TECHNOLOGY | THIN WALL MOULDING


Right: Demand for thin-walling is rising as manufacturers look for lighter, cheaper and more sustain- able packaging


of variables, including cost, increased strength, recycle rates and functional requirements, light- weight formats have become the industry norm. Especially in food and medical packaging. More recently, the market has been moving more towards novelty solutions that improve performance, functionality and shelf impact.“


He continues: “The Covid-19 pandemic has


forced yet another re-think to our way of living and future reliance on packaging. While food and medical packaging saw rises in demand, other categories softened. As public health concerns gradually ease, we suspect demand for reusable and sustainable solutions will swiftly resume. The exact timings will be very much determined by consumers. Understanding how people interact with packaging and the channels they purchase through will be a clear driver, ensuring consumer safety, product security and future sustainability are evenly balanced.” The company considers sustainability and personalisation to be among the key trends now emerging. Sustainable packaging will form a critical part of brand storytelling and consumer unboxing experiences. It says that, if anything, the Covid-19 pandemic has presented retailers, brand owners and packaging manufacturers with the opportunity to review, realign and reinforce the value of their packaging. As packaging changes, so do packaging


processes and equipment. “Speed and light- weighting remain probably the most dominant trends,” says Flowers. “Efficiency and throughput are inextricably linked. From a machinery perfor- mance viewpoint, thinner wall sections bring changes in processing requirements. Among them, higher pressures and speeds, faster cooling times, and modifications to part-ejection and gating arrangements. These process changes need to be factored into the mould, machinery and packaging


component design. Even when using less raw material, packaging forms the protective layer so still needs to be engi- neered to provide strength. Choosing the best machine for your packaging applica- tion is critical. Under- standing the melt stability and how the plastic will perform


as an end product should form the basis of all decisions.”


Economic viability is just as important a consid-


eration for packaging moulders, he says. Low unit costs, high output coupled with energy savings all need to be factored in, which is why so many packaging manufacturers are currently prepared to invest in new high-performance plant. “Our moulding machines will always be aligned to the market trends,” adds Flowers. “Breaking these down, 2020 has seen increased demand for thin-wall applications due to rising in-house consumption of food and beverages throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021 we anticipate this continuing, and the additional trend of tethered caps being addressed with the EU Directive deadline due in 2024. Demand for tethered cap applications will continue to accelerate in 2022, and we anticipate high demand for stabilised packaging formats. By 2023, attitudes towards circular packaging will inevitably shift back and we envisage renewed focus on recyclable packaging materials once more.” He says customers make their buying decisions about packaging moulding machines based on mould design and the cavitation layout. With regard to auxiliary equipment, he says higher pressures and speeds, faster cooling times, and modifications to part-ejection and gating arrange- ments are all important factors that need to be considered when developing turnkey lines. “Another way to achieve thinner yet stronger


packaging containers is to apply injection com- pression techniques to stack moulds,” says Flowers.


IMAGE: SUMITOMO (SHI) DEMAG 28 INJECTION WORLD | March 2021


Left: The latest EL-Exis machines are specifically designed to withstand the higher stresses and injection pressures that are so critical in achieving repeat- ability, particularly in thin- walled products


www.injectionworld.com


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