature of gravure, in recent years European gravure cylinder suppliers have either held or reduced their prices; thus, the process has become more competitive while retaining its reputation for quality This is due to a combination of factors, including significant investment inthe latest technology by gravure cylinder suppliers. News, faster electronic engraving heads provide Reelstand Source Pie Ineemetional id Page 73. © Copyight Fra Intemational Ud 2003, {iIntroduction to Flexible Packaging Printing of exible packaging just one of the major process surface improvements of recent times. The latest cylinder manufacturing facilities are fully automated with robotics replacing the labourintensive aspects of the process. Apart from making the whole process of cylinder making much more automated lead times have also fale to a couple of days Prepress costs are often cited as the reason for choosing flexo over gravure. When comparing flexo with gravure, costings should include elements such as plate replacement cover the life ofthe design. Flexo appears to have the edge over gravure if @ design is only printed once, atound 5000 metres, but opinion varies from printer to printer on where to draw the line. Generali, most gravure/lexo printers believe that after the second production run gravure is more cost effective than flexo. The same set of gravure cinders will ast forthe life of the design and give consistency of production. ‘Another important consideration isthe numberof colours required to produce the design. More often than not, gravure will need fewer colours than flexo, which reduces costs. Tones and bright, dense solids can be imaged onto the same cylinder with no need to separate them. Higher press speeds and low wastage are other factors in gravure’s favour ‘Another advantage of the gravure process i its simplicity, Once the press is up and running little can go wrong. Ths is why a number of printers are converting some of their traditionally lexo-printed work over to gravure. For added-value work inline operations are well suited to the gravure process. Cold: seal, PVAC, varnishing, laminating and sheeting can all be done at high speed on press ‘A number of new developments are expected in the not too distant future that should have a huge impact on the gravure process. Laser technology is already available tp engrave gravure cjinders, although not suitable yet forall types of work The high speed of call production will go a long way to making gravure even more competitive. New polymer technology has produced the so-called ‘plastic’ gravure cylinder ~ lightweight enough to be carted in one hand, yet extremely robust. The polymer also climinates some of the problems inherent in using steel. “These technologies will take some time to develop and have an impact on the industry but one new and very important piace of news is that there will soon be @ ‘gravure simulator for packaging on the market. “The future forthe gravure packaging industry looks healthy with the traditionally strong gravure markets of China, Malaysia and Japan continuing to grow. New digital, technology should enhance the gravure process and open up new markets and ‘opportunities for the process. “The gravure industry is set to unveil a host of new technologies, including the new lightweight gravure cylinder. Following successful tials, production is underway for both the European and US markets. The new lightweight cytinder typically weighs g-1okg for a im facelength cylinder, lighter than conventional cylinders by a factor of ro, Several companies are currently marketing the lightweight cylinders, which are already finding their way into printing plants, One of the successes is ROTAG (cylinders) of Page 74 © Copyright Pa Interationl itd 2003[es a es ee — Introduction to lexble Packaging Péntng of flee paclaging the US, which has processed 12,000 cylinders to date. A joint venture between Roller Technology, Keating Gravure and Libra Gravure is working on enhancing the product, Production is also underway in the UK where there has been excellent feedback regarding weight reduction, storage, handling and consistency of printing, The time required for a steel base to be manufactured and delivered before plating and engraving can begin has been reduced as plastic bases are far more versatile and readily available. ‘The efficiency of the manufacturing process for plastic cylinders means it takes one to two days, as opposed to one to two weeks for steel. This reduces lead times substantially. In the case of flexata print job on a set of flexo sleeves will take longer to supply. This isnot the only area where gravure has seen new developments. Another area is laser engraving. Laser engraving is currently installed at three locations, Illochrome (Belgium), Baver (Germany) and Keating Gravure (US). Bauer's installation is primatily for publication gravure, and recent results are encouraging, The system at tllochrome is an in-house facility. The company has been producing high-quality gravure packaging cylinders ~ mainly label work for its own printing presses ~ at very high speed for the past four year ‘The installation at the Keating plant in the US has now completed intensive testing programmes and is ready to go into full production. Keating isa trade-house engraving shop, capable of engraving cylinders for a variety of printers, and a large range of specialty products such as stamps and cigarette packs as well as standard packaging designs, The laser system is up to 34 times faster than current engraving machines. It is not just speed that the laser brings to the market. The quelity of tonal reproductions and line work ae also significantly improved. Cylinders laser engraved at Keating Gravure and printed in one of Sonaco's US printing operations have shown a marked improvement over electronically engraved cylinders, especially in areas of vignettes. This has eliminated the phenomenon known as ‘chaining, which appears between the solid and tonal areas where the solid breaks down into a series of dots, Flexo has also made tremendous strides in the flexible packaging market, including what has been descibed as a quantum leap in technology, especially with regards to the ‘computerto-plate (CTP) systems currently available Images made by the flexographic process are the exact opposite of those produced by «gravure. In the flexo process, the plate or sleeve is in relief and made from photopolymer, Plates are made individually and mounted using cushion backing tape either directly onto the cylinder, via a tympan or through a recent innovation whereby the printing surface is produced in-the-round. ‘While photopolymer printing plates with ink transferred to the plate by way of aniline inking have been around since the late 1970s, its only ince the mid-aggos that the process has become a formidable competitor to other processes. Unfortunately, those early days of fiexo gave the process a bad name and at the time it was considered to produce an inferior quality product. Page 75. © Copyright Pir intamationa td 003luction to Flexible Packaging Priming of ele packaging Ronee iene eee Pate Impression) \evinder Se Anilox roller ~ Fountain roller Inky Source Pia nemational id But despite being long regarded as the plain, poor relation ofthe print industry, over the past two decades flexo has slowly grown its share of the packaging market, lagely at the expense of litho and gravure. These processes have seen their share of global package print spend drop from 759% in 1985 to 67% in 1998: over the same period flexo's share grew by a third, ‘The latest Pira market research suggests that by 2005 fleso will increase its share cof world package print (by value) to 41%, Europe is expected to be one of the fastest rowing regions for flexo. Ths is mainly due to the fact that the continent is at the forefront of flexo technology changes, but also because it starts from a comparatively tow base; flero accounts for 28% of the European market for package print compared with 709 in North America, ‘Mid-web’flexo presses and diaitalimaging offset presses are opening doors for label makers and commercial printers to become folding-carton converters, Meanwhile, new electronic prepress systems, especially CTP for flexo, are drastically cutting turnaround times and enhancing print quality for a growing number of package printers Such operations are making ‘high-definition flexo! printing competitive with offset and gravure. End-user customers are demanding statistical process-control quality data for product manufacturing, Consequently, converters are applying greater use of process automation (equipment and softvrare) to achieve higher quality at lower costs. ‘Gearless’ presses, employing individually servo-motordrven cylinders, are greatly improving print quality and speeding changeover between print jobs. Revolutionary coating methods, teamed with radiation-based curing, are also making high-speed coating/laminating possible at more than 3ooofpm. Europe is some months ahead of the rest of the world as most ofthe developments in plate-making and flexo presses is emanating from westem Europe, particularly Germany. Page 76 © Copjight Pie Insratonal Ltd 2003ieee eee Hees eee eee ee any} Introduction to Flexible Packaging Peitng of fel pacaging However, these gains still leave flex far short of matching gravure in terms of consistent quality. Its main advantage now, and one that has been talked up by the industry, is that itis cheap. But print industry analysts say there is vey litle to choose between the two con the first run and thereafter the advantage lies with gravure. ‘Although flexo is the fastest-growing process itis arguably a victim of its own success, as more printing capacity has been added than is justified by expected demand, New product development and technologies indicate that flexo will ned to drive cost ‘out of its process. It has always been able to win marketshare from gravure because of the high cost of pmoducing gravure cinders, But this is changing and the cost of ‘manufacturing gravure glinders is now on a par with flexo. The development of flexo plates, which do not require any aqueous washout, drying and all the other processes that 0 into making plates is welcomed. But the biggest cost for flexo is that for polymer and this will have to drop significanty ifthe market for the process is to continue to grow. As of the end of 2002, the cost of polymers and crude cil looked unlikely to come down appreciably. CChangeovers also need to be reduced substantially as presses do not make money ‘when they are standing stil. Suppliers and printers need to work more closely together to achieve greater cost reduc Lithogrephy relies on the principle that oil and water do not mix, The image is put onto an aluminium printing plate using UV light shining through a negative. The