Film and Foil
Understanding and testing film substrates
With the growth in demand for flexible packaging predicted to continue at a rapid rate for the foreseeable future, Kevin McKell, CSO at surface treatment pioneer Vetaphone A/S, explained why it is so important that printers and converters know exactly what they are dealing with to ensure optimum productivity.
The Vetaphone Test lab is a unique global facility that allows converters and
manufacturers of substrates and inks/lacquers to fully test products prior to committing to commercial production
What is the basic principle behind what you’re doing at Vetaphone? KM: Our company philosophy is based on sharing knowledge, because we believe it empowers people to do a better job. Because we invented Corona treatment more than 70 years ago, we have an unrivalled archive of data and expertise that we can use to assist our customers.
Why is it so important to understand the process of Corona treatment? KM: Because it is all about adhesion and the issues associated with non-absorbent materials, where matching the surface energy of the ink or lacquer to the substrate is essential. If they don’t match, there will be problems with adhesion, so Corona treatment is the way we change the surface structure of the substrate to ensure good adhesion. We measure this surface energy in dynes, which is a function of watts of energy applied per square metre per minute.
I can see why knowledge is so essential; is that why you established the Vetaphone Academy? KM: We felt it was the best way to disseminate
information and share our unique experience of surface treatment. We have data going back to the original patent in the 1950s, so it’s likely that we have tested and analysed most combinations of ink, lacquer and substrate that the packaging sector has ever used; this information is an invaluable reference point for customers who are experiencing problems or are looking to experiment and develop new products and applications.
I know you are very proud of your testing capabilities at Vetaphone; can you tell us more? KM: We opened our fully functioning Test Lab facility here in Denmark in 2020. It allows us to test the performance of any type of packaging substrate, either in sheet form or on the roll and simulate a real-life production environment. What it effectively does is take all the guesswork out of the equation and minimise the cost implications for printers and converters in their everyday production scenarios.
What does the new Test Lab add to your capabilities? KM: For a start it allows us to test on the
Does this all have to take place at the Test Lab? KM: Not necessarily. A good way of using the Lab facility is to send us a roll of the film intended for production so that we can apply varying levels of treatment to assess its potential for the concept in mind. The customer can then test the differently treated sections of the roll in-house to determine which is right for them to use for the job in question in their own commercial environment. The amount of time and money invested at this stage is insignificant compared with getting it wrong in production; that is what our unique Test Lab facility brings to the market and why we’re so proud of it.
Are there other tests you can do? KM: We can carry out an Advanced Contact Angle Test that analyses the droplets and gives a highly accurate measurement of the surface energy of the film. This produces a ‘wetting envelope’ that tells you if you have chosen the correct ink or adhesive for the material being used for the job. The other capability we have is an Advanced Peel Test that assesses whether the laminate bonding is good or bad. It measures the force required to tear the product apart and details any issues involved.
roll and secondly it has Plasma as well as Corona capability. We can switch the type of electrodes and rollers to test differing requirements for customers and closely match their own in-house production capability. The Test line can be programmed to apply a specified level of Corona treatment to the roll. The roll can then be tested to see what dyne level has been achieved. We have now automated this process by adding a label dispenser so that different sections of the roll can be treated using differing power levels and each can be clearly identified by its label and measured for the dyne level achieved.
24
April 2025
www.convertermag.com
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