Playbook Flexible PKG
Playbook Flexible PKG
Playbook Flexible PKG
2012 Edition
PACK A GE DE VE L OPMEN T S E C TI O N!
ALL-NE W
SPONSORED BY
2012 Edition
CONTENTS
3 / 103
CONTRIBUTORS
5 Brand owners, consultants and design experts contributing to this playbook
INTRODUCTION
7 Flexible packaging for beginners & experts alike
DEVELOPMENT
10 15 20 25 29 32 37 40 45 48 55 57 61 65 Trends in flexible packaging Best practices in flexible package development Flexible packaging specification guidelines Common flexible packaging performance descriptions Commonly specified film attributes Detailed properties and attributes for film structures Flexible packaging polymer primer Flexible packaging polymer selection guide Glossary of additives and modifiers Understanding film manufacturing techniques Cast vs. blown film characteristics Understanding oriented films Waste-to-Energy: Worth a second look How flexible packaging projects fail
CONTENTS
4 / 103
EQUIPMENT
68 72 76 80 83 87 91 93 96 Trends in form/fill/seal equipment Best practices for specifying flexible packaging equipment Six tips on finding the right form/fill/seal supplier What NOT to overlook on form/fill/seal equipment projects Vendor evaluation methodology for form/fill/seal equipment Roadmap for a successful form/fill/seal factory acceptance test Determining when to rebuild or replace a form/fill/seal machine Tips for a successful flexible packaging line start-up Six common pitfalls to avoid on bagging machinery projects
GALLERY
99 Flexible Package Gallery Selected examples of packaging innovation
CONTRIBUTORS
The following brand owners, consultants and design experts contributed to this playbook:
TIm BOHrEr President Pac Advantage Consulting Specializing in flexible packaging, Bohrer spent 30 years leading package development groups at several prominent packaging converters. SAL PELLINGrA Director of Innovation Ampac
5 / 103
ROBErT C. COLLINs II, CPP/MH President Global Packaging Optimization, LLC Collins held package development management positions in seven major corporations, most recently as Associate Director, Global Package Development for Procter & GambleGillette.
CONTRIBUTORS
Disclaimer
This Playbooks objective is to supply basic information on film requirements and material and processing options that can assist the reader in their selection and specification of films that meet converting, filling and end use requirements in a cost effective, consistent matter. It is not intended to be a comprehensive, complete source, and will be superseded by new film options soon after publication; it is, rather, a starting point and guide for gathering more detailed and current information. From that information, a diligent user can quickly winnow down the wealth of options to those most likely to meet their needs. The information contained herein is believed to be valid at the time of publication, but as innovation and commercial supply are continuously evolving it is incumbent on the user to ensure its accuracy and relevance for a specific application at a specific point in time. Inclusion of information on materials or processes does not represent a recommendation or representation that they offer the best, or even a workable solution to a specific packaging challenge, and the author and Packaging World accept no liability for decisions made as a result of the use of this Playbook.
6 / 103
Additional contributors:
DEAN LINDsAY President Dean Linsday Design Inc. DAVID HOENIG Principal DH Technical Consulting, LLC (formerly with Revlon) ADAm PAWLICK Director of Packaging Bay Valley Foods Several other brand owners were interviewed for this playbook on the condition of anonymity.
AlliedFlex Technologies, Ampac, DuPont, Exopack, Glenroy, H.B. Fuller, Ilapak, Kliklok-Woodman, Printpack, Triangle Package Machinery Co., TNA, Yamato
Other sources:
Paco Underhill, The Wall Street Journal, Flexible Packaging Association, Flexcon, Perception Research Services, Tobii Technologies, Klckner Pentaplast, Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions, Pira International, Zunda Group, Sustainable Packaging Coalition
INTRODUCTION
Flexible packaging for beginners & experts alike
Special Projects Editor, Packaging World
7 / 103
BY BOB SpErBEr,
Like our other playbooks, last year we debuted the Flexible Packaging Playbook not having any idea how popular it would become. We received praise from around the world: The playbooks are an excellent introduction to the package design phase for non-packaging professionals. It is a great resource to share with senior management to help them understand that the product package can make or break a product in the crowded market. It is unfortunate that many packaging engineers tackle their projects alone with minimal feedback from different stakeholders. Senior management should read this playbook to help them reinforce the idea that the product package is a critical key to a successful product launch, not an afterthought! For the 2012 edition, readers asked us for more. At the top of the list was a request for actual material attributes and polymer characteristics. We knew such level of detail and knowledge had to come from someone from industry with real flexible film expertise.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
continued
8 / 103
For this task, we tapped Tim Bohrer, one of the leading flexible packaging experts currently working today. Tim formed his consulting company, Pac Advantage Consulting, in 2003 after 30 years of developing new and improved packaging in flexible (and rigid) formats using polymer, fiber and composite materials. Tim has worked for a Whos Who of flexible packaging companies including American Can, James River (parts of which are now Printpack, other parts of which are Graphic Packaging), and Ivex (now part of Reynolds Food Packaging). Bohrer held VP-level positions for these companies in the area of product development. Using his Chemical Engineering background (BS and MS degrees), he has consistently worked to streamline packaging through material substitution, package redesign, and process optimization and development, before the sustainability label was attached to those activities. And speaking of sustainability, our first encounter with Tim was in 2009 when we launched Greener Package, the Web site focused exclusively on packaging sustainability. Tim was on our Expert Network and distinguished himself from the beginning by always providing well thought-out answer to the knottiest of questions (of which there are plenty, when it comes to sustainability). Tim is the kind of guy who thinks through a packaging problem not only from the three or four perspectives youre considering, but the three or four additional perspectives that hadnt even crossed your mind. Tim has written an entirely new Package Development section of this playbook. He provides all the essential building blocks of knowledge needed to understand flexible packaging,
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
continued
9 / 103
from common film attributes to detailed polymer characteristics. The Detailed properties and attributes for film structures And Polymer selection guide for flexible packaging alone are worth the download of this playbook. Though Tim modestly says these are basic pieces and not meant to be exhaustive, they are far more thorough than anything Ive seen published on the topic in a long time. For the machinery section, we overhauled all of the articles after interviewing or consulting over 45 sources as part developing of this years Playbook series. Most of these consisted of in-depth phone interviews with experts in the fieldengineers and managers at leading consumer packaged goods companies. We updated each article with tips, tricks as well as pitfalls to avoid when it comes to flexible packaging machinery projects. All of our playbooks are designed to be read either on the screen, or printed out. A final word. The entire cost of producing and distributing this playbook has been underwritten by the companies who have sponsored it. We thank them for their support, and we thank you for reading.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Trends in Flexible Packaging
BY BOB SpErBEr Here are some recent trends were seeing with flexible packaging:
10 / 103
2. Clear, high-barrier films. A new generation of clear films and coatings are
beginning to approach the barrier properties of foil and metalized films. This provides new opportunities to showcase appetizing products while avoiding flex-cracking problems associated with foil and some older coating technologies. These structures also offer the potential for microwave-compatible pouches.
DEVELOPMENT
continued
11 / 103
Viscous condiments that can be more efficiently evacuated from a pouch are a prospect, and have been common for years in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Health and beauty products are also ripe for conversionthink shampoo and liquid soaps. Categories dominated by metal cans (soup, fruit) or glass jars are also susceptible to conversion. The cereal aisle is a Holy Grail for the flexible packaging supplier community. While flexibles have made inroads at both the high end (think granola) and low end (value cereals), experts agree that cereal makers simply have too much invested in existing bag-and-box equipment to change anytime soon. Replacement is further complicated given the predominance of recycled paperboard cartons made from renewable resources in this application. Just because a package converts to flexible doesnt mean consumers in a given countryespecially the United Stateswill accept it. That said, a sweeping trend is that brand owners are now taking a global approach to innovation. New packaging structures or formatsincluding flexiblesnow originate anywhere in the world. Thats a change from the past practice of pushing out innovations from the developed world.
http://bit.ly/clearbarrier
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
12 / 103
more flexibility for desired functionality, thickness, and cost without over-engineering the structure. One technique is to use less expensive resins as bulking layers. Another is to split the barrier layer into two thinner layers, with one serving as a backup in case a pin hole breeches the other. This approach also multiplies the number of material interfaces a permeate must cross, further reducing permeation rates. Several technologies for splitting barrier materials into many layers are being introduced, with data showing more than linear improvements in barrier.