plate is ‘coated in a chemical that makes the image area attractive to oll and therefore the ink. ‘Water is used to repel the oily ink where itis not wanted. Each colour is added to the paper separately using a different set of negatives and plates. Lithography is curently the most popular form of printing. It is an expensive process ‘to setup so itis only used for long production runs. Lithography is a high-quality printing method capable of reproducing colour text and pictures on paper or card. It is used in packaging but its main uses are to print magazines, CD covers, posters and concer tickets. Lithographic printing offers the same high quality as gravure but has a much faster ramp-up and much lower tooling costs. Lead times can be cut by up to 50% and lithogranty is recognised to be the fastest, most costeffective way to: Gang muitipe items and multiple brands Enhance and modify package graphics as needed Afford shortun quantities Keep inventories low Minimise risk in introducing new products Get products to matket faster Supportline extensions, Address niche markets Use couponing, Bimetal litho plates are becoming increasingly popular as package printers are starting to vVYVYVVYYVY Page77 © Copyright Fa Intemational Lid 2003, (_—$ $$$Introduction to Flexible Pack Piming of flexible pataging FIGURE 6.3 The ee ia Plate yinder Feedboard ——— linger | \ \ \ Source Pia Intemational a see them as a way to create the exceptional araphics their customers need to gain an edge in competitive markets. This is especially true fr folding cartons, pre-printed corrugated cartons, flexible packaging and multiwall bags, particularly where long runs, aggressive solvents, and abrasive substrates and inks are involved, Bimetal plates, which print from a copper surface, are very durable and compatible with a wide range of solvents and inks. They allow for Long runs and can be sharpened duting processing to correct dot gain on many packaging substrates. Printers are now using bimetal plates for pharmaceutical packaging, soft crink foam ‘wrappers and three-part cans. Recent bimetal plate tials have involved record covers, cereal boxes and cosmetic packaging at runs up to 500,000 impressions, They also allow printers to comect light or muddy colours by simply processing a new plate fom film at the proper sharpening level Beyond paperboard packaging the plates have long been used in metal decorating, ‘especially for three-piece steel cans ranging from shaving cans to cookie tins. Printers in this area often use specialised copper or-stainless steel (rather than the usual copper-on- aluminum) plates, which are extremely durable and able to be pulled off@ press, stored ‘and reused many times. Pago 78 © Copyright Pre Intemational td 2003ES es Introduction to Flexible Packaging Printing of fsb packaging ele Inking roles ‘Swing grippers K Feadboard a= Paper delivery Paper pile Source Pia tntemotional td Lithography with bimetal plates is seen as an excellent alternative to flexography and gravure, Bimetal plates are prepared with far less effort and cost less than gravure plates, but offer simitar quality and durability. Bimetal plates also overcome many of the chemical compatibility issues that arse with surface litho plates, because they do not print from photopolymers that can be altared by solvents in flexo and gravure inks. ‘The durability of bimetal plates also means that they can be used with abrasive UV inks. This is especially important for pre-printed corrugated carton stock and where UV inks are used to gain rapid curing, As packages are increasinaly used to promote brand identity and carry essential messages, package printing has moved toward the higher quality end of the market Lithography using bimetal plates has a role to play because it can often meet the demands of even the most discriminating packagers and withstand even the most aggressive printing processes. Digital printing The term digital printing describes a collection of printing processes that do not use any sort of pre-imaged printing plate. Instead, the image is constructed in digital form then ‘transfered tothe print ‘nine’ once for every print to be produced. tt i therefore possible to change part oral of the image to be printed for each successive print, enabling rapid changes fom one print run to the next or even personalisation of every print made Page 79 © Copygh a ntematioal Ltd 2003 jh.Introduction to Flexible Packaging Piining of leible packaging FIGURE 6.5 In reservoir Charge electrode Deflection plates Source Piro Interational td ‘There are two cistinct digital printing categories that respond to the market demands required by packagers: > Electrophotographic systems where the surface on which the image is formed is in direct contact with the substrate, These devices cover a wide range of systems in Which an electrostatic image is created by optical or electrical means on a drum or belt and toner is transferred (or polymeric liquid toner in the case of Indigo) from image cylinders direct to the substrate, The toner is generally a thermoplastic ‘material, which is heated to melt and fused to form the image. > Non-impact or inkjet systems where the print application is not in contact with the substrate. These rely on the computer-controlled discharge of ink to form a sequence of fine droplets, either via an electrostatically charged continuous flow, or @ drop-on- demand (DoD) process. These are fired at the substrate fom a distance of a few millimetres. There is to contact or pressute om the substrate, so fragile and non-flat surfaces can be printed, Inks can be formulated to adhere to almost all surfaces, allowing for a varity of substrates. DoD inkjet technology is becoming the preferred technology for high-uality and high- resolution printing systems, and has reached the stage where it could be used to develop systems for package printing applications. “These applications can span the range fom the printing of variable information to full package printing, But issues such as the environment, use interface, manufacturing integration and acceptance on the factory floor need to be addressed if implementation ‘of the technology is to be successful Page 80 © Copyight Pra Intemational Ltd 2003 aieee) Introduction to Flexible Packaging Printing of fee packaging ech Noimage \ \. Droplet paths Deflection plates oe E el sent Z Ink ecicultion| Source: Pie Intemational itd eee Transducer Data pulse steam In suppy a atmosohetie pressure Source Pira Intentional td Digital printing has now come of age. Substrate manufacturers have seized the ‘opportunity by developing high value digital pressiendly substrates Finishing lines are also now designed to accommodate shorter runs and fast set-up changes. Also the press can match longer run quality with the same special custom colours and substrates. But for digital printing to be successful in the label market the technology needs to include all the converting flexibility for which narrow web inline presses are well known, ‘The technology needs to be truly integrated into converting equipment that the label industry currently uses, tt nzeds to have the capability to lay down spot colours and varnishes, diecut, strip the waste, fol stamp, ete. AA successful solution will treat digital printing just like any other printing process and ‘ot have to run many offline operations to finish converting the label, The key is to Page 81 © Copyight ira iteration Ltd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Peating of flxble packaging Charging Cleaning SOO Fusing rollers @ Source: Pra Internationa td provide digital printing as added flexibility on current converting equipment, allowing it to print an even wider range of labels. This eliminates the need for investment in offline technology to provide the low-cost answer to short runs and variable information. The digital trend is being driven by intensified global retail competition, whichis ‘creating irresistible pressures for shorter life, higher impact and more varied packaging. For brand managers, designers, printers and logistics managers this translates into shorter runs of multidesign products, justn-time delivery and the personalisation and customisation of mass-produced consumer goods, Another effect of global brand production isthe need to integrate into common packaging designs @ mass of different and constantly changing local or regional information. Examples ofthis include dietary information, regulations governing hazardous chemicals and movements of goods across national boundaries, and product disposal Digital workfiows offer a potential solution to the seemingly paradoxical demands of global brand management and the incorporation of local and regional information. As brands go global it is vital that colour and design consistency are maintained in the same way that manufacturing integrity is ensured by consolidating production units into centres of excellence, Digital workflows allow companies to control global print production much more closely, while reducing the cycle of design, origination and approval. Digital printing technology can be categorised by production type, 2s well as by the actual markets for which the technology is suitable. There are four major areas: print-one demand; short runs; distibute and print; and personalisation. ‘The packaging industry response to these digital production capabilities has been cone of the most interesting. The label industry led the way into digital printing and is now being followed by folding carton printers, particularly those preducing pharmaceutical Page 82 © Copyicht Fira Intmatonl ltd 2003 ie!seeder Introduction to Fexible Packaging Pratng of fble paclaging cartons where the fairly small physical size, relatively short runs and higher added value sit very well with the technology. Experimental work is also being undertaken in the digital printing of metal cans, plastic bottles and yoghurt cartons. At the May 2000 Drupa exhibition, inkjet presses vere launched which can handle conrugated and flexible packaging at industrial printing application speeds. Despite the strides being made by digital technology some drawbacks remain. ‘Compared with litho, flexo and gravute, digital printing machines ae slow in order to attain equivalent eolour image quality. For many mass-production lines, the run speed of typical digital print engines is too slow to offer economic benefits, despite savings in prepress costs. n future, digital printing will need to be more productive and offer 2 larger print surface. Page 83. © Copyight Pra inernatoral Ld 2003, $$$ms me Calendering Flexible packaging machinery ‘The machinery chosen to fabricate films depends on the characteristics of the resin and the properties desired. For example, resiné can be extruded from a fla, sit die, over @ chilled die, over a chilled roll or into