PROCESSING | THERMOFORMING
meets ISO 10993/USP Class VI biocompatibility requirements, says Exolon. Wim Van Eynde, head of product management at
Exolon Group, added: “The medical packaging industry will now have access to thicker and wider sheet material. Eastman medical-grade materials offer advantages such as reduced material usage and freedom from substances of concern compared to other materials like high- impact polystyrene.” Last year, at K2022, Exolon presented its entire
Above: Exolon’s Vivak Med solid sheet uses Eastman’s Eastar 6763 medical
copolyester resin
without chain, so the LeafSkin packaging produced retains all the base material, regardless of its width. LeafSkin incorporates both an ‘easy open’ corner to remove the lid, and a ‘recycling’ corner to separate the different materials and make recycling easier. “It really delivers on two key customer concerns,”
said Ken Forziati, Harpak-Ulma’s thermoformer product manager. “First, it’s cost-effective, saving up to 48% in base material costs compared to pre-cut plastic trays. Second, it’s a big step forward in sustainability – reducing both plastic and food waste.”
Medical sheet Eastman and Exolon have begun a collaboration to extrude solid sheet materials for medical use. Exolon’s Vivak Med solid sheets for rigid medical packaging are extruded using Eastman’s Eastar 6763 medical copolyester resin. The sheet is available in thicknesses from 0.6 to 8mm. “Eastar 6763 has been the standard for decades in rigid medical packaging applications,” said Michael Burkardt, business development manager for speciality plastics at Eastman. As well as meeting an increasing demand for thermoplastic solid sheet products, Vivak Med
Deliver the Ultimate Protection
By uniformly distributing barrier properties across the width, EDI® die systems help processors quickly increase their output of high quality and effective film.
WWW.NORDSONPOLYMERPROCESSING.COM
medical range – Exolon Med, Vivak Med and Inspria Med. All products consist of 100% virgin material, meeting the requirements of ISO 10993 for the bio- logical evaluation of medical devices. Sheets are produced in accordance with good manufacturing practices (GMP). These are used to make a wide range of medical
products, including rigid medical packaging, containers and trays for medical devices, said Exolon.
Thermoformable PLA Germany-based Rohm has developed thermo- formable PLA films from renewable raw materials. Europlex Film LJ 21123/123 is a transparent, high-gloss film. Unlike other PLA films, it has not been biaxially stretched – so can be thermoformed. The film consists of certified, compostable PLA, which meets the requirements for industrial composting as per the ASTM D6400 US standard and the EN 13432 European standard. If it is is not disposed of correctly, its persistence is lower than that of petroleum-based films, says Rohm. Its properties include: bio-based and industrially compostable; can be thermoformed at 55°C; highly transparent – with a light transmittance of over 92%; high tensile strength and good flexibil- ity; and, can be stamped, cut and printed on. On request, development samples can be
provided in thicknesses of 53 to 500 microns and widths of 200mm.
IMAGE: EXOLON
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
