MATERIALS | THIN-WALL PACKAGING
It is aimed at applications such as packaging for food and non-food items, as well as decorative films for insert moulding decoration processes, or printed products such as graphics panels. “Our experience in film extrusion enables us to
produce PLA films with high optical quality,” said Herbert Groothues, head of film and extrusion development at Rohm.
Conference highlights Delegates at the recent AMI Thin Wall Packaging conference – held in Chicago, USA in June – heard about a range of technologies, including new machinery and materials. Terry Woldorf, managing director of CMT
Above: Kuhne’s Triple Bubble blown film lines can be used to make ultra-thin
thermoforming film
roll stock to produce the flat, non-thermoformed base of the packaging – eliminating the need for a plastic tray while generating zero cardboard waste. It is equipped with a bottom film traction system 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 con-
cerns,” said Ken Forziati, Harpak-Ulma’s thermofor- mer 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.”
Right: Harpak- Ulma’s TFS 216 produces vacuum skin packs on a flat cardboard base
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 transmit- tance of over 92%; high tensile strength and good flexibility; 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.
22 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | November 2022
www.filmandsheet.com
Materials, told delegates how his company has tested its new Hytac plug-assist materials for food packaging. There are a number of regulatory concerns to
take into account, he said, such as those from the FDA on materials that are intended to come into contact with food. There are similar concerns about additives in food packaging – which may migrate into the food itself, for instance. These must all be taken into account, said Woldorf. A 2005 review was intended to create a ‘worst possible scenario’ model. It used baselines such as: an FDA definition the each square inch of a food packaging container would contact 10g of food; and that each square inch of plug assist would contact one square inch of 60 million food contain- ers, in a 1 billion-container production run. This led to a theoretical result of 2.7ppb migration over six years – well below the detection limit used in migration studies. “Dietary exposure would be vanishingly low,” he said. Specific migratory testing was also carried out on two Hytac products – B1X and FLXT. Here, multiple food containers were rinsed with a food simulant – an equal mix of ethanol and water. The simulant was then dried and the residue captured. Analysis was performed using liquid chromatography with fluorescence (LC-FLR) and gas chromatography with nitrogen phosphorus detection (CG-NPD).
IMAGE: KUHNE ANLAGENBAU
IMAGE: ULMA
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