a cold-water bath. Following flat-de extrusion, a hot film can be oriented in either the machine and/or the cross machine. Films can also be extruded from a circular die, formed into a tube and blown with air to expand and thin the film walls, The die is rotated to even out plastic distribution. This tube can then be slit to form a fiat film, The film can also be oriented in this process Celendered films are formed by squeezing a quantity of molten plastic between two rip rolls and a series of heated rollers. The resulting film has an exceptionally uniform gauge and dimensional stability. Extuding machinery is used in a packaging application for extruding thermoplastic ‘material either from pellet or liquid form to produce continuous sheets or film. These will later be used as a package, container, material or other packaging application. “This method is used to produce continuous sheet. The plastic material is fst softened by heat and then passed between two or more rollers under great pressure. There are many different types of calenders. They differ both in terms of the number of rolls, which varies fiom two to five, and their arrangement. The arrangements of the bowis are usually referred to as ZL ee ee ed ‘coating Stee! rls Source Fira Intemational ta Page 85 © Copysght Pir Intemational Lid 2003,i | i ; i i Extruding Introduction to Flexible Packaging Feible packaging achinery ‘The actual calendaring process consists of feeding a plastics mass into the nip between the first two rolls where it is squeezed into a film. The film then passes round the remaining rolls The final thickness of the film is determined by the sizeof the gap between the last two rolls. After it leaves the calender, the film is cooled by passing. it over cooling rollers fed through a beta ray thickness gauge and then wound up. “The squeezing of a molten mass into a thin film means that very great forces are : exerted on the bowls. The pressures on the shafts can cause bending resulting in film that is thicker in the middle than at the edges. To compensate for ths, there are various designs of celender.x, Decorative efi are posible wth calenderng with the type of fm surface ddatermined by the last roll. Matt or glossy surfaces can be obtained, 2s can embossed surfaces, Calenders can also be used as coating machines by passing paper, fabric or ‘some other substrate through the last two rolls. The high pressure exerted ensures good contact between the hot plastic and the substrate and so gives good bonding, Calenders tend to be massive machines, operating at high temperature and high J pressure, both of which have to be kept as uniform as possible A large floor area is Usually required because of the associated plant, such as mixers, blenders, haul-off ] equipment, temperature control systems and other ancillary items, This makes the process capital intensive so calenders tend to be used for wide width film (around 1.8m wide) because the cots proportionately less. | “The first step of several ofthe shaping processes for plastics including plastics films for food packaging, is often extrusion, Granules are fed from a hopper into the barrel of an Li extruder where they are melted by heat and the mechanical action of the screw. ee Simple exter | Baral stock thermocouple so I H oe | End date dependent | on pofle being mage L Sour: Pt Interotona ted il ‘The action of the screw forces the molten plastic through an orifice called a die. The shape of the die determines the type of product produced, For example, an extremely | | Page 86. © Copygh a itaratonl td 2003 ljIntroduction to Flexible Packaging Fesibe pacaging machiney small orifice wll spin a fine plastic thread, which can subsequently be woven. An alternative die design will create thin plastic films of the type used for packaging food. The extrusion process is normally used for thermoplastics, although thermosets can also be extruded using special techniques, Extusion is @ continuous process designed to convert plastics into sheet, film, pipes, rds, fibres and shaped profiles. It can also be used for other materials such as aluminium, > Whatever the final product, the basic sequence of events is as follows: > Plasticisation ofthe raw material in granule or powder form; > Metering of thetplastcised product through a die, which converts it to the desired form (film, etc); > Solidification into the desited shape and size; > Winding into reels or cutting into units. ‘The first two processes are carried out in the extruder while the thd and fourth are ancillay processes, The extruder itself basically consists of an Archimedian screw revolving inside a closestting, heated cylinder or barel. The plastics granules are fed through a hopper at one end ofthe barrel and carted forward by the action ofthe screw. ‘As the granules pass along the barel they are melted by contact with the heated walls and by the generation of frictional heat in the viscous met. The final action of the screw isto force the melted polymer through the die, which determines its final form, ‘The most Important component of any extruder is the screw and it is usually impossible to extrude one material successfully using a screw designed for another rmatesial. Screws are characterised by their length/ diameter ratios and their compression ratios. The screw is usually divided into three sections: feed, compression and metering, ‘The feed section conveys the material from under the hopper mouth to the compression section The function of the inal section ofthe screw is to meter the molten polymer through the die at a steady rate and iron out pulsations. ‘As the film is wound onto the spool, it is processed into finished or semi-finished products according to purpose: > Flat products: the film is cut and delivered in one layer on a spool D> Tube prociucts: the film is delivered as a tube with the option of side or middle cuts; D> Tube with fold if large tube diameter yet narrow role width is desired, all tube films are available with an inlaid fol. Extruded films range in thickness from 1smy (o.o15mm] to 300m (ogmm) at thickness tolerances of +/-5% or +/-10%, depending on usage and thickness. Flat films are available in widths from toomm to 6ooornm. If necessary the film i folded because the ‘maximum roller width is gooomm. ‘Most companies can add special additives to thei film, including @ UV stabiliser to extend its operating life. Antistatic agents can also be added to the film as can corona treatment and microperforation. ‘There are basicaly two diferent methods of extruding film: blown extrusion and slit die-cast extrusion. Page ®7 © Copytight Pla inerationa td 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging enible paclaging machinery Blown film extrusion In this case, the molten polymer from the extruder head enters the die from the side, although entry can also be made from the bottom of the die. in the de, the melt is made to flow around a mandrel and emerges through a ring-shaped die opening in the form of a tube. This tube is then expanded into a bubble of the required diameter by blowing air through the centre of the mandrel, The tube can be extruded upwards, downwards or horizontally Cees lnc lls a ee Seat voll, mon ; oR feet r ; Frost Mandtel Ertuder ac inde sir entry Source: Pre Intemotional itd Page 88 © Copyight Pia ntamatona td 2003, “aoo ool (occas) a J U Slit die-cast extrusion Coextrusion Introduction to Flexible Packaging Flexible packaging machinery Blown extrusions are produced through an annular die with concentric orifices. Originally blown extrusions normally consisted of only two or three layers but increased demand for high-barrer coextrusions has led to a great deal of development in the field of die design. Blown film extrusion is a very complex procedure and there are a number of problems associated with its production. Defects likely to be encountered include variations in gauge, surface defects, haze, low-impact strength, block and wrinkling. However, once these defects are overcome, the mechanical properties of blown film are generally better than those of cast film, In lat film extrusion the melt is extruded through a slit die then passes into a water bath Or onto a chilled roller In both instances, the essence of the process is rapid cooling ofthe film within a very short distance of the die lips (25~65mm). Rapid cooling prevents the ‘growth of large crystals and so gives the film high clarity (compared with blown film) In the chilled roll ‘casting’ method, the melt is extruded onto a chromium-plated roller, cored for water cooling, This is 2 process whereby two or more materials or colours are combined using multiple ‘extruders. The extruders are inline and multiple steams of melted material are combined in @ manifold. Coextrusion can produce profiles or films of multiple colours using similar materials, a hinge effect or a gasket area. Since all of te plastics start out as fluids and cool together, coextrusion eliminates the multiple steps required in some of the other techniques -Mulitayer films produced by coextrusion provide desirable film properties dificult to achieve with pure materials, in the multilayer film casting process, an important operating variable isthe tension in the molten fim, as ths is crucial to the quality and properties of the final product ‘The measurement of film tension in the film casting proces is difficult because the film isin a molten state, which requires the use of a ron-contacting method of ‘measurement. Methods explored to achieve this measurement include using an airjet impingement device to measure molten film tension. The device produces a thin rectangular ar jet wider than the width ofthe molten film. The film tension can then be ‘measured because the amount of film deflection caused by the impinging ai jet depends on the tension ofthe film. The growth in demand for metallocene films has also benefited coextusion. In the past there has been a trade off in the manufactur of blown films between the better mechanical properties of impact strength, sealability, optics and tear resistance, and the ‘more difficult processing properties of higher viscosity at typical extrusion rates, greater shear with the existing screws (ivhich heat and push the plastic resin towards the extruder) and the fower bubble stability ‘These problems have been overcome by adjusting aspects ofthe blown film line and by coextruding or blending the metallocene resin with a conventional resin. second Page89 © Copyright Pir ntational Ltd 2003,‘Thermoforming Introduction to Flexible Packaging Feible packaging machinery option rot only aids processing, but also reduces the cost ofthe final film by incorporating a proportion of cheaper resin, |i reality this isa family of processes that can be adapted to make a wide range of containers and provide 2 form/ill/seal (FES) system. In