A joint value chain effort has resulted in the development and commercialisation of a new range of tenter frame BOPE packaging films for linear low, medium and high density packaging films.
Applications for the films, which are already available in the Asia-Pacific region, range from downgauged frozen food films, to triplex laminates without BOPA, and duplex PE-based laminates used for home and personal care pre-made pouches.
The films offer an alternative to tradition BOPP films, with added advantages that include visual appeal, in a mono-material packaging that is designed for recyclability. They combinine Dow’s Innate TF80 technology with the production know-how and experience of Plastchim-T and Ticinoplast, and the processing knowledge of machine manufacturer Brückner Maschinenbau.
“One main focus of our research work was to make BOPE a comprehensive offering and explore higher density spaces that would make this replacement viable and robust,” said Karlheinz Hausmann, global technical fellow, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.
“As a result, we have developed a unique blend approach that gives converters of BOPE the flexibility to tailor the film performance to the needs of their customers as effectively and economically as possible.”
According to Paolo Rossi, managing director of Ticinoplast, BOPE is a breakthrough technology in flexible packaging, comparable to the launch of BOPP in the 1970s offering benefits including excellent sealability and mechanical characteristics which are comparable to optics and printability available in current films.
“Our company is strategically focused on environmental protection, and the novel BOPE solutions are one of the few significant developments in the last years that will make a real difference,” added Aydin Faik, owner of Plastchim-T.
“For us, BOPE opens the door to a new generation of biaxially oriented films to meet market demand while enabling a closed life-cycle for plastic packaging”, Sebastian Ruhland, sales manager at Brückner Maschinenbau.