Perfecseal
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
13 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
14 / 103
rigid containers versus pouches, you can ship one truckload of flat pouches that have the equivalent product-holding capacity of upwards of 15 to 25 truckloads of empty rigid containers. Packagers can also save hundreds of thousands of dollars in packaging material costs and secondary packaging operations systems due to simplifications of packaging systems, such as elimination of labeling, capping, etc.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Best practices in flexible package development
Contributing Editor
15 / 103
BY MArTY WEIL,
Here are ten best practices you can follow to design a flexible package that meets your products marketing and production requirements now and in the future:
1. Define all the requirements. Sounds obvious, but consultants and converters alike
continue to report this as a stumbling block. Define not only the objectives and parameters for performance and cost for the package itself (barrier, package style or format constraints, special product compatibility needs, regulatory requirements, easy-open, reclosability, graphics and printing), but also the equipment angle. Is it going to be packed in one plant, or on six lines on machines from three different manufacturers in two plants hundreds of miles apart? Knowing all the requirements can help engineer the best structure for today and the future.
2. Make sure you really understand the product protection requirements. Just saying you need a six-month shelf life is insufficient. Know what will
compromise the product the most in those six months: oxygen, moisture, or light? Moreover, when determining shelf life, dont overlook the distribution environment. Will you be shipping at high altitudes (such as over mountains) or in extremely hot and humid (or dry) climates? As more products receive broader distribution, packagers need to be aware of the impacts. Really understand how many times it will be touched from your packaging line through your supply chain to store shelves.
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
16 / 103
3. Understand the total system cost. Dont focus on the cost of the roll of film.
Determine the total cost to get saleable product to the consumer. Switching to another structure that saves a few dollars on film costs doesnt work if it results in thousands of dollars in waste in the packaging line due to rejects and leakers. This can have particularly dire consequences if youre producing (and selling) product at full capacity, because you take a double hit for every failed pack: once on product cost and once on lack of profit from selling that pack. Substituting higher performance materials such as ionomers or copolymers can replace commodity polyethylene as the sealant layer, maintain desired stiffness, reduce leakers, and enable faster sealing speeds.
4. Coordinate suppliers. Early in the process, meet with your converter and form/fill/
seal equipment manufacturer (and contract packager, if appropriate) to coordinate a flexible packaging specification that plays to everyones strengths, versus independently imposing a predetermined spec. If you have a package with more stringent requirements, also include the converters upstream raw material provider. Such up-front coordination and open discussions can help avoid problems, especially with newly developed material structures, and better optimize your flexible package construction right out of the gate.
5. Match the material to the machine. Because the machine should be designed to
run at specified speeds and efficiencies, the material must perform at the same specifications. Often a material has been optimized for current equipment but will not perform the same on new equipment, especially as newer equipment is generally rated to perform at higher outputs. Involving the material supplier early (see above) can eliminate any packaging performance issues and allow time if modifications are required.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
17 / 103
Its important that there be time for such modifications, because a quick fix can be more costly than a the kind of measured, well-documented approach illustrated by thee Three Rs:
Review engineering drawings ensure that they match the actual machinery. Manage
modifications using Critical-to-Quality, Critical-to-Function and related methods consistent with an accepted quality management program.
Risk assessment: Understand, document and update safety requirements that apply to your new
installation, as well as problems can arise if they arent addressed in an effective, timely manner.
Read the fine print of all documentation, such as contracts and engineering drawings.
Account for unexpected upsets, and the means of resolving them to keep your operation, service and supplier relationships on track.
6. Assess the packaging line. Sometimes, small changes on the packaging line or
distribution environment can enable the use of less or thinner materials in the package itself. It could be something as simple as the types of rails used in a conveyor system, or ensuring theyre maintained properly so there are no sharp points, or properly maintaining packaging machines with regular cleaning and aligning of the seal jaws to improve seal consistency and minimize temperature and pressure requirements. Sometimes spending a bit more on a thicker corrugated shipper can net you savings by enabling the use of a thinner package structure.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
18 / 103
8. Investigate consolidation. If you have four flexible package structures that are
fairly similar, consider using a single structure for all of them. One or two may be overengineered, but you may end up saving money due to economies of scale. Also assess with your film supplier the impact on film costs of a slightly shorter or narrower package, and smaller or different seals. The savings are sometimes surprising.
9. Plan for optimization. Often with a new flexible package, the structure is overengineered to prevent failures or surprises in the field and the package is larger than it needs to be to provide tolerance with the equipment. But its equally common to move on to the next project, with little time or thought given to optimizing that structureuntil a sudden cost-cutting directive from above causes a mad scramble at the supplier to suddenly cut costs or risk losing the business.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
19 / 103
Instead, build a plan for optimization up front. One approach is to immediately optimize the package as soon as its out in the field and apparent that the current structure is holding up, rather than waiting six or 12 months. Another approach is to plan milestones by revisiting the package in six months, 12 months, and so on. That way, both the packaging department and the supplier have a known timetable with which to work toward optimizing the package structure.
10. Root-out waste for efficiency and sustainability. Examine every aspect
of your new flexible package, and the process behind it, to reduce waste. Doing so can simultaneously reduce costs and improve sustainability. For example, optimize overengineered packages whose added material provides no added value. Likewise, root-out machinability issues, inefficiencies during changeovers and, in general, all wasted time, labor, energy usage and materials. Having to discard lengths of film or boxfuls of labels that werent run properly through the line will do no good for the environment, or your bottom line.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Flexible packaging specification guidelines
President Pac Advantage Consulting
20 / 103
BY TIm BOHrEr,
So you need to develop and commercialize a new flexible, semi-rigid or rigid composite package that incorporates one or more films. How do you get started with the process of deciding what film or films to use or include in the structure? Plenty of polymers and film production methods are in common use in the industry; a basic understanding of the choices available and the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches can simplify the selection process and get you moving faster towards a good solution. Use this playbook as a resource to get you started down the road of developing competence in film selection and as a review point to check that youve considered the right criteria and options. Well start with an overview of the broad types of functions polymer films can provide; move to specific quantifiable attributes that relate to those functions; review the main categories of polymers used in films, highlighting the most common workhorses used in packaging; and describe the film production methods and why each has its place. This will provide a look at the basics of an area of technology that is fundamental to the flexible packaging industry, has application to some semi-rigid and rigid packages, and affects every consumer who purchases packaged goods.
Specializing in flexible packaging, Bohrer spent 30 years leading package development groups at several prominent packaging converters.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
21 / 103
BARRIER LAYER
At an extremely economical price, HPC offers value that you can trust.
HPC
SEALANT LAYER
and this is critical as both a guide for the supplier, and as a means for the user to ensure they get what they need, want and expect. Focusing on what matters means
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
22 / 103
understanding real requirements and not including an attribute or property in a specification just because it can be measured, or you saw it in another specification. Opening the door to specifying things that dont matter leads to increased cost, for all parties involved. Failing to include things that matter opens the door to surprises, failures in converting or use that lead to increased cost, also for all parties. There is a thinking persons balance to be struck here, and some leeway in judgment, but realize that neither extreme (excessively complex or excessively simple specifications) efficiently serve all parties needs in the end.
2. Specify what works. A solid understanding of real requirements leads to being able
to match up film options in a robust manner. Where lots of experience exists (i.e., sealant layer X provides consistently strong seals on your VFFS lines at needed filling speeds), leverage that knowledge to simplify the process, adjusting other aspects of the film to meet the unique requirements for the specific application. If you are heading into uncharted territory for either the supplier or user, take the time to test and understand the limits of satisfactory performance; youll save time and money for everyone in the end. A beautifully formatted specification that describes in detail a film construction that doesnt work is worse than useless; it runs the risk of misleading everyone as to what film to use.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
23 / 103
3. Specify what the supplier can make consistently and efficiently. Very
few, if any situations can tolerate high rates of unacceptable material; mismatches between a film specification and a suppliers capability only serve to drive up costs and put at risk the smooth flow of the value chain. The user has the responsibility to describe what they understand to be their requirements (see above), and the supplier has the responsibility to accurately represent their capability to consistently and efficiently make the film. Identifying a potential mismatch may lead to a productive conversation in which what matters can be refined, leading to better supplier capability, the realization that other suppliers may have the needed capability already in place, or an agreement that it will take time for any supplier to move up the learning curve to meet the needs. Keeping a mismatch a secret is a dangerous practice that all too often comes to light at the worst possible time.