thermoforming, a plastic sheet is softened by heat and then formed into or around a mould, The various types of thermoformed packages include skin packaging, blister packaging and formed primary containers and closures. IGURE 7.4 Thermoforming tech “Thick dome “) 1 acca Sour Pia Intemational td Their common characteristics that they start with fat sheet or film, The material is heated until itis soft and pliable and then shaped by vacuum, pressure and dies or any combination of these. The basic technique in thermoforming isto suspend a sheet of plastic in a frame that grips it around its edges. The sheet is held until it softens then Page 90 © Copyight Pre International td 2003ce £ Vacuum forming Pressure forming ‘Thermoform-fill-seal Lamination Intraduction to Flexible Packaging exile packaging machinery sucked down over a mould by a vacuum, Once it has cooled, itis stripped from the ‘mould and trimmed. ‘The basic equipment for this process comprises a vacuum box with an air outlet coupled toa vacuum pump, a clamping frame, a mould and a heating panel. The mould, which is perforated, is placed over the air outlet. The plastic sheet is then placed over the top of the vacuum box to cteate an airtight compartment. The sheet is heated and then forced into close contact with the mould’s upper surface where itis sufficient cooled for it to retain its moulded Shape This is the same as vacuum forming with the exception that the heat softened sheet is forced into contact with the mould by postive air pressure applied from above. Because the pressure isnot limited to atmospheric pressure this gives a better reproduction of the mould detail. Neatly all the machines used for high-production work are pressure formers. After the piece has been formed over the mould, cold air may be blown over it to speed cooling. As an alternative to cold air, some formers use vapour spray. ‘Two reel-fed plastic webs are used. The fist is formed into a series of tray-lke depressions by heating and drawing a vacuum through the base of appropriately shaped moulds. ‘The formed sheet is then indexed under a fling head and the filed compartments are lidded by sealing the second web of the material on top. The web of ldded and filled containers is then cut and the individual packs separated, The web used for lidding is often pre-printed. A thermoplastics-coated paper or aluminium foil may also be used in the lidding operation. ‘The thermoforming process is well adapted to FFS operations. Thermofor-fil-seal ‘techniques ate widely used for portion packaging of foodstuffs in liquid or paste form. The ‘many products packaged in this way include jams, marmalade end honey. UHT milk is also packaged using aseptic filling techniques. In aseptic packaging, both the base and lidding materials are sterilised using hydrogen perokide, Thermoforming is caried out using compressed sterile at, tered to microbiological standards and plug-assist. Filing is caried out in the sterile cabinet, followed by preseating on each side of the web, thus creating an enclosed tube between the base and the lid Lamination involves the bonding ofa thin, transparent film, typically polypropylene (PP), polyester, acetate or nylon, tothe surface ofthe press sheet or other substrate (Figure 7.5, ‘overieaf). The film is applied via the wet method or the thermal method, The wet method is more complicated and involves the use of solvents or water. The finisher applies the adhesive to the film as the film is being applied to the substrate, Ths tends to be cheaper than thermal but there may be environmental issues relating to the drying of the glue. Page 91 © Copyight Fa Intemational td 2003Antroduetion to Flexible Packaging Flexible packaging machinery Paparstifnes) Polyethylene adhesive) Foil barter Polyethylene (heat eal) Source Pra Intemetional Ld In the wet method (see Figure 7.6) two or more webs are joined using adhesives. n the figure, one web comes up from the bottom and is carried over an adhesive roller to the left. A second web coming in at the top left meets the adhesive-coated web in the nip of the two rolls, which are one above the other on the left. The combined layers pass around the snub rolls to the right and are cantied to the next operation. Fouche Source Pia inemarional td ‘The thermal method, which has become popular in the last few years, uses 250 to 300F” heat to meld film and substrate. The type of film used is pre-coated with polyethylene (PE) adhesive and is more expensive than film without adhesive, The thermal method is the dominant process in use today. ‘One drawback of the thermal method is that the heat involved causes polyester and PP films to stretch while being applied, and this sometimes causes curling of the finished Page 92 © Copyright Pir Intemational td 2099,Metallised film Form/fill/seal ‘Introduction to Flexible Packaging ‘ete packaging machinery piece. To avoid ths, curl-see films are required. Nylon film is generally more expensive than other types. Of al the films, however, itis the most stable. Currently its only availabe in a clear (gloss) finish; fim manufacturers are working on a matt version. ‘The most popular film is PP. It comes in a gloss or matt finish and isthe least expensive. Polyester film, which comes in gloss or satin (ie, nota true mat} has a harder finish and is more resistant to scuffing and tearing than PP. Acetate film isthe least used because itis more brittle than other films and has a tendency to tear and scratch Films will normally adhere to virtually any paper or cardstock, 2s well as to cardboard and cloth, Heavy #aper stocks ere better than lightweight ones, which tend to cutl when laminated, Occasionally films have trouble sticking to uncoated or heaviy-textured stocks. ‘As with coatings, amination yields the best results when used over waxfree inks and vamishes, If wax is present in the ink or vamish the wet method of lamination, which wil permit the use of a very agoressive adhesive to bond the film effectively to the substrate, can be used. Lamination can be done in conjunction with diecuttin, scoring, embossing and debossing, but these processes need to be performed after the film is applied to the substrate. Ifthe product is embossed before lamination, the bump-up (height) of the embossed area will be affected by the rollers that apply the film. Ifthe job involves deep embossing, a soft film, such as PR, which has greater elasticity than other types, should be used. For projects that are to be glued, such as presentation folders, bags and box wraps, glueable film is normally specified, The cosmetic packaging, toiletries and pharmaceuticals industries usvally insist on glueable films. ‘The metallising process takes place by evaporating aluminium in a high-vacuum chamber, ‘The very thin layer of aluminium that condenses on the film gives an excellent barter to Tight, water vapour, oxygen and other gases. Ths layer is very thin (100-250 Angstrom). After lamination it guarantees top barrier properties because, unlike the foil, itis less rigid and does not crack or break. Barrer properties are guaranteed by the uniformity ofthe aluminium layer deposited ‘on the film and by the reduction of any microscopic defects, such as pinholes, on the rmetallsed layer. The fewer weak points and defects on the aluminium layer there are, the better the barrier performance of metalised film for gas and light transmission. High-berrier laminated materials can be an economical substitute for aluminium foil in all kinds of applications, where AMfil is used to guarantee a banter effect ‘There are a number of cifferent types of FFS machines. These include: vertical, horizontal and horizontal/vertical FFS, The choice of machine very much depends on the type of packaging material and the characteristics ofthe product If the product is dry and free-flowing, 2 vertical FFS machine is usually the best choice. Here, a single web of film or paper feeds down over a forming shoulder which Page 93_ © Copyight Pa international td 2003el Introduction o Flexible Packaging File packaging machinery converts the flat web into @ tubular shape around the product feed tube with two sides of the web overlapping. Variations on this package fabrication method now include stand-up pouches that can be made with bottom qussets or flat bottoms. A vertical machine that accommodates two webs is usually preferred for liquids, a5 all seals are made through only two thicknesses of materials and there is less chance of a leak occuring ‘Another approach to pouch forming for both dry and liquid products is the horizontal/vertical machine in which 2 single web i folded upward to make vertically } positioned pouches that travel in a horizontal direction through forming, filling, sealing ad cutting from theaweb. On these machines, pouch packages can be created at speeds of up to 400 a minute A vertical FFS machine that overlaps a single film web around a filing tube can handle a wide variety of fquid and solid products in weights up to gkg. Some vertical FFS ‘machines can produce up to 6o bags a minute with lengths up to 15.5in. Some have @ small footprint and a table that pivots to drop sealed bags onto a pickup conveyor. Operating parameters ae stored in memory and showin on an LCD. Temperature, film Length, film registration cut-off, dwell time and belt speed can be recalled instanty. The stationary-width seal jaws use individual thermocouples for constant temperature control ‘An internittent-mation, vertical FFS unit can fill sachets and pouches with powders, dgranulates, tablets, liquids and creams at speeds of up to 7o strokes a minute, Some ‘machines can also transfer and count pouches into predefined stacks and cartons. A microprocessor monitors operations, a swiveling eye-level control panel displays functions ‘and a pneumatic system ensures optimum pressure and a tight seal Innovations in thermoformfillseal machinery aim to address issues such as reclosabilty and resealability, providing choice of product in one pack, flexibility in terms ‘of shape, quick size changeover and reduced packaging costs. Since market pressures increasingly demand a variety of bag styles for the same product, machine builders are turning to modular designs to provide that varity from the seme machine. Behind the race to keep one step ahead has been the tremendous take-up of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), which has seen a leap in demand for FFS. From less than 2 billion packs in 1993, the UK volume for MAP packs shot up to 28 billion in 1998 and an estimated 35 billion in 2002. One of the more obvious trends in the design of vertical FFS machines since theit invention some 70 years ago has been the shift away from reciprocating cross-seal jaws ‘towards cross-seal jaws that operate from a fixed position. Eary vertical FES machines used a reciprocating cross-seal jaw