Film and sheet industry
Flexibility in the industry goes a long way Machinery makers are catering to flexible requirements brought on as a result of the global financial crisis that are forcing producers to rapidly adapt themselves to new market situations, while sustainability is making an impact in the packaging sector. Barrier sheet on the rise in Asia With a growth rate of 5-8%, PP and PS barrier sheet for food packaging is in strong demand in Asia, especially in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, driven by climatic conditions, transport over long distances as well as the products to be packaged, which require packaging for a long shelf life. Shown here are fruit cups made from Kuraray’s EVAL
Fruit packaging of mangoes and pineapples in small quantities are also increasingly found in European and North American supermarkets. While such sheet, and sometimes also the cups made from it, was still exported from Europe until a few years ago, it is now being manufactured in the fruit-producing countries. Here in particular, packaging with barrier layers is advantageous. With its gas barrier function, which prevents oxygen from affecting foodstuff and thus lengthens its shelf life, the package also preserves the fragrance, flavour and taste of its contents and prevents short-term degradation of ingredients such as vitamins. Austrian machine maker Battenfeld-Cincinnati says it is leading in this sector having received the second order this year for a multi-layer thermoforming sheet extrusion line from an Asian packaging manufacturer. This makes it a total of six multi-layer lines in three years the machine manufacturer has supplied. While the first line this year was a nine-layer PP sheet line, the new order is for a seven-layer PP/PS sheet extrusion line. The latter is equipped with five extruders, reaches an output of up to 1,200 kg/hour and is laid out for sheet thicknesses ranging from 350 to 2,500 microns. With this extrusion line, the customer will produce trays, cups and lids for foodstuffs with an extended shelf life, such as sauces, baby foods, soups, convenience foods and dairy products. Food trays that can be sterilised and trays for fruit packaging, as an alternative to cans, will also be manufactured.
22
PRA
MARCH 2012
Battenfeld-Cincinatti’s nine-layer sheet extrusion line
A core component of the lines is the single-screw extruders, with a 45 mm high-speed extruder model in addition to the 75 mm screw size, which has already been on the market for several years. In the multi-layer lines, the 75 mm extruders take care of plasticising the main layers with an output between 300 and 1,000 kg/hour, while the 45 mm extruders produce the functional layers such as bonding adhesives and barrier materials, but also surface covers and high-gloss finish. The feedblock-die combination ensures an even distribution of all layers both across the width of the sheet and in the direction of extrusion, which is required for a reliable barrier effect. The feedblock and die also feature an edge-encapsulating system to allow for resource-saving processing of the barrier material as well as all other materials. This includes direct, in-production reclaim of the mono-sheet edge trim thus generated. Finally, the polishing stack, with polishing rolls and post-cooling rolls arranged close to each other, favours optimal sheet properties and transparency. Meeting to need for flexible solutions From Germany, Reifenhäuser Extrusion says it is recording a remarkable increase in incoming orders for thermoforming sheet extrusion lines featuring production capacities between 700 and 1,500 kg/hour. It says that it has sold ten lines, used to produce drinking cups and PP/PS deli containers for the dairy industry, since the K2010 show where the line was exhibited. The company says the interest in these lines is based mainly on the flexibility required by the market due to the soaring raw material costs, smaller orders and a strong pressure on end user prices. This is only possible to a limited extent using high-performance, single-