DEVELOPMENT
The most satisfaction and security you can have for your Packaging Needs...
continued
24 / 103
BAGGERS
We Design
FORMOST FUJI
We Offer
WRAPPERS
Solutions Design Engineering Packaging Systems Installation Superior Service Training Parts in Stock
TEXTILE MEATS PLASTIC PRODUCTS MEDICAL CONFECTIONERY BAKERY PHARMACEUTICAL PAPER PRODUCTS PROCESSED FOODS
www.formostfuji.com
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Common flexible packaging performance descriptions
BY TIm BOHrEr
25 / 103
Historically, packaging professionals have thought about the functions of packages in major buckets; one set of buckets is comprised of Protection, Utility, and Motivation. In this construct, a package protects a product (and itself ) from the rigors of shipping, distribution, storage and use, with the objective of minimizing waste through the entire chain of production and use of a product. A consumer pays for a product and expects to receive full value - packages play a crucial role in delivering that value. Packages provide utility to consumers and users by doing more than containing the product to the point of use; opening and reclose features, detailed instructions or tips for using the product, ability to perform as a cooking device or reuse possibilities are examples of functions a package can provide to simplify the consumers experience of extracting the value theyve paid for the product. Before consumers realize the value of the product/package combination, a positive purchase decision must take place. Packages help motivate these decisions by presenting the product and its desirable attributes to consumers in a way that the product/package standout from the cacophony of choices available at the store. Appearance and style connect the consumers needs and expectations to the product, and in this respect in particular, the package truly is the product.
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
26 / 103
Getting beyond the big buckets, lets think about some, but by no means all, of the more detailed functions that film packages provide. The remainder of this article will help you focus on which attributes.
Physical Containment
Able to achieve hermetic seals that completely contain the product, protecting it from
spilling or gross contamination from the environment.
Opening and reseal features that facilitate multiple package accesses/uses while securely
containing the product;.
Toughness that prevents breaching of package walls by outside physical forces or abuse.
Tamper-evident features that help ensure the product integrity for use (or that its even
there!).
Bundling multiple objects, including packages, together for transport or sale. Tailored Transmission
Able to customize the rate of transmission of gases through the walls of sealed packages. At the high barrier end of the spectrum, providing extremely low rates for long term storage
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
27 / 103
At the low barrier end, very high rates for breathable produce packages, with the ability to
create customized levels for individual produce items.
Package Appearance
Provide smooth surface for high quality printed images, including the ability to bury the print
beneath the outside package layer for extra gloss and sparkle and resistance to abrasion.
Easily fabricated into a variety of label varieties, including whole body labels that shrink to
conform to complex primary package shapes.
Processability
Able to customize force required to slide packaging material or package against other
materials, optimized for packaging machine ease of operation or to prevent items from sliding relative to each other in distribution.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
28 / 103
Consumer Performance Pop corn or brown and crisp foods in the microwave. Vacuum pack food or personal items for long term storage
(shelf life).
Trust your exible packaging to the leader in quality. Visit www.glenroy.com or call 800.824.1482 to learn more.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Commonly specified film attributes
BY TIm BOHrEr
29 / 103
While a products needs for the functions in the previous article can be described in general terms, measureable and quantifiable attributes or properties that relate to these functions are the route to ensuring a film package is successful for a specific application. The types of attributes or properties to consider when determining what matters for an end use include (key is to remember that the mix of importance of attributes depends on what matters):
Optical properties Heat seal characteristics Dimensional stability Surface energy Coefficient of friction
Abrasion resistance
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
30 / 103
While specific converting sequences and end use applications may have unique requirements or nuances, many similarities exist and taking guidance from rigorously made successful film choices can streamline choosing and specifying. The earlier admonitions are still relevant knowing why a performance attribute is important (matters) leads to better choices and a faster road to new success. These attributes/properties provide a good starting point, but will not cover all possible end use requirements (think static dissipation for packaging of electronic componentry), bringing us back to the inescapable conclusion that this is a thinking persons game. Take care to understand whether an attribute is expressed as an inherent material property that can be extrapolated to different thicknesses or whether the attribute is thickness dependent. Some examples will be highlighted in Table 1, below. ASTM International publishes a globally recognized and accepted set of standards for testing many materials, including polymer films; these are the default standards in North America. Given the growth of global supply and trade in films, you will encounter other standards from time to time. International Standards Organization (ISO) and Deutches Institut fr Normung (DIN) are examples; where standards published by different organizations are equivalent, the published standards will indicate this. Unless you know for certain, however, it is risky to assume that just because the property name is the same that the results are comparable.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
31 / 103
When it comes to flexible packaging, we offer our customers unmatched possibilities. From high-tech materials and vibrant color printing to a wide variety of pre-made bags and pouches, our creative solutions help you impact your key markets and enhance your brand. Send us your packaging challenges at [email protected]
DEVELOPMENT
Detailed properties and attributes for film structures
BY TIm BOHrEr
32 / 103
The following table provides a quick overview of the property types listed above and is intended as a starting point for understanding why a particular property may be important. Most strength properties are directional, with the potential for widely varying levels in the machine (MD) or cross-machine (CD) directions; the CD is sometimes referred to as the transverse direction (TD). It is important to understand where the MD and CD will be aligned in the final package as you begin to select appropriate properties and levels to match use requirements. Films and film-based structures are almost always converted in roll form, and generally sent to packaging machines that way, however premade bags and pouches are also extensively used to feed packaging machines.
Basis weight
Brief Definition, What is Relates To Being Quantified The dimension of the film in Affects most physical properties; important the thickness direction for setting clearances on packaging machines. Often the first attribute in describing a film (i.e., 2 mil LDPE blown film) Weight per unit area of a Composite specific gravity; material usage. film or structure A commonly specified attribute, especially when film is sold on a per pound basis; used to convert between per pound or per area pricing.