assembly, which performed two functions: pulling off ‘the measured length of film fiom the reel and forming both the top and bottom cross seals to produce the classic pillow pack “These machines were used extensively in most industries where they worked efficiently and reliably. Classic reciprocating.jaw machines dominated the market right up age 94 © Copyright Pa Intemational id 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Freible packaging machinery to the 1980s, when they started to be replaced by machines using belts to draw down the film. There were three main reasons for this drawdown belt machines can produce long bags with no need to be very tall; they can be fitted with a series of attachments to produce gusseted and block bottom style packs; and they avoid the problem of the bag bing pulled flat as it is being formed, which makes itcficul to fill lightweight products, But machine builders are now looking again at reciprocating jaw mechanisms. The challenge forall vertical FS machine manufacturers at the moment isto get machines to ‘work faster to match the 120-180 packs a minute capatilty of modern multinead ‘weighers. Fixed position rotary jaw machines can match these speeds on light products such 2s cisps, but for heavier products and films requiring a fonger sealing time, a simple rotary motion does not allow a long enough sealing time. One of the great advantages ofthe reciprocating cross-seal jaw is that it gives a long sealing time and, when combined with a draw-down belt mechanism for the film feed, Produces machines that have the advantages of both types of machine and the ability to create heavyweight packs at high speed © Copytght Pica international td 2003,a 3 Food contact materials Legislative issues affecting flexible packaging ‘The volume of legislation affecting packaging, at both EU and national level, has grown and has been instrumental in the development of packaging options. Recycling has affected virtually all sectors ofthe packaging industry with the introduction of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and its application in member states. Following the amendments to the key EU directives 86/109/EEC and g0/128/EEC conceming materials that come into contact with food, the whole field of food packaging hygiene has become of some considerable and growing concern tothe plastic food packaging industry ‘The new regulations are designed to benefit EU consumers, but in terms of compliance itis lear that, while the primary business sector affected will be manufacturers of food contact plastics and the companies that use their products, the burden will weigh more heavily on converters. ‘Work undertaken by the flexible packaging industry has been given added urgency following allegations raised in Denmark that food is being contaminated by certain laminating adhesives, These reports concemed the detection of aromatic amines in food packaged in film laminates, In the case of recycling, member states must comply with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC), which seeks to harmonise the various member states’ management of packaging in oréer to provide a high level of environmental protection, while ensuring the functioning of the market. ‘The directive and subsequent member state legislation has resulted in a groweh in material recycling and heightened recognition within all sectors of industry of the need to be environmentally accountable. The EU has been working on the approximation of the laws of member states governing materials and articles that come into contact with food for some 25 years. Cuttertly only ‘wo main categories of materials (egenerated cellulose and ceramics) are subject to fully harmonised EU legislation; harmonisation of the next category of materials, plastics, has yet to be completed despite the fact that the first directive on plastics materials was adopted over ten years ago ‘According to the regulations, if a directive applicable to a particular producti in place at £U level and has been implemented in the member states’ national legislation, then the use ofthat product must comply with the ditective. If an EU directive covering a particular product or application has not yet been promulgated, finalised or implemented into national law, then the use of the product must comply with the appropriate national laws of each EU member state, subject to the principle of ‘mutual recognition. But there is still some resistance to the application ofthe 'mutual recognition’ principle inthe area of food contact tis and the continued use of different regulatory approaches by member states have maintained bariers to trade in food-contact materials. ‘The amendments tothe framework and specific directives concerning food contact materials (see below) are a step forwerd on the long road towards harmonisation. But Page 97 Coptight Pr international id 2003,Introduction to Flesible Packaging Legislative sus affecting Necbe pacaging there is stil @ long way to go with more than half ofthe EU's member states having in place national legislation over and above that provided for by the directives. In Directive 2002/17/EEC, which was published on 21 February 2002 and which ‘amends Directive 90/128/EEC, the text clearly states that it is left to member states to regulate much of the substances. It acknowledges that the directive establishes, specifications for ‘only afew substances. The others that may require specifications remain regulated by national laws, pending a decision at EU level 1 ‘The result for flexible packagers that continue to resist the application ofthe ‘mutual ‘ecogniton’ principles likely to be a continuation of unacceptably high bariers tothe trade in food-contact materials across EU member state borders. Food-contact materials are defined by EU legislation as all materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, including packaging materials, cutlery, dishes, processing machines, containers, etc. ‘To ensure the protection of the health of the consumer and to avoid adulteration of the foodstuff, two types of migration limits have been established in the area of plastic materials: >> An overall migration fii (OML) of 6omg (of substances)/kg (of Foodstuff or food simulants) This applies to all substances capable of migrating from the food contact material to the foodstuft > A specific migration limit (SML) which applies to individual authorised substances and is fixed on the basis ofthe toxicological evaluation ofthe substance. The SML is generally established according to the acceptable daily intake (ADI) or the tolerable daily intake (TDI) set by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF). To set the limit, itis assumed that every day throughout his/her lifetime a person of 60 eats 1kg of food packed in plastics containing the relevant substance at the maximum permitted level. Food contact materials and articles are regulated by three types of directives: D> The framework Directive 89/109/EEC sets up general requirements forall food: contact materials, D> Specific directives cover single groups of materials and artices that are listed in the framework directive ] D> Directives on individual substances or groups of substances used in the manufacture of materials and articles intended for food contact. These deal with substances that have raised special concem for the protection of the health of consumers. Current activities ~The Commission is continuing to examine the scientific background for a better possible future estimation of exposure. This isue isin the agenda of the SCF and ofthe Mixed { Experts Working Group on Food Contact Materials, composed of government representatives and representatives of consumer and professional organisations, > The Commission intends to re-examine Directive 85/572/EEC in order to take into ‘account new data and pertinent knowledge. A task force of experts is collecting the scientific data, which should justify the amendments, i Page 98 © Copyight Fira Inarastonal itd 2003 | _——— ee —“-.Recycling European legislation Introduction to Flexible Packaging Aagjlative iss affecting eb pactaging ‘The task force of experts is also continuing to examine other emerging issues such as active and intelligent packaging systems, and recycling, in order to put forward possible solutions for legislation, ‘Among the aims of the EU Directive 94/64/EC on packaging and packaging weste (implemented in the UK through the ‘Producer Responsibility (Packaging) Regulations) are the harmonisation of rational measures on packaging and the reduction of the environmental impact of packaging, The current status ofthe directive is one of revision between 2001 and 2008, delayed by the Council of Ministers at their meeting in June +2002 from the original deadline of 2006, In the frst five yeas in which the directive was in force ~ 196-2001 ~ the following targets were set > Recovery of 50-85% of packaging wast; > Recycling of 25-4586 of packaging waste with a 15% minimum for each material; > Ensure packaging is allowed onto the market only fit meets the ‘essential requirements, which include minimisation of packaging weight and volume, and suitability for material recycling, energy vecovery or composting. ‘The future direction of the packaging directive isto be decided during the current second phase, 001-08. The process is expected to agree an increase in reeling targets, a tightening up of the definitions and possible new restrictions and ideas such as a Packaging Environment Indicator Measures in the 2008 targets, agreed by the June 2002 Council of Ministers, include > Overall recovery of 60% D> Overall recycling of 55-Bo%e Wit regards to material specific recycling, targets incude: > Glass, 60% > Paper and board, 60% > Metals, 509 Plastics, 225% (counting exclusively matecal that is recycled back nto plastics) In. 2003 the process will go before the Pafiament, the EP Environment Commitee vith conciliation and ther shouldbe a final agreement by September. New definitions will have tobe agraed as ther is already confct between the Commission, Paliament and Council of Ministers over cling film. The Commission and Paiiament say thatthe packaging directive is not concerned with cling film while the Council oF Ministers says its, provided it is aimed at filing at the point of sale “The curen directive prescribes the essential requirements packaging must achieve i itis tobe piaced on te market. Compliance with thes is ensured through harmonised standards prepared by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN), The five harmonised standards include > Proventon by source reduction D> Reuse of packaging Page 99 © Copyight Fra intemationl ltd 2003 elNational legislation Introduction to Flexible Packaging agli sues ofecing exible packaging D> Requirements for packaging recoverable by material recycling D> Requirements