INNOVATION | PACKAGING
Trexel says the injection moulding machine can be reduced from 500 to 350 tons for commercial operation of 2×4 stack moulds producing 500g margarine tubs with the MuCell process
Below: MuCell P-Series will be in operation at Trexel’s stand at NPE
moulding a 4 cavity, 200ml (6oz) yogurt cup with
in-mould label
pressure, 14% weight reduction and 7% cycle reduction. These improvements not only reduce the cost of existing products but also provide exciting opportunities to enable new packaging designs with greater L/T and geometries not possible without MuCell.” An additional benefit is that smaller injection moulding machines can be used because of a 30% reduction in clamp force. Devellian said machines can be reduced from 500 to 350 tons for commer- cial operation of 2×4 stack moulds producing 500g margarine tubs with the MuCell process. In this application, the tub design incorporates thinner side walls (0.36mm) for weight reduction while retaining a thicker rim (0.56mm) for sealing. Total polypropylene use is also reduced by 14% through a combination of thinner walls and density reduc- tion. Using less polymer and energy result in an 11% reduction in carbon footprint, he said. MuCell P-Series will be in operation at Trexel’s
stand at NPE2018 moulding a 4 cavity, 200ml (6oz) yogurt cup with in-mould label. With the use of MuCell combined with StackTeck TRIM, Trexel says that it is able to mould a cup that has ultra-thin pan- els of 0.2mm (0.008 inch) and an effective L/T of 375 at significantly lower clamp force and injection pressure. Partners in this high performance moulding cell include StackTeck, Milacron Ferro- matik, Ilsemann Automation, Verstraete and Total Petrochemicals.
Devellian says that upcoming testing will be performed to document the full range of design freedom and weight reduction enabled by MuCell on packaging applica- tions. “Specifically, the extent of base and side wall thickness reduction that can be achieved while retaining a thick rim for sealing purposes,” he says. “A second area of focus will be warp reduc- tion. In particular, a common challenge for thin wall moulders is the inability to lightweight lids without excessive warp.
36 INJECTION WORLD | April 2018
MuCell is expected to enable production of lighter lids with less warp due to uniform cavity packing. “The overall goal of upcoming mould trials is to determine the specific packaging applications that will most benefit from the weight reduction, sustainability and cost advantages that
Trexel has provided other markets since 1995. Introduction of P-Series, for the first time, allows use of this novel technology for
ultra-fast cycling applications. We are excited at the many new opportunities it will offer to the thin wall packaging market.”
Brand awareness
While lightweighting is a major consideration for packaging applications, creating a special image for brand owners is also crucial. DuPont has introduced two new Surlyn grades suitable for injection moulding, in particular for use in perfume and cosmetics applications. The company says that personalisation, functionality and uniqueness are key consumer trends in this area and manufactur- ers and brands need to be able to innovate and differentiate their packaging. New designs have to be attractive and functional, while variations and flankers of existing lines reflect the latest trends and seasons. The new grades include Surlyn PC 3000, which is claimed to offer the purest transparency, even for the thickest of parts, and good surface quality in one-shot injection moulding applications. Surlyn PC 500 is suitable for opaque, coloured and metallised finishes on standard caps, flankers or new creations. The company adds that the Surlyn range now includes six different grades, each with different technical, sensory and aesthetic proper- ties. This versatility offers a wide range of creative opportunities for designers and brands to be realised through an easy, fast and effective process using one single mould for all variations. The use of Surlyn allows for many different decoration techniques – including lacquering, hot stamping, silkscreen and pad printing – for coloured, var- nished, metallic or even glitter finishes. Surlyn has recently been chosen by Italian company Bvlgari for the thick but transparent ellipsoidal cap of a deep black lacquered bottle in the Goldea fragrance range, known as The Roman Night. The design retains the water-drop silhouette of the Goldea bottle, but the cap is differentiated from previous editions. The cap of The Roman Night is injected in one shot. It diffuses the light and draws attention to the black and gold Serpenti
www.injectionworld.com
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