Comments For film, typically expressed in mils (1/1000s of an inch) or gauge (100 gauge = 1 mil) for English units, in metric units, micrometers (microns) is typically used for flexible structures For films, pounds per 1000 in2 (#/msi) most often used English units, grams per m2 (gsm) for metric units
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Attribute/ Property Tensile properties Brief Definition, What is Being Quantified Ability of a material to resist a direct pulling force; multiple properties from a tensile test help characterize materials & structures Ability of a material to resist tearing, both tear initiation and tear propagation resistance can be important Ability of a material to withstand a direct impact Ability of a material to resist surface damage when in moving contact with other materials or items Relates To Stiffness; amount of elongation/stretch before permanent deformation and force needed to accomplish; machinability; hand or feel to consumer Comments
33 / 103
Tear strength
Toughness and ability to withstand distribution stresses; ease of opening by consumer Toughness and ability to withstand distribution stresses; resistance to puncture by products Maintain original appearance during distribution, especially when adjacent packs move relative to one another; ability to run on package machinery without damaging surface; for surface printed films an analogous property termed ink rub is more a measure of ink adhesion to the film but is measured in a similar manner
High tensile strength films are stiff and can handle high levels of tension in converting and packaging machinery without significant elongation; stretch films need high elongation before permanent deformation to tightly hold multiple products; low stiffness films often used in personal care packaging for softer hand Polymers with unbranched molecules tend to be more directional in tear properties than polymers with branched molecules. Biaxially oriented films tend to have high tear initiation resistance, but low tear propagation resistance. Puncture or impacts stress films in all directions - MD and CD and directions between, making films with balanced properties more resistant to puncture Films in glassy state (below Tg) or highly crystalline states generally resist abrasion better than films in rubbery state (above Tg) or amorphous states. Softer materials in multilayer structures are often protected with harder materials located in surface layers
The temperature range over which a film should be considered suitable for use Visual appearance of a film; includes transparency, surface haze and gloss, and roughness
Suitability of a material for distribution or use at temperature extremes Match of material to marketing needs (shiny vs. matte surface; product visibility vs. hiding; contact vs. non-contact clarity
Problems can arise if materials are brittle at low use temperatures or soften excessively or even melt at higher use temperatures Rough surfaces that induce surface haze can negate otherwise highly transparent bulk; contact clarity results when products conform to surface roughness and overcome surface haze effects
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Attribute/ Property Heat seal characteristics Brief Definition, What is Being Quantified Characterization of a materials ability to be heat welded to itself or another material; for films, the temperature range for which adequate seals can be formed, the pressure required at different temperatures, and the strength of the resulting seal, both immediately after sealing (hot tack) and following cooling of the seal area. Can also measure at use temperature if different from room temperature The ability of a material to maintain its original shape and/or size when exposed to environmental changes; % shrinkage at a specified temperature is most common, but changes due to relative humidity can also be important for some uses A measure of the ability of a films surface to be wetted by calibrated solutions Relates To Ease of making desired strength seals on packaging equipment at desired run speeds; compatibility of a structure with different sealing configurations on equipment; ability to maintain desired seal strength at temperature extremes; ease of seal peelability for opening packages Comments
34 / 103
Broader windows of time, temperature and pressure make it easier to achieve satisfactory seals; for easy open, the balance between too low a seal strength that fails prematurely and too high a seal strength that cannot be readily peeled by consumers is often challenging to achieve
Dimensional stability
Stability of package during converting, filling and distribution; match of material and processing conditions to create needed shrink for bundling or other shrink film applications
Two main classes of need; complete dimensional stability at use conditions or controlled shrinkage amount and force induced at specified temperatures
Surface energy
Printability; ability to laminate to other materials; ease of using adhesives to form seals vs. heat sealing; choice of inks and adhesives; propensity to self-adhere or block; static charge propensity
All polymers have natural surface energy levels that can be raised through several treatment techniques; corona discharge is typically used for films and minimum levels are targeted for satisfactory adhesion of inks or adhesives; excessive levels can make films unusable due to blocking
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Attribute/ Property Coefficient of friction (COF) Brief Definition, What is Being Quantified The resistance to moving a film in surface to surface contact with itself or another material; often termed slip Ability of a film to resist penetration of a specific chemical. Transmission rate quantifies barrier for a specific structure, and is not normalized for thickness - extrapolation to other structures can be a source of confusion. Permeability quantifies barrier as a material property, and is normalized for thickness (typically 1 mil or 25.4 micron). Can be used to scale barrier performance for different thicknesses, assuming that all other aspects of the film (including layer ratios for multilayer structures) also scale linearly. Resistance of a material to changes in properties induced by contact with specific chemicals. Tends to be a rating rather than a precisely quantified property Relates To Machinability; stability of package displays; ease of package handling Comments
35 / 103
Too high a COF can make it impossible to move a material relative to other surfaces; too low a COF can make it virtually impossible to control rollstock or individual packages because they are too slippery Requirements vary greatly depending on product and its spoilage characteristics; the lowest cost means to create the needed barrier characteristics in a filled package very often is the primary driver for film selection. Moisture vapor barrier and oxygen barrier are the most typically specified, but barrier characteristics for other gases can be important; in certain cases, low barrier may be required. Confusion over the use of the terms permeability and transmission rate is common, even in specifications.
Barrier properties
Product protection and shelf life; resistance to absorption or permeation of desired chemicals from product; resistance to permeation of undesired chemicals from environment to product
Chemical resistance
Stability of packaging material for specific product formulations; ability of material to contain specific products
Films and structures made from films can be highly vulnerable to certain products; listings of chemical compatibility are a good place to start for new uses
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Attribute/ Property Regulatory compliance Brief Definition, What is Being Quantified Ability of a film or a structure containing that film to comply with all applicable governmental regulations concerning use in its intended manner Relates To Comments
36 / 103
Environmental impact
Specialized property
Users typically rely upon their package suppliers, who in Ensuring that specific structures meet turn rely on their material suppliers to provide written regulations for packaging specific types of products under specific exposure conditions; assurances that the materials and structures they supply meet the applicable regulations; regulations vary by country and region, although US FDA compliance assurance is often accepted elsewhere; compliance must be assured, not assumed End users and retailers are driving changes in packaging An evolving set of measures Providing a benchmark for package based on multiple measurement methods and criteria; that attempt to characterize producers and users for current packages; many details of measuring and specifying performance are providing a consistent method for the most important and comparing alternate package structures and in the process of being defined and developed; this rapidly recognized impacts of a estimating changes in environmental impact changing area requires constant monitoring film through part or all from making changes in package materials of its lifecycle from raw material acquisition through or configurations fabrication, converting, end use and end-of-life Depends Unusual end uses The other properties shown handle the vast majority of end uses, but some unusual, low volume or newly evolving uses may require specialized measurements to define what works
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Flexible packaging polymer primer
BY TIm BOHrEr
37 / 103
With a beginning understanding of the attributes desired for a film package, the next step is winnowing down the huge selection of possible polymers to those which offer the best combination of cost and performance for the needs. The word polymer derives from the Greek words poly that means many, and mer that means parts. There are naturally occurring polymers; the polymer cellulose is the major constituent of plant cell walls and makes up about 50% by weight of most wood and over 85% of cotton seed hair fibers. Regenerated wood cellulose was one of the first polymer packaging films, and is still in use, with a resurgence of interest due to its natural, renewable source. The main action in polymer films, however, is in synthetic polymers, which are produced by connecting simple molecules by a process called polymerization. The nature of simple monomers (Greek for small parts) and how many and in what way they are connected lead to the properties that are unique to each different polymer type and its variants.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
38 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
39 / 103
Choices of specific polymerization conditions, (temperature and pressure), number of reaction steps, batch or continuous reactors, and type(s) of catalysts are used to direct the polymerization reaction towards molecules of most interest. Given the huge variety of monomer choices and steady advances in polymerization technology, many different polymers exist and more are continually being developed. It is important to realize that due to the normal variation present in materials and processes, a polymer resin pellet will contain a distribution of molecules of differing molecular weights and chain configurations. Polymer chemists and film engineers examine these differences, as they translate into differences in polymer and film performance. When significant changes to the molecular distribution of a type of polymer can be consistently reproduced and new grade or even polymer subfamily may result.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Flexible packaging polymer selection guide
BY TIm BOHrEr
40 / 103
From the huge numbers of synthetic polymers available, a more limited selection is typically used for packaging films. This section will name them, describe some key characteristics and list primary uses. While some of these polymers are commonly used in monolayer films, many find best usage in coextruded films, where thin well placed layers efficiently utilize their unique advantages while minimizing cost or detrimental impacts on the film. Some of the films (single or multilayer) are used as is, while others are combined with other materials, such as other films, foil, paper, paperboard or thermoforming sheet.
Symbol PE LDPE
Common Uses Work horse resins in packaging, delivering bulk, sealability, stretch, shrink, clarity and puncture resistance; used extensively as monolayer films or in coextruded structures. Applicable for most LDPE applications, with potential gauge reduction due to increased tensile, impact and puncture properties.
Comments Wide historical use; long chain branching provides good melt strength and easy extrusion processing. Many grades with flow properties tailored for different processing applications and end uses. Generally considered a low barrier material. Copolymers of ethylene, principally with hexene and butane - termed linear since side chain branches are shorter and typical LDPE long chain branching is absent. Typically narrower molecular weight distributions.
LLDPE
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Polymer Name Medium density Symbol MDPE Common Uses Boil-in bags, sacks, shrink film. High density HDPE Retail bags, stiffness and H2O barrier layer for many dry foods not needing O2 or high flavor barrier; label release liner. Lamination film for many uses including barrier, form-fill-seal packaging, standup pouches; heavy duty bags; ice bags.
41 / 103
Metallocene polyethylene mPE, MVLDPE, (ethylene-hexene etc. copolymers with specialized catalyst technology) Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer Ethylene acrylic acid copolymer Ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer EVA
Heat seal and impact strength layer in multilayer films. Heat seal layer or to bond foil to PE; higher performance end uses include dentifrice tubes and medical device and pharmaceutical packaging. Tie layer in coextruded structures, in monolayer films creates soft, elastic structure with good drape. Sealant layer, for meat, seafood, poultry, cheese, personal and health care, dry foods, and liquid packaging; skin/stretch packaging film. Sealant layer, especially for meat, seafood, poultry, cheese, personal and health care, and liquid packaging; skin/stretch packaging film. Adhesion or tie layer, compatibilizer, heat seal layer.