for packaging recoverable in the form of energy D> Reguirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation, National standardisation bodies and/or industrial associations have prepared guidelines {or the application of the harmonised standards in several counties, including Italy and Germany. Although the CEN standards have already become legal requirements in the UK ‘and France, some member states declare that four of these standards do not entirely satisfy the essential requirements ofthe directive and might conflict with national legislation and thetefire must be revised by CEN. ‘The definition of recycling is fundamental as itis directly linked to the revision of the targets. However, according to the Commission: ‘Experience has indicated that there are some problems with its interpretation’ For that reason the directive seeks to make a cleat inction between recycling and energy recovery, ‘As far as prevention is concemed, the Commission acknowledges the difficulty in setting up measures to ensure an effective quantitative and qualitative prevention of packaging waste, Nevertheless, it sees it as appropriate to reinforce the fundamental importance of the prevention concept inthis directive by indicating the need for member states to limit progressively the total quantity as well as the hazardousness ofthe packaging waste stream. With regards to reuse, the suggestion is to reinforce it in accordance with the importance given to the reuse concept in the articles, in which the reuse of packaging {s mentioned as a fundamental principle ‘The revision of the targets isthe fundamental aim of the proposed revision of the directive. The Commission concludes that the targets for 2001 were realistic and that established systems can improve performance so its justified to increase these targets ‘or the second five-year phase, as anticipated in the directive In terms of recovery targets, the Commission's experience suggests that setting up high recovery targets results in the promotion of waste incineration processes. n order to limit this, it has tumed away from the fixing of recovery targets. But the Commission has suggested the setting up of targets for the reuse of certain packaging materials. These are combined with recycling targets to encourage alternatives to incineration where available. It sees this provision as appropriate forall packaging materials, where the amount comesponding to the reuse rate achieved could be taken into account when considering the achievernent of the fixed recycling targets. France As of January 2000, Eco-Emballages increased its green dot fees, in the process increasing the costs to major multinationals such as Danone, Lever and Pechiney. Danone, for exemple, estimates that is green dot fees have doubled in 2000 to around FfF130 milion (€195 milion). ‘The increase in green dot fees has given further impetus to the tendency for French ‘companies to reduce the weight oftheir packaging, Priority has been given to the light- Page 100 © Copyright ira Iteration! Ld 2003,See eee a Introduction to Flexible Packaging Legiiativ sues affecting lebo packaging \weighting of beverage bottles, which account for a significant proportion of the average hhousehole’s packaging waste, Efforts are now directed towards a 10% reduction in the average weight of aplastic bottle from its present level of 3-329, Some major distributors, such as the supermarket ctrain, Decathlon, aim to reduce packaging to a bare minimum. The company is eveloping alLin-one sales and transport packaging for its own brands. ‘As of 2002, some 4o million French citizens were expected to sort their packaging ‘waste, twice as many as in 1998. As of 2000, French companies are subject to government checks to veify that their packaging complies with source reduction, Luxembourg The Valorlux organisation coordinates control of Luxembourg's packaging ‘and packaging waste. But the country’s position on energy recovery through incineration has caused some concem in Brussels. n October 2000, the goverment fell foul ofthe European Commission, which decided to make an application to the European Court of Justice against Luxembourg for the member state's refusal to allow waste to be disposed cof in a French incinerator equipped to recover energy. Finland The renewal of the Council of State decision on packaging and packaging waste ‘came into effect at the beginning of 2000, The obligations concerning both the recovery of packaging waste and the responsibilities related to them do not apply to a packer or any other business with an operating turnover of less than Fks million (€ 850,000) per calendar year. Local councils or firms subcontracted to transport packaging waste should be obliged to monitor data only when the packaging waste recovered by them exceeds 100 tonnes. Meanwhile, membership of PYR, Finland's packaging recovery organisation, reached ‘ver 5000 in 2000 and members have been charged lower fees es of 2000. Compared With 1ggg, these rates are down by 1096. PYR says the big increase in membership is the reason forthe reduced fees. According to PYR calculations, recovery fees in 2000 are ony 2 fraction of those ofits closest neighbours For example, its calculations reveal that for plastics recovery, PYR fees are one hundred times greater in Germany than in Finland. Despite the fact that the majority of firms have already joined, PYR increased its ‘marketing campaign in the first half of 2000. The aim vas to get all firms with packaging recovery obligations to take care oftheir share ofthe obligation, as stipulated by the Councit of State decision. Germany German legislation remains the focus of attention when it comes to European environmental issues, Ten years ago, the German Packaging Ordinance spawned the Dual System Deutschland (OSD) and its greon dot, and was the impetus for the 1gg4 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and in turn the 1997 UK Producer Responsibility Obligations Regulation, ‘The targets ofthe original 1992 Packaging Ordinance (a revision was submitted to the Page 101 © Copyright Pra ntemational Ltd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Leilatve sues affecting flble packaging legislature in 1997) did not allow incineration as a form of valorisation. Under the revision, this is permitted. Recovery and recycing targets have been revised downward since the drafting of the original ordnance. ‘This is justified on the grounds that more time is needed to build up recycling capacity in Germany. It became increasingly obvious throughout the togos that without resorting to incineration the plastics industry would be unable to meet its targets, Under the revised provisions, atleast 40% of the recycling quota for plastics has to be met through material recovery, The rest can be met through chemical reqycling o incineration with heat recovery. 2 ‘The fundamental concepts ofthe packaging ordinence remain unchanged. These include the take-back obligation on producers and distributors and their responsibilty for recycling, which can be transfered to a collective scheme. ‘The Commission believes that German legislation is undermining the functioning of the single market, as the appropriate balance between free movement of goods and environmental protection has not been stnick. The environmental benefits of the present scheme are cancelled out by its transport implications ‘Against this background, the Commission considers that the German reuse scheme amounts to a barrie to trade within the meaning of Article 26 of the Treaty as the German rules impose a particular burden on those producers that import their products ‘overlong distances, This is because producers that comply with the objective ofthe scheme are forced, on the basis of the packaging directive and the German reuse scheme, ‘to ship the empty packaging over long distances back to source, Belgium The countrys recovery and recycling targets are higher than those set out in the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, Some 60% of packaging waste had to be recovered in 1997, rising to 70% in 1g98 and 8o% in 1999. Recycling targets rose from 40% in 1997 to 45% in 1998 and 50% in 1999. “The government of Belgium has also adopted economic instruments in the form of ecottaxes on beverage packaging, which will be triggered ifthe required reuse and recycling targets are not met. In 1994 trade and industry set up ‘Fost Plus' to coordinate the collection and sorting of household waste. [At the end of 1998, the European Commission decided to make applications to the Court of Justice against Belgium for failing to respect the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (European Pariament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste) The Commission decided to make applications to the court fortwo separate inftingements ofthe directive Denmark The country has a variety of legisttion covering packaging waste. The government's ‘Action Plan for Waste and Recycling 1993-97" set a recycling target oF 55% for all waste by 2000. OF the remainder, 25% is allowed to be incinerated and @ maximum of 20% can go to landfl. Page 102 © Copytght Ps ntamationa td 2003 LeeLee ete betes IL PetIntroduction to Flexible Packaging Legislative sues affecting fexblepackaning ‘The recycling target for transport packaging is 86% for paper and board by 1998 and 80% for plastics by 2000. In 1996 the country notified thre items of legislation for national implementation of the EU directive, The fist is a decree setting conditions for packaging, the second is a decree on the disposal, planning and registration of waste, and the third is the amended Beverage Packaging Deciee of 1996. Under this decree, beer and soft drinks may only be sold in Denmark in refillable packaging. The so-called Danish ‘can ban’ has generated a great deal of opposition and pressure has been building to have the ban lifted because it discriminates mainly against imported beer andsoft drinks. In July and August 2000, the European Commission referred Denmark's packaging and packaging waste legislation to the European Court of Justice on the grounds of ‘non conformity of measures incorporating ditectves into national law. Italy From 1 January 2000, under Italy's packaging waste legislation, all companies have been able to choose how to meet their envitonmental obligations in parallel with the ‘current waste recovery system. The addition to the 1997 framework was made in order to reduce the bureaucratic burden of fees on CONAY, Italy's national consortium responsible for the coordination of packaging waste management. CCONA was created when italy adopted its framework law in Janwary 1997 to provide a coherent structure for integrated waste management, including the management of packaging waste. The text did not initially set out specifi targets fr the recovery and recycling