Plastic Packaging

Plastic is one of the four fundamental materials for packaging, and packaging is the largest application field for plastic, with a close and significant relationship between the two. To meet the demands for reduced packaging, reliability, responsibility, and personalization, innovative raw materials and processes are constantly emerging.

Innovative packaging structure and appearance

Innovative packaging design enhances user experience for products. Bimbo uses DuPont™ Zytel® PA and DuPont™ Biaxial™, applying its SmartTack™ EZ Peel® Reseal™ technology to a new packaging solution for BelGioioso Mild Provolone. This packaging consists of two separate sealed compartments, enabling individual cheese sections to be sealed separately, ensuring the unused portion remains fresh before opening and reducing food waste.

For instance, the Clasper bottle developed and designed by the U.S. company Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI), consists of two PET bottles and a shrink-sleeve label: the main bottle holds 6.5 ounces of juice; the lower bottle contains 50 ml of premium wine; the shrink-sleeve label indicates the usage instructions. To use, consumers simply separate the shrink-sleeve from the seam between the upper and lower bottles by following the teeth, pull the lower bottle out from the bottom of the main bottle, remove the heat-sealed lower bottle and the cap of the upper bottle, then pour the wine into the juice.

Innovative additives

Flexible, easy to carry, and resealable, soft packaging offers numerous conveniences, with single-mouth packaging considered the ideal for packing, though it's not recyclable. However, Dow has introduced the RecycleReady technology—self-standing bags made with RETAINTM extender are the first of their kind to feature a barrier film, allowing packaging for cereals and nuts to be recycled. It is known that a company committed to sustainability has launched the first packaging products using the RecycleReady technology.

Incorporating recycled materials in packaging material production to reduce costs and promote environmental protection is one of the key focuses for corporate development. The Clariant AddWorks PKG 902 additive assists polyolefin film manufacturers in adding substantial recycled resins during the film production process. It enables resins to withstand high line speeds, maintain film quality, reduce breakage, and significantly decrease gel and black speck formation.

Application of Micro-foaming in Packaging

Lightweighting not only reduces the use of packaging materials but also lowers the logistics energy consumption during the use of packaging. Microcellular foam is one of the most important technical means for packaging lightweighting. Leading global chemical companies like SABIC, BASF, and Borealis showcased their respective foam grades at K 2016.

Sabic has launched its first new-generation low-density polyethylene (LDPE) foam grade product, SABIC® LDPE 2102FC. Thanks to the fast degassing of the foaming agent, degassing time can be reduced by 50%, and production efficiency can be increased by 5% through reduced waste and improved foam compatibility. Polymer foam materials are widely used in packaging, sports, leisure, and various other fields.

Nordic Chemicals' Daploy HMS high melt strength polypropylene foam, being a single material, is 100% recyclable. It not only reduces weight but also offers insulation, with a wide operating temperature range from -10℃ to 125℃. It features a unique surface texture and is suitable for various applications, including packaging and food/beverage services. An example application is the drinking cup by Taiwan's REACH PLASTIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., which uses Daploy HMS, potentially replacing expanded polystyrene EPS and paper/cardboard packaging.

BASF's ecovio® EA is its first foam with closed-cell structure, made from bio-based materials and certified compostable, particularly suited for transport packaging of high-value or fragile products. In these applications, high impact resistance and robustness are crucial.

Efficient, flexible, and intelligent film material processing

High-quality plastic packaging requires not only innovative materials and additives but also excellent processing techniques to achieve it. As an important base material for soft packaging, the various processing technologies of films are continuously improving in terms of efficiency, flexibility, and intelligence.

Brückner, a leading provider of film equipment, notes that the growth rate of biaxially stretched film is fastest in the soft packaging industry. Among them, BOPP's driving force comes from its extensive use in primary packaging, especially for food packaging. Wide-width, high-speed biaxial stretching film production lines will be the mainstream in the future; Brückner's newly designed sliding system for BOPP production lines can increase speed to over 600m/min; the maximum width of BOPET has also reached 10.4 meters, with a speed of up to 515m/min.

It's worth noting that there's a significant investment in another type of double-pull film, BOPA, in the domestic market. BOPA film is the third-largest packaging material after BOPP and BOPET films, widely used in the soft packaging fields of frozen food, food preservation, steam-cooked food, vacuum-packed food, as well as daily chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and electronics.

Multi-chamber, IML Injection Molding

Injection molding is one of the most crucial processes in the production of rigid plastic packaging, encompassing items such as trays, boxes, cups, bottle blanks, and caps. Efficient production remains the core keyword for injection molded packaging products, with related multi-cavity technologies and automated techniques like IML becoming industry hotspots.

Arburg utilizes cube molds for two-color injection molding. The high-output, low-consumption Allrounder Cube is specifically designed for rotary mold technology, boasting powerful features: it increases production by 10% while reducing energy consumption by 25%. A production demonstration can mold and cap 32 flip-top bottle caps in just 8.5 seconds.

Simultaneous filling, cooling, and removal: An innovative rotary mold is used for the production of two-component horizontal lids. ARBURG integrates the mold functions and servo-electric rotation completely into the ALLROUNDER 920 S multi-component injection molding machine.

Netstal showcased its injection-compression molding (ICM) technology at K 2016 using a 15oz (425g) butter packaging made of PP. The container weighs only 10.7g and is produced on an ELION 2800-2000 with a 4-cavity mold, with a molding cycle of 4.9 seconds. It is equipped with an automated device for removing, inserting, and labeling (IML) inside the mold. This process can reduce unit costs by up to 10%.

Husky showcased two fully integrated bottle cap systems at K 2016 for the first time. The newly launched HyCAP 4 system for bottle cap manufacturing has been significantly improved, producing 1.25g 29/25 mineral water bottle caps in the field with an injection cycle time of just 2.4 seconds. At the same time, Husky also unveiled its latest professional bottle cap manufacturing system solution, HyperSync. HyperSync produces 6.1g shampoo flip caps with an extremely short injection cycle time of 8.5 seconds.

Neglected Technology – IML-T: Packed with Advantages

Currently, only a few companies worldwide are using the in-mold labeling technology for thermoforming. Compared to injection molding in-mold labeling, the IML-T (in-mold labeling system for the thermoforming industry) offers more advantages: it helps meet production requirements; features a larger decorative area, suitable for non-circular container shapes, multi-slot trays, and boasts excellent light and oxygen barrier properties. With continuous innovations in thermoforming equipment, automation, and labeling processes, in-mold labeling for thermoforming is gaining popularity.