EAA
Comments Better temperature resistance that LDPE, with higher stiffness. Good shock and drop resistance, less notch sensitivity and stress crack resistance but lower H2O barrier than HDPE. Highly linear polymer creates highest density of the polyethylenes; attains higher crystallinity as well, which accounts for greater stiffness and WVTR superiority. High polymerization productivity metallocene catalysts create narrow molecular weight distributions and resins with excellent cold temperature toughness, impact strength and puncture resistance; very good hot tack and strong seals. The next generation of copolymers being substituted for many conventional LDPE resins. Easy to process and variation in VA level allows tailoring to different end use applications. Low VA content for dry food applications; higher VA content as sealing challenges increase. Low seal initiation temperature, very good hot tack; increased ability to seal through contamination over standard PEs. One of the earlier tie layers for coextruded films to bind otherwise incompatible polymers. Soft drape finds use in multiple healthcare applications. Easy to process and low extrusion temperature minimizes taste/odor issues. Good hot tack, seals through contamination and makes strong reliable seals. Outstanding seal properties - hot tack, seal through contamination, low seal initiation temperature; clarity, drawability, oil resistant; tough; abrasion resistant. Somewhat difficult to process, with high COF and static levels. Promotes adhesion between variety of polar and non-polar materials, including PE, PP, PA, PET as thin coextruded layer or additive.
EMA
Ethylene methacrylic acid EMMA copolymer Partially neutralized ethylene acid copolymer or terpolymer Ethylene methyl acrylate acrylic acid terpolymer Ionomer
EMM-AA
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Polymer Name Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer Polypropylene Homopolymer Symbol EVOH PP PPH Common Uses Comments Widely used on oriented films (BOPP) for stiffness, clarity, gloss and yield. Metallized, heat seal or other functionally coated BOPP grades get large use in snack and other food packaging. Cast films have excellent clarity and gloss, with stiffness for many overwrap applications; flower and textile packaging, bread, cake, confectionary. Specialty grades as low extractable sealant layer for retort pouches. Cavitated BOPP grades are density reduced, provide softer hand, opacity and are used extensively in candy bar wrap and frozen novelty wrap and for labels. For cast or blown film applications requiring higher impact resistance. Principally used on biaxially oriented film (BOPET), where it is widely used as a printed top film in laminated structures. Food and non-food items packaged in BOPET based structures. Metallized and other barrier coatings (SiOx, AlOx, PVOH) perform well on this base film. Base for metallizing and lamination in susceptor packaging. Shrink labels for containers.
42 / 103
Lowest specific gravity of commonly used polymers means more square feet per pound. Higher melting point than PE, but lower crystallinity than HDPE. Orients at high draw ratios for good property development. Superior grease resistance to PE. Can be used in monowebs or laminations and process at high speeds on wide variety of form-fill-seal packaging lines.
Ethylene comonomer increases low temperature usability in monofilm applications. Higher temperature resistance and dimensional stability that other oriented films. Higher specific gravity than most common packaging polymers, but develops excellent stiffness and other mechanical properties. Excellent product compatibility. High crystallinity from orientation retains clarity but builds very good barrier. BOPET commonly used at 48 ga with some grades at 38 ga available. Responds well to monoaxial orientation. Does not crystallize to same level as PET, yielding lower barrier properties and heat resistance. Bioderived polymer, with supply today from by-products of wet corn milling operations. Lower temperature stability and resistance than PET.
PETG
PLA
Lamination, envelope and carton window film. Shrink labels. Candy twist wrap.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Polymer Name Polyamide Symbol PA Common Uses Polyamaide of caprolactam PA6 Vacuum packaging of meat, cheese, seafood, nuts and other products sensitive to oxygen. Used in coextruded films with EVOH to provide backup O2 barrier for high moisture foods. Vacuum packaging of meat, cheese, seafood, nuts and other products sensitive to oxygen. Used in coextruded films with EVOH to provide backup O2 barrier for high moisture foods. Used as coextruded layer or blended with PA6.
43 / 103
Polyamide of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid Polyamide of metaxylene diamine and adipic
PA66
MXD6
Comments Moisture absorption plasticizes film and increases crystallinity with some post shrink. PA is a good candidate for biaxial orientation by either tenter frame or double bubble process yielding BOPA and for high quench rate film forming to get good transparency. See below process section for details. Excellent toughness and good O2 and flavor barriers. Excellent drawability and resistance to stress cracking. PA6 has better impact, flex fatigue, solvent and grease resistance than PA66. Excellent toughness and good O2 and flavor barriers. Excellent drawability and resistance to stress cracking. PA66 has lower moisture absorption and higher temperature resistance than PA6. Highly crystalline PA with increased O2 barrier properties that show reduced moisture sensitivity. Thin layers used in conjunction with or blended with convention PA will provide performance improvements.
PVC
Polyvinylidine chloride
PVdC
Fresh meat and produce wrap; cling film; shrink film Low O2 barrier perfect fit for fresh red meat bloom consumers for bundling and labels; twist film for confectionary associate with freshness. Medium H2O barrier. Different degrees of cling achievable through additives. First shrink and other foods. sleeve labels were commercialized using PVC. Coextrusion layer for O2 and H2O barrier. O2 barrier level maintained for wet foods or humid environments. Somewhat difficult to handle in extrusion.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Polymer Name Cellulose films Regenerated cellulose Symbol Common Uses Twist wrap; baked goods and produce packaging; cheese and live yeast packaging; ovenable and microwavable packaging; soft goods wrap. Comments
44 / 103
Twist wrap; baked goods and produce packaging; cheese and live yeast packaging; ovenable and microwavable packaging; soft goods wrap.
Bioderived films from wood pulp, regenerated cellulose comprised the earliest clear packaging films. Naturally low H2O barrier for breathability to retard mole growth, but still with good flavor and aroma barrier. Coated grades can provide both high barrier and stiffness, gloss and clarity. Bioderived, made from at least 95% wood pulp. Naturally low H2O barrier for breathability to retard mole growth, but still with good flavor and aroma barrier. Coated grades can provide both high barrier and stiffness, gloss and clarity. Amorphous film that develops good stiffness through orientation. (OPS) Low barrier to all gases, good for breathable applications. High gloss and clarity.
PS
Envelope and carton window film, produce wrap, lamination to thermoformable PS and impact modified PS sheets for rigid packaging.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
BY TIm BOHrEr
45 / 103
COF Modifiers - adjust COF to match converting, packaging and end use requirements,
generally by reducing the COF of tacky films. Slip agents work by blooming from the bulk of the polymer to the surface and provide lubrication without degrading clarity, but can interfere with adhesion in printing and laminating. Antiblock agents are small inert particles that act through roughening the surface of the film to reduce contact area and force needed to slide; which not generally impacting adhesion, they do increase film haze.
Colorants - used to create opacity, either to increase impact of printed graphics, to protect
products sensitive to light, to hide products that are not particularly attractive at time of sale or create a unique color for marketing purposes.
DEVELOPMENT
continued
46 / 103
When it comes to flexible packaging, we offer our customers unmatched possibilities. From high-tech materials and vibrant color printing to a wide variety of pre-made bags and pouches, our creative solutions help you impact your key markets and enhance your brand. Send us your packaging challenges at [email protected]
oxygen sensitive products to intercept permeating oxygen molecules and prevent them from reaching the package interior. Newer technology permits activation of the scavenging functionality at the time of packaging, maximizing the effectiveness of the additive.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
47 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Understanding film manufacturing techniques
BY TIm BOHrEr
48 / 103
Conceptually, making a thin polymer film is an easy proposition--just melt one or more polymers, force the melt through a long, narrow opening, freeze the extruded melt into a solid film and wind it into a roll. Like most important things, there is a rich and extremely varied menu of material and process variables that offer the opportunity to create widely differing useful films. The opportunity, and the devil, is in those details. Setting aside material (polymer, additives, modifiers, etc.) for the moment, lets focus a bit on the film making variables.