of packaging waste, bt it set an overall target to increase selective collection from its then level of 7% to 35% over si years. Between January 1999 and the end of 2000 a target of 15% had to be made, rising to 25% by the end of 2002. Local authorities that fail to meet the targets will be penalised through higher waste taxes. The framework provided for the creation of a ‘mandatory ‘superconsortium’ (CONAl) to group together producers and users of packaging in order to coordinate waste recovery operations, Another goal ofthe framework was to create a material-based voluntary consortium for the selective collection of transport packaging ‘The new system, in place since 2000, runs in parallel with the 1997 framework and divides companies up into four categories based on the kind of declarations they are obliged to make. ‘The Netherlands In 1991 the Netherlands established a packaging covenant between industry and the government covering a period of o years, The Waste Lav, which came into force in 1994, gave priority to waste prevention. ‘The covenant sets out a target of a 10% reduction in packaging waste by 2001, from its 1986 level. The target for recycling was an overall minimum of 40% by 1995-96, but ideally with rates of 80% for glass, 75% for metals, 60% for paper and board, and 50% ‘or plastics and composites. Page 103 © Copyright Pia Intemational Ltd 2003Introduction to Flexible Packaging Lagat sues affecting fete pacaging Overall the Dutch targets have been met. The lancfiling of waste has been banned since the beginning of 1996. In transposing the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, ‘the Netherlands has continued with its covenant concept (Covenant 2), which also includes a prevention target. Portugal The Sociedade Punto Verde (SPV), Portugal's packaging recovery organisation, seported a significant increase in membership in 1999 and 2000, and a conresponding increase in its waste recovery and recycling activities. SPV now handles a growing volume of non reusable packaging with a recent estimate putting this at 590,000 tonnes There has been an increase in the amount of packaging actualy declared by ‘companies as being placed on the market. Plastics and paper increased by 28%, steel by 27%, glass by 23% and aluminium by 14%. ‘In ggg SPV announced a substantial reduction in its green dot fees for wood and aluminium. its rates for glass, paper, plastics, steel and other materials remained the same, This reduction is hailed as the reason why SPV vias able to increase its handling of hnor-reusable packaging from 466,000 tonnes in 1g98 to over 600,000 tonnes in 1999. ‘SPV was able to cut its fees because it had accumulated reserves. Out of the money ithas collected in license fees, SPV pays local authorities for every tonne of sorted packaging supplied to reprocessors. The biggest increase in the amount paid in rag9 was for plastics, up almost 40% from Esczo (€oa}to Esca3 per kilogramme, Sweden Sweden is one of the countries atthe forefront of European environmental legislation, Producer-esponsiblity legislation makes producers responsible for attaining certain government set targets for recycied packaging materials. But a recent study, "Treatment of Packaging Waste: An Economic Analysis of the Swedish Producer Responsibility Legislation, questions the country’s reeycing leis ‘The study concludes that the legislation is extremely ineffective as costs are five to fs greater than the benefits, It argues that recycling policies assume that costs for environmental damage are considerably lower for recycling than for other modes of waste disposal, ‘The study indicates a total cost to society (including environmental costs) per tonne of additional recycling of packaging waste of Skr34,000 (€3740}. But the cost to society for burning or landfilling such waste, works out at less than Skra0oo per tonne. “20 UK The Climate Change Levy (CCL) came into force on 1 April 2001 and from 1 January 2000 revised regulations have governed the percentage share that is used to calculate the recovery and recycling obligations of the packaging chain sectors. The change is one of ‘he outcomes of consultation on a review of the packaging regulations. It takes into account the advice of the Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) on the ‘Changes to Percentage Activity Obligations and Other Matters’ consultation paper. Page 104 © Copii Pra Intemationl te 2003,Logilatve isues effecting fel packaging UK regulations on producer responsibilty were first laid before parliament in early 1997. These set interim targets for packaging waste of 38% recovery and 7% recycling for each material by 1998-99, The target for 2000 was 43% recovery and 1% recycling. Under the 1997 regulations companies were to be given the option of achieving these targets either by themselves or by participating in a collective scheme, such as Valpak, \which was set up in 1996. Exemptions were granted to companies with sales of less than £5 million (€7 milion) for the period up to the end of 199g and for companies with sales of less than £ milion thereafter. Spain A 1g99 survey cared out by AC Nielsen on behalf ofthe Spanish green dot ‘company, Ecoembes, showed that some 85% of products sold through Spanish retail ‘outlets displayed the green dot to indicate that they are part ofthe integrated recovery system for household packaging waste Ecoembes believes that some of the remaining 159 may also now belong to the green dot system. However, this does not appear on packaging that might belong to older stocks. The lowest penetvation was found in DIY outlets and haberdashery stores. Here the proportion of green dot packaging was just 50-60% of the total ‘The AC Nielsen survey covered over 500 outlets throughout Spain, representing 40 sectors of activity. At the time the survey was carried out some 22,000 products from ‘4500 manufacturers bore the green dot logo on their packaging. Page 105. © Conyighe Pre ntrrtionl Lud 2003eee tees) eee Heer ceo eee ec eto Fresh food Meat and poultry End-use markets ‘Western European consumption of flexible packaging in the main end-use sectors ~ baked products, savoury snack foods, confectionery, medical packaging, dred foods, meat and Poultry, MAP systems, and tea and coffee ~ tolled some 500,000 tonnes in 2002. Combined annual growth is estimated at some 6=7%. Assuming growth remains at that level over the next five years, westem European consumption of fexible packaging in the main end-use sectors will be 638,000 tonnes in 2006. ‘The flexible food-packaging sector has an increasingly important role te play in meeting the demands of extended shelf life and hygiene. ‘Simple extranolation of the historic grovith of 8% a year since the late 1ggos suggests that consumption of MAP systems will be about 36,500 tonnes by 2006, The consumption of al flexible packaging in western Europe's meat and poultry market ‘was 35.280 tonnes in 2002. Based on historical growth of some 596 a year, flexible packaging consumption in this sector could exceed 42,000 tonnes by 2006. Industry estimates show that around gooo tonnes of coated and uncoated polyester films were used in the fresh meat, fish and poultry market in western Europe in 19g8, with strong growth in the use of MAP packaging witnessed in the UK, France, Germany and the Benelux counties. Based on historical growth, western European demand is forecast to rise to 12,200 tonnes by 2006. ‘Much of the growth in flexible packaging in this sector is a result of changing retail pattems, With the growth of supermarkets in northern Europe, the preparation and Aistribution of fresh food has undergone significant changes in the past few years. From a flexible packaging point of view perhaps the most important change has been the move towards centvalised meat preparation and the distribution of meat by most major food retailers. ‘The UK is at the forefront ofthis change. But in March 2001 a serious outbreak of foot and mouth disease affected many farm animals in the UK and patts of Europe, The public and politicians alike questioned whether it was the system that was at fault, Nonetheless, the likelihood is that supermarkets will continue to play an increasingly significant role in the supply of meat in Europe and centralised meat packing (CPM) will (grou, and with it the use of retail MAP and bulk MAP systems, In the UK, supermarkets control over 60% of the retail fresh meat trade and the position of the high street butcher continues to decine, “ypically, centrally packed retail size meat packs consist of expanded polystyrene (€P5) o thermoformed polvny! chloride (PVC) trays with film overwrap, which are distributed in MAP bulk ‘masterbags. Packaging developments in the past few years include vacuum pack end lidéed trays and foamed PP trays. Retail pack meat trays manufactured from foamed PP have recently been introduced as an altermative to EPS. Foamed polypropylene (PP) has 2 lower density than EPS and can therefore help to reduce the amount of packaging matarial used in each pack Page 107 © Copyright Pia International Ltd 2003Vegetables Frozen foods Introduction to Flexible Packaging Enduse martes In the poultry sector most products ae tay overwrapped. Standard none-barier EPS trays with clingfilm are used and this is likely to continue in the years ahead. But there are new developments, particularly pouches, that are making their presence fet. Gauging the level of flexible packaging consumption in this sector is difficult as itis a percentage of overall demand for controlled atmosphere packaging (CAP), MAP-packed shallow thermoformed PVC/polyethylene (PE} trays with barier polyvinylidene chloride (PVveC)-coated polyester lids and BOPP films However, lookingsat the growth of PVC film ~ a common wrap for fresh produce ~ ‘consumption in western Europe, which has grown by less than 19 since 1998 from 52,000 tonnes to 54,065 tonnes in 2002 and to an estimated 57,200 tonnes by 2008, gives some idea ofthe underlying trend. Growth figures for western Europe as a whole disguise the fact that the flexible packaging market for fresh fruit and vegetables is extremely healthy in northern Europe but less so in southern Europe. However, as retail pattems in the south start to miror those inthe north this could change. CCutrenty, one ofthe best opportunities for flexible packaging in the fresh food sector lies in the developed northern European markets of the UK, France and the Benelux countries. In recent years, the major retailers have devoted a much larger area of shel space to fresh produce and this is expected to increase over the next few years Special films have been developed that modify normal moistureesistant polymers, such as BOPP, with minute holes to produce a microporous film. These are particularly valuable in the wrapping of fresh produce as they have a level of permeation, which