Extrusion
Film making or extrusion begins with extruders that take granules or pellets of solid plastic material and use heat and mechanical energy to melt and mix the polymer(s), ideally leading to a steady flow of molten polymer, or melt with homogeneous temperature and composition. Extruders feed these pellets into the space between a long continuously rotating screw and a stationary heated cylindrical barrel. Extrusion engineers vary the geometry of that space is varied by changing the geometry of the screw; the objective is to match screw geometry to polymer melting and flow characteristics to efficiently compact and melt the pellets and create a uniform melt. No single screw design is optimum for all polymers, leading to specialized designs for polymers with sufficiently different melting and flow behavior.
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
49 / 103
Pressure built in the extruder forces the melt, typically flowing in a tube of circular crosssection, into the flow channels of the extrusion die and serves to distributes the melt uniformly so it can then can be pushed through the narrow die opening where freezing or quenching follows. Die opening geometry is the first major choice for film makers, and there are really only two options - flat or annular. Flat openings in what are commonly called slot dies are used to make flat or cast film. Annular openings are used to produce tubular or blown film. The unique characteristics of these two approaches yield films with different properties and advantages.
Cast Film
In the cast film process, a thin flat curtain of relatively low viscosity molten polymer exits the die opening, falling and pulled downward to tangentially contact the surface of a rotating chilled roller where freezing or quenching occurs. Thinning of the melt from roughly the thickness of the die opening to final film thickness creates some machine direction orientation that remains in the quenched film. The surface characteristics of the chill roll help define the surface of the side of film which contacts the roll, typically highly polished to create smooth clear film. Edges are slit off and one or more rolls are wound that are prepared for delivery to the user or to any intermediate converting steps.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
50 / 103
Film width changes require adjusting the length of flow barriers called edge deckles from the outside edge of the die along the die opening; these restrict polymer melt flow to the undeckled central portion of the die opening and can be used to reduce the width of film from the dies maximum width capability. This adjustment is limited, however, as flow difficulties increase as longer deckles are used to reduce extruded film width. Film thickness uniformity is adjusted at the die opening by incorporation of flexible die lip sections that control the opening thickness across the width of the die opening. Automated thickness measurement devices downstream continuously monitor the thickness profile across the web width and continuously adjust the die lip profile to minimize gauge variation. Cast film production is characterized by
High output rates per inch of die opening length High line speeds High quench rates High melt temperatures Very good point-to-point thickness uniformity Ability to use relatively low melt strength polymers
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
51 / 103
Limited flexibility in extruded film width Machine direction melt orientation, which translates into strength property directionality
as molecules tend to be somewhat more lined up parallel to the machine direction
DEVELOPMENT
continued
52 / 103
The ratio of the diameter of the quenched bubble to the diameter of the die opening is termed the blow up ratio and is indicative of the degree of cross machine direction induced in the film during the quenching process. Film thickness uniformity has historically been poorer with blown that with cast film, since adjustments of the thickness of the die opening or gap must be accomplished by moving concentric die lips relative to one another. Variation can, however, be distributed throughout a roll of blown film through rotation of either the die or the collapsing frame and nip. For multilayer blown film dies, rotator technology to transfer multiple independent polymer streams from their respective stationary melt feed pipes to rotating die distribution channels becomes increasingly complex, expensive and massive as the number of different extruders feeding the die grows. Adoption of rotating collapsing frame/nip arrangements has grown rapidly as 5, 7, 9 and even greater layer blown film systems have proliferated, as more sophisticated thickness uniformity approaches, including automated variable cooling air flow technology, have been developed. Air-cooled blown film production is characterized by
Low to moderate output rates per inch of die opening length Low to moderate line speeds Low to moderate quench rates
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
53 / 103
Moderate melt temperatures Moderate to good point-to-point thickness uniformity Good flexibility in extruded film width Polymers with good melt strength at extrusion temperatures to prevent the unquenched
bubble from falling back on the die surface
Meaningful machine and cross machine direction melt orientation, which translates into
Water Quench Blown Film
more balanced strength properties since molecular alignment is somewhat more random in direction
One hybrid film process deserves brief mention; water quenched blown film. In this variant, the polymer melt from an annular die is directed downwards and the exterior surface of the bubble is contacted directly by cooling water. Early technology included an interior bubble support mandrel, but limited size change and raised capital intensity, while affording some opportunity to quench from both sides of the bubble. Most of the quite limited commercial tubular water quench technology in use today for largescale film production utilizes an external water ring that can incorporate quick-change insert technology to move relatively easily between a selection of fixed bubble diameters.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
54 / 103
As you would expect, this technology is characterized by a combination of the characteristics of cast and air-cooled blown film processes.
High to very high output rates per inch of die opening length Moderate to high line speeds Very high quench rates Flexibility in use of polymers, allowing lower melt temperatures than cast, while not
requiring all the melt strength of air-cooled blown
Good point-to-point thickness uniformity Moderate flexibility in film width (assuming no internal mandrel) Machine and cross machine direction melt orientation
Despite some of the potential advantages of the hybrid nature of the tubular water quench process, cast and air-cooled blown technologies are the predominant film making technologies for the packaging and allied industries. Unless water tubular water quench process or films are specifically being referenced, the remainder of the Playbook will refer to air-cooled blown film simply as blown film.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
BY TIm BOHrEr
55 / 103
DEVELOPMENT
continued
56 / 103
and a more balanced film for blown. The relative advantages and disadvantages of blown vs. cast resulting strictly from melt orientation have a few more subtleties than the strictly quench rate effects, for some applications.
Melt Orientation Cast Film Blown Film Affected Characteristic Stiffness, tensile Higher in MD Balanced than CD to slightly directional Tear initiation Lower in MD Balanced than CD to slightly directional Balanced Easy opening Lower to slightly MD tear propagation directional Shrink Higher in MD Balanced to slightly directional Elongation Higher in MD Balanced to slightly directional Generalized Comments Cast easier to fold across CD, which could simplify some packaging operations. Balanced tear initiation typically translates into more durable package. Directionality a potential benefit of cast if MD can be positioned correctly in pack. Most pallet and other shrink film applications benefit from balanced properties. Cast stretch films offer high tear resistance, gloss, clarity and consistent cling. Blown stretch films, while hazier, offer excellent puncture resistance and high force on the load. Knowing the use needs leads to an understanding of which is preferable.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Understanding oriented films
BY TIm BOHrEr
57 / 103
Cast and blown films are useful for many packaging applications, however neither process by itself takes full advantage of the potential of some polymers to achieve higher performance levels. While melt phase orientation provides the bulk of the effects in the film processes just reviewed, a wider range of property options opens up, and is widely used, when solid phase orientation is employed. Solid phase orientation processes as commercially practiced create very significant changes in properties such as tensile, toughness, heat stability, tear initiation resistance, and barrier; all these properties are increased into regimes where they can be quite valuable in packaging structures. These changes permit films that are lighter weight and thinner than standard blown or cast films to satisfy performance needs. Process choices include
Flat or tubular format Monoaxial or biaxial orientation Sequential or simultaneous MD & CD orientation
Cost and uniformity requirements dictate that virtually all solid phase film orientation takes place in line with polymer extrusion.
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
58 / 103
Biaxial Orientation
Flat biaxial orientation, the most prevalent film orientation process, is done on a unit called a tenter frame line, which refers to the CD orientation section. The process starts with a plasticating extruder feeding a first module that operates similarly to the cast film line described above, but with multiple chill and surface finishing rolls to handle the much thicker sheet that is formed. Orientation or stretching thins the polymer web proportionally to the orientation or stretch ratios; to get to a 1 mil finished film with 5 to 1 stretch ratios in both MD and CD requires starting out with roughly a 25 mil web of quenched polymer. Once the sheet has been quenched and its temperature stabilized, MD stretching is accomplished by pulling the sheet using rolls rotating with progressively increasing surface speeds; stretching takes place small gaps between successive rollers. The small gaps minimize the potential for neckin, a reduction of the width of the web during the drawing or thinning processes. Endless chains with clips grasp the edges of the moving web and carry it into a multistage hot air oven. The first stage is used to equilibrate the web at the desired temperature; this is followed by CD stretching, as the two tracks carrying the chains and clips are gradually moved further apart, making the sheet wider. Further temperature conditioning in the final oven sections provides annealing or stress relaxation for dimensional stability and cools the film prior to winding. Most of the biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyester (BOPET) films used in packaging are produced using this technique. Very large units, capable of producing finished
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
59 / 103
film over 300 inches wide are being installed around the world, bringing down processing costs per pound and creating plentiful supplies for the growing global packaging market. Simultaneous flat film biaxial orientation; machines to simultaneously biaxially orient flat films have been sought for years, and workable systems are now available from machine suppliers. These units are claimed to permit the orientation of complex multilayer films, including those incorporating EVOH, that are difficult or impossible to produce in sequential orientation processed due to mismatches of orientation and crystallization temperatures. Simultaneous biaxial orientation is inherent in the tubular, or double bubble orientation process. As the name implies, the first half of the production lines looks very much like a standard blown film line, but rather than slitting the edges and separating the two sides of the collapsed tube, that tube is carefully reheated and reinflated with high air pressure, expanding the diameter while being pulled by collapsing nip operating at a higher lineal speed than the nip sealing the beginning of the second bubble. Film is then wound in the normal manner. The primary advantage of the double bubble process is lower scale of capital investment, offset by lower product uniformity and process control challenges and low output per line. Some BOPP is produced on double bubble lines and nylon/polyamide (BON or BOPA) is produced using double bubble as well as both kinds of flat biaxial orientation lines.
Monoaxial Orientation
Creating deliberately unbalanced properties in the MD and CD can provide valuable and unique performance advantages tailored to specific applications. Solid phase orientation performed solely in the MD is termed MDO and in the CD, commonly termed TDO.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
60 / 103
While known for some time, mono- or uniaxially films have seen a resurgence of late as easily installed add-on modules to blown film lines permit modest MDO of films to build additional stiffness in the MD of films treated in this manner, as well as improvements in film barrier properties. The process technology for MDO is similar to that of the MD orientation step in biaxial orientation; post quenched film is temperature conditioned and stretched between a pair of differential speed rollers in close proximity to minimize the unsupported gap where orientation occurs. For cereal liners, this has allowed downgauging and cost reductions at equivalent packaging line and product protection performance, while offset by lowered resistance to tearing in the MD. Use of tougher copolymers in blends or coextruded film layers can somewhat alleviate the tendency for splitty but must be balanced against the achievement of desired strength and barrier properties. Shrink sleeve label films are created by both MDO and TDO processes, depending on the configuration of the film relative to the desired direction of shrinkage in the formed sleeve. TDO shrink sleeves are typically created using a tenter frame and oven section like that used for the TD orientation step of biaxial flat film orientation. For these films, substantial shrinkage at relatively low temperatures is desired, and minimal annealing (stress relaxation under tension) after orientation is applied.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
Waste-to-Energy: Worth a second look
BY ANNE MArIE MOHAN,
Editor, Greener Package & Shelf Impact
61 / 103
Waste-to-Energyan end-of-life option for materials that would otherwise end up in landfillsis a technology whose time may have come. As the name implies, Waste-to-Energy, or WTE, is a process by which electricity, synthetic gas, fuels, and recycled feedstocks for new plastics and other chemistry products can begenerated through the thermal treatment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). In contrast with its established use in many European and Asian countries, WTE has been slow to catch on in the U.S. Early incinerator technology released unacceptable levels of dioxin emissions, and although these issues have been resolved, opponents of WTE use the image of a villainous smokestack pumping out dirty, black smoke to support their claims of its environmental hazards. Opponents have also argued that the technology reduces incentives for waste minimization and for other recovery options such as recycling. Packagers have stayed above the WTE fray, choosing instead to focus their sustainability efforts and messages on the less-controversial options of reduce, reuse, and recycle. But there is good reason to take a second, studied look at this technology as a wastemanagement option for those packaging materials that cannot be reused or recycled. While the decision to invest in WTE is typically in the hands of municipalities, packaging suppliers
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
62 / 103
and consumer packaged goods companies may want to lend their support to greater development and implementation of this technology.
Most of us agree that its preferable to recycle most packaging materials at end of life,
rather than use them for WTE or landfill. However, as Sandra Keil, vice president of Government Relations and Industry Affairs for Earth911, explains, recycling is hyper-local; you cant make any generalizations. As Keil relates, while technically many materials are recyclable, that does not mean that they are in practice recycled. It depends upon the municipality, available infrastructure, demand for material, etc. And then there are those polymer materials, such as multilayer flexible film, that cannot be recycled. WTE provides an opportunity to recover the energy from these materials that would otherwise be destined for landfill, offering packagers with nonrecycled and nonrecyclable packaging a strong sustainability proposition.
On the issue of pollution from WTE, Marco Castaldi, assistant professor of Earth and
Environmental Engineering at Columbia University, says that since the early days of WTE technology, there have been orders-of-magnitude reductions in emissions. As we become more efficient, our processes get better, he says. So in general, todays combustion systems are far below the emissions limits. In fact, in a striking comparison, Castaldi notes that the amount of dioxins released by a WTE plant over 100 years is equal to the amount of dioxins released by fireworks in just 15 minutes.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
63 / 103
Countering the argument that greater use of WTE use leads to less composting and
recycling, Castaldi relates that the opposite is true. Citing data from countries such as Germany, where the WTE industry is much more developed, he says, what you typically notice is that those countries that are extracting energy from materials actually have higher recycling rates. He adds, While it may seem counter-intuitive, it actually makes sense, because a country or a society that is looking toward managing their waste in the most sustainable fashion will look at all possible options, and those options include recycle, reuse, reduce, and extraction of energy.
Plastics, which are growing at a rate greater than the GDP, offer 25% more energy value
than coal, informs Greg Wilkinson, president of Third Oak Associates, Inc., a strategy, communications, and advocacy consultancy. He adds that research from Columbia University shows that we are burying the equivalent energy in plastics each year to power all the homes in Georgia and Oklahoma combined. From a policy perspective, he said, we should think of this technology far more seriously than we have to date.
WTE can also provide cost advantages. In early 2012, the Solid Waste Association of North
America (SWANA) announced its support of WTE as an important part of an integrated solid waste management system. As part of its support of WTE, SWANA released a policy that outlines the best practices in planning, designing, and operating WTE facilities (see http:// bit.ly/GFt8GH), as well as a white paper outlining the economic benefits of the technology. Among the financial advantages, SWANA notes that over the lifespan of a WTE facility, communities can expect to pay less for MSW disposal than for regional landfill. It also says
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
64 / 103
SEEKING: PIONEERS
CONSIDER SCHOLLE FOR YOUR NEXT LIQUID PACKAGING PROJECT
For over 60 years, Scholle Packaging has helped companies like yours pioneer game-changing packaging formats.
Applications: Agricultural Chemicals, Automotive Chemicals and Fluids, Beer, Cleaning Chemicals, Dairy Products, Edible Oil, Juice, Paints, Coatings, Adhesives, Post-Mix Syrup, Processed Fruits, Tea, Coffee, Water, Health Drinks, Wine Processing: Fresh, ESL, High-Acid, Low-Acid, Hot-Fill
www.scholle.com
1.888.BAG.N.BOX
@schollepkg
youtube.com/schollepackaging
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
BY BOB SpErBEr
65 / 103
READ MORE
http://bit.ly/ragupouch
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
continued
66 / 103
4. Too many projects under way at once. The mental make-ready time of having
to constantly switch mental gears between different projects can add delays, introduce mistakes, and reduce overall quality of work. Youre better off knocking out projects sequentially with fewer distractions.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
DEVELOPMENT
The Clear Path
to Package Testing
67 / 103
continued
Contact us for more information: 763.493.6370 Text message: 763.248.3750 Email: [email protected]
www.mocon.com
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
68 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
69 / 103
continued
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
continued
70 / 103
800.621.4170 trianglepackage.com/ultrasonics
VFFS Bag Machines Combination Weighers Bag-In-Box Systems
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
71 / 103
continued
7. More flexibility. For years the single most important driver in f/f/s machine design
was speed, often at the expense of flexibility. Machinery had to be purpose-built for specific bag styles or sizes to achieve very high speeds. Today, however, flexibility is the primary driver. Machinery builders are being asked to provide machines that can produce multiple bag styles, sizes, film structures, and reclosable features without sacrificing speed.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
72 / 103
1. Test and test and test again. Remember, you dont test for the first sign of success;
you test until you see the first signs of failure to understand machine and process limitations. Check out different conditions such as varying temperatures and humidity levels during factory acceptance testing. This is especially important when incorporating combination weighers, which demand precise, accurate, reliable product flow and package positioning, especially at bag openings.