can be tailored to the respiration rates of specific fuits and vegetables and the temperature of storage. Tonnage figures for these films are not known but consumption is expected to take off in the years ahead, tn line with customer demands for greater availabilty of convenience packaging, the development of new flexible packaging products for the packaging of fresh and frozen. foods is picking up apace with the unveiling of new vegetable packaging, which can be placed direct into microwaves. In the late 1990s frozen food consumption rose by around 11% over a foursyear period with ‘2002 consumption estimated at around 7.81 million tonnes in western Europe. Growth in consumption over the next five years is expected to chart a similar course as the market for frozen produce grows in line with the increase in outof town shopping centres, home freezers and the number of frozen food products available. Overall, though, westem European demand for polyester packaging films for frozen food is small. The industry forecasts the consumption of polyester packaging films in this sector to grow by some 6o tonnes a year over the next five years. Frozen meat and poultry are experiencing static or slow growth in most of westem Europe However, the increase in demand for convenience foods has helped maintain demand Page 108 © Copyright ira Intentional Ltd 2009,Frozen potatoes Soup Introduction to Flexible Packaging End-use markets ‘grovrh in western Europe as new instant meals, ozen desserts, etc. are introduced. Indeed, fozen ready meals are forecast to be the fastest growing fast-food sector in the years ahead, Typical packaging formats and materials in the frozen food sector include: low density polyethylene (LOPE} films for fruit and vegetables; PE film for frozen meat; flexo-printed LDPE film for potato products; and a number of combinations for ready meals The frozen food market as a whole is seen as an important sector by the flexible packaging industry and one that will row over the next five years. Historically growth in polyester packaging for frozen foods has been over 2% a year, suggesting consumption could well exceed 3280 tonnes by 2006. This a new area for packaging and a stand-up/reclosable bag developed by Printpack for Heine's Ore-daw frczen potato products and available since August 2000 is believed to ‘epresent the first major structural departure for frozen potatoes in decades, The bag replaces a layfat or pillowstyle package widely used in the frozen vegetable aisle ‘The stand-up, zippered bag structure esolves what Heinz describes as the single biggest customer complaint with frozen potato products ~ a lack of resealabilty. So successful is the new packaging that Heinz has installed s6 vertical form/fill/seal (FF5) bagmakers from Bosch Packaging Machinery that produce the four-comer-sealed bbags and apply the zipper inline, Soup packaging has moved on a long way from the familiar tin can, The popularity of pouches looks set to increase in the foreseeable future, Soup also comes in dried form and the dried food sector as a whole is an important area for flexible packaging. Stand-up pouches in a variety of shapes and sizes are being developed and in 2000 United Signature Foods unveiled a 2002 trapezoidal fexible package for Kettle-Rich fresh soups, The package's distinct tapered shape is aimed at supermarket deli departments. ‘The 2002 package naows towards the top to allow for convenient pouring into a rmicrowaveable bow! or saucepan for heating, Alcan-Lavson Mardon produces the pouch ‘matetial, a coextrusion consisting of a rugged s.smil polyester/linear LOPE/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA) that can stand up to freezing and hot filing. A proprietary barrier allows the film to maintain product freshness. Brand identity is enhanced by the reverse-printed eight-colour graphics. Alcan-Lawson ‘Mardon prints the film on a Windméller & Hoelscher eightcolour flexo press at its Charlotte, North Carolina, facility. The pouch’s resealable zipper closure is applied inline during pouchmaking. The pouches are produced by Valley Packaging Services. ‘An attractive viewing window means the fresh soups show through the pouch, Product copy on the back panel recommends that the soup be kept refrigerated and used within two days of opening, The soup has a shelf life of 60 to go days fiom date of production, says Mercer Miller, United Signature's general manager of reftigerated foods. ‘The package advances the use of flexible packaging by ‘providing an alternative to a can, Page 109. © Copyright Pa Intemational td 2003 TEE TTL aCheese Baked products Bread ‘ntroduetion to Flexible Packaging Enduse martes: box, bottie or jar. It's environmentally friendly, offers a source reduction, is collapsible after it's used, and takes the stand-up pouch to a new consumer market’, according to the company. A 4002 pouch will be available soon Inthe UK, the New Covent Garden Soup Company produces a fine of trendy soups, ‘The company tast marketed a agoml pouch format in Co-op and independent stores in the Midlands in 2000 ‘Aso in the UK, RPC Blackburn's new range of Thor tamperevident pots has been selected by leading food manufacturer Geest forthe fresh soup ranges it supplies to Waitrose and Somerfield, The sooml containers ae injection-moulded in natural PP and feature a removable tamper-evident tab to ensure product security and a snug fitting, resealable lid to maintain product freshness after opening, Total western European demand for cheese was put at over 4 million tones in 2002, with growth in demand estimated, based on historic trends, at less than 1% a year. Hard cheeses account for roughly 60% of consumption and soft cheeses 30% with the balance mainly processed cheeses. Consumption of soft cheeses in 2000 was estimated to be over 1 mnllion tonnes. ‘The largest markets for soft cheese in western Europe are Italy and France wich between them account for some 62% of consumption. Consumption is rising by 1-29 2 ‘year and the fastest growth is forecast in Belgium and Finland, Typical packaging formats and materials in the cheese and dairy sector include: a PA/PE thermoformable base web and top web for hard cheeses; PS- or PP thermoformed Pot with fol ld for cottage cheeses; PSthermoformed pot and aluminium fil lid with clear PS overcap for cream cheeses; and thermoformed tub with aluminium foilsealed lid and PP-thermoformed overlid for daity spreads New developments are taking place and Pechiney Plastic Packaging Inc. has. developed a packaging upgrade for Deli Deluxe cheese which was showcased at Pack Expo in November 2000, The new package reformats the conventional single stack of cheese slices in a 1602, 24 slice twin-pack that places two stacks of del slices side by side Pechiney developed a laserscored, easy-opening feature at the top of the package that provides clean, efficient expesure to a reclosable zipper. Replacing a cold-sealed pack with no zipper feature, the new easy-open/reclosable pack employs a hermetic heat seal to offer superior product protection With 160,286 tonnes consumed in 2002, this sector isthe largest consumer of flexible packaging in westem Europe and growth, based on historic tends, is forecast to be around 7% over the next five years. Baked products cover a wide area, apart from bread, and include cakes and biscuits which have experienced significant growth in the main \westem European markets, Bread consumption in westem Europe as a whole i largely static but there are significant Page 110 © Copyright Ps Itaratonaltxd 2003oS ere Hee Introduction to Flexible Packaging End.use maa national, cultural and consumption differences. In the UK and Germany sliced bread is popular, but in countries such as France and Italy, bread is not pre-packed. In theory this presents a large potential opportunity for converters and film ‘manufacturers but only to the extent that the major supermarkets are able to win market share away from independent bakeries, in particular in Spain aly and France. This ‘growth will be helped once southern European counties adopt the retail patterns in Vogue in northern Europe, where large outoftown retail centres have largely brought ‘about the decline in the numbers of small independent bakers. But while theszutlook for bread in western Europe is static, the consumption of baked goods as a whole is growing, assisted by the big rise in consumption of baked cakes, etc, Which are popular in the main markets of Germany and the UK, ‘Spain is forecast to show the fastest growth in BOPP film consumption to 2006, with a rise of 8% between 2000 and 2008. ‘Meanwhile, the purchasing of baguettes to heat at home in the microwave is becoming more popular and providing new opportunities for flexible packaging. One new development isthe Wave Wrape self-venting wrapper material for UK-based MSO Cleland/Baguette's individually wrepped microweavable baguettes, Launched in 2000, the paper/filmlaminated wrap is distributed to Rye Valley Foods in reland by MSO Cleland of the UK for retatl baguette products available in England and parts of Europe. Consumers do not need to open or vent the package before placing it in the microwave oven, Stored frozen, the baguette can be defrosted, heated and eaten straight from the wrap after microwaving. Formulated to resist moisture damage throughout freeze/thaw cycles, the wrap consists of an adhesive lamination that Phoenix produces by combining an outer layer of bleached, fluorochemically treated grease: and moisture-esistant kraft paper fom Crown Vantage with @ nom-heatsealable polyester, metallsed by RollVac. Phoenix then applies a registered, proprietary heatseal adhesive coating to the polyester (the wrap's inside layer) through a gravure process. The proprietary inner heat:seal coating later forces the filed, finsealed package to vent automatically after heat and steam build pressure during the cooking cycle The release of moisture during heating enhances the bread’s crspiness, Another cistnctive aspect of the wrap lies in the demetalising of the polyester layer to accommodate the particular food application. The demetalising pattem acts 2s a susceptor to achieve the proper heat profile. The metellised film is demetalised by applying a caustic solution that oxidises the metal when exposed to infared heat. The Finseal is also demetallised to prevent browning of the kraft paper layer and prevent ‘overcooking of the ends ofthe bread, While the demetallising takes place on a separate line, Phoenix adhesive-laminates ‘the two kraft and polyester materials, ne-side flexo-prnts the finished web and coats the other side using rotogravure cylinders in a one-pass operation on custom equipment designed and built in-house. The flexo;printed graphics provide cooking instructions and Tine art iustrations. Page 111 © copsight Pia Intemational Utd 2003 a