2. Match the material to the product and machine. If these arent in alignment,
youre in for a heap o trouble; if they are aligned, youll avoid waste, delays, and chaos. You cant have a ten-pound bag with nine pounds of product; you also have to harmonize the bag opening with the machine. Understand film rigidity, coefficients of friction, and fitments before you select equipment. Dont underestimate the number of variables to consider.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
73 / 103
continued
4. Pay attention to the details of the machine. This may seem obvious, but
often a focus on cost clouds these details. How a machine works may be more important in the long term than what it costs today. There are hundreds of machine manufacturers and reasons some machines cost less or more than others. Is the entire machine servo controlled? Are adjustments totally mechanical? That could cause a three-hour changeover. How does the machine adjust? Be a stickler in understanding the construction of the flow wrappers. How do you feed in product and control the flow?
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
74 / 103
continued
6. Loosen up. When thermoforming and flow wrapping, incoming material may be too
tightly wound. This can be a root cause of equipment problems. Also, make sure that your equipment can handle larger rolls.
8. Think long term. The typical life of a machine is 20 years, and initial capital cost
issues fade over time. Dont let them distort your thinking. Remember to analyze operating costs along with performance and efficiency, and remember to account for the cost of consumables, down to the ink used on date coders. Thinking in terms of Total Cost of Ownership for the full lifecycle of your capital equipment enables you to more clearly analyze machine effectiveness, performance parameters. Additionally, long-term analyses lead to optimal repair-replace decisions as machinery nears the end of its service life.
9. Assess the speed to value. Flexible is replacing rigid at an increasing rate globally.
As a result, CPGs are looking for flexible machinery lines to run at faster rates to accommodate the expectations of plants using rigid packaging lines. But flexible packaging isnt rigid, and this can be quite challenging. Still, speeds are increasing as continuous motion replaces intermittent motion machinery, and as multi-up formats gain popularity in fill/seal and f/f/s processes. For example, instead of a single bag-per-cycle machine topping-out at 180 bags per minute, a new machine producing four or more bags per cycle may prove a big plus for a plant seeking to undergo a rigid-to-flexible conversions.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
75 / 103
continued
10. Consider addition by division. Splitting the line into primary and secondary
packaging subsystems may be advantageous, especially when separate suppliers are involved. Consider using the supplier of each segment of the line as a subcontractor to integrate the elements with which they are most familiar. In such cases, the customer, that is the plant owner-operator can assume the project management role, or perhaps turn to a designated engineering contractor to serve in that role.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
76 / 103
1. Be transparent and consistent. Suppliers can only quote solutions based on what
youve told them. If youre not consistent with information you provide to suppliers, youre not getting apples-to-apples comparisons. Avoid keeping small pieces of information from suppliers because they seem inconsequential. Often, they can be quite the opposite.
3. Find out if they play well with others. When things go well, everyone slaps
one another on the back. But when a project runs into trouble, you dont want suppliers pointing fingers at one another. Ask for a customer reference on a difficult install and find out what the supplier did to make it right. All suppliers experience bumps in the road to multivendor installations; reputable suppliers work diligently maintain a sterling reputation with customers and the industry at large.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
77 / 103
continued
6. Look to vendors who have strong strategic alliances with other OEMs. Because integration is vital across a line, its important that suppliers recognize their
core competencies and develop working relationships where other expertise is needed. Seldom will a plant install a complex line using a single, turnkey machinery supplier. More commonly, there will be sone need to integrate additional new and best-of-breed machinery, or even existing equipment. No one company is a master of all the technologies involved in todays flexible packaging; be wary of any presenting themselves as one.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
78 / 103
continued
BY DAVID HOENIG
Hoenig worked for Revlon for 35 years, most recently as VP Manufacturing and Engineering Synergy Worldwide. Once a machinery builder is selected, youre looking at lead-time of several months while your machine is being built. Here are some tips to keep the project on track:
1. Deal with the right person. Find the person on the supplier side who has
the proper technical knowledge and authority, rather than going through the suppliers salesperson in the hopes that they can translate. Ideally the person you deal with will be the one responsible for the design of the equipment.
2. Documentation control. Create one action document that lists whos doing what,
and the status of each item, rather than sending 75,000 e-mails. Have formal and scheduled design reviews where you review the document together and assess status. This can be accomplished over the phone; it doesnt necessarily need to be face-to-face. Make the supplier take ownership of maintaining and updating this document throughout the project.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
79 / 103
continued
4. Test materials. Pay attention to the machine builders request for testing materials.
Factor in the time required to have the rolls printed with a registration mark, slit to your desired width, and shipped to the equipment supplier. Avoid allowing a delay in providing materials as an excuse for a late FAT or machine delivery. And if you are not sure of your final film structure, the machine builders floor is not a bad place to test the options.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
80 / 103
BY SHAWN FrENCH,
Here are a few areas that sometimes dont receive sufficient attention on form/fill/seal machinery projects:
French has worked in packaging for Hormel, Nabisco, and Kraft, as well as for packaging suppliers.
EQUIPMENT
continued
81 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
82 / 103
continued
example, chips and nuts). Form/fill/seal vendors offer devices to remove some of the air with stationary guides or plows, as well as with adjustable bag deflaters which can be mounted to the horizontal sealing jaws. Changing their position can modify the amount of air in the bag.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
83 / 103
BY PAUL ZEpf,
When evaluating form/fill/seal machinery suppliers, its important to follow a disciplined methodology to eliminate as much subjectivity as possible. What follows is an Intermediate Vendor Evaluation Analysis methodology that is well-suited to form/fill/seal equipment. Broadly, the process breaks down into four phases:
1. Canvass the field. Before you put together your Request for Quote (RFQ) document,
take some time to broadly canvass the field of suppliers and looking at options, getting a rough idea of prices and capabilities. A simple checklist of requirements will suffice at this stage. Youre just looking for a rough guidedont hold them to it without furnishing a formal RFQ.
2. Write your requirements document and Request for Quote. Put together
With nearly 40 years of packaging production experience, Zepf has written 14 books on packaging production technology and is a co-founder of Zarpac Inc., an engineering, software, and consulting firm. a detailed requirements document of what the project will require, and use that as the basis for the RFQ. Its critical to have everyone on your cross-functional team to review the RFQ before it goes out to the vendor, to ensure that it addresses areas important to each team member.
3. Issue the RFQ. Youll want to issue your RFQ to ideally three, but no more than six,
packaging suppliers. With the responses you get back, rate them using the Intermediate Vendor Evaluation Analysis spreadsheet tool (see download link, left).
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
84 / 103
continued
4. Conduct the Vendor Evaluation Analysis. When you get quotes back from
vendors, rate their responses and plug them into the Intermediate Vendor Evaluation Analysis spreadsheet. Make sure your entire cross-functional teams input goes into the scoring procedure! This can be achieved either by everyone sitting around a table and achieving a group consensus score by score, or it can be each team member scoring the vendor quotes separately, and then comparing resultswhichever works best for your team. This team scoring approach is especially critical if the machine or technology is a first-time buy. The Intermediate Vendor Evaluation Analysis is designed for critical machines on the line, including a form/fill/seal machine. This spreadsheet tool separates the assessment of the machine builder from the machine. The tool rates each vendor across seven key areas, including prior experience, manufacturing capability, engineering and project management, company management, support, delivery, and references. Use the bottom tab to select a second worksheet that allows the rating of the actual machine itself across nine key areas, including technical risk assessment, throughput, reliability and maintenance, changeover, machine design, ergonomics, operator interface, safety, and cost. To mitigate against the tendency of giving a middle-of-the-road 5 score to ambiguous criteria, restrict your scores to a 1, 3, 6 or a 9 (on a hypothetical scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is best). This will force out a differentiation. If you dont have prior experience with the vendor, it helps to speak to the vendors other customers who have similar products, and use that as the basis for your scores.
DOWNLOAD SPREADSHEET
http://bit.ly/intermediate-vea
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
continued
85 / 103
The most satisfaction and security you can have for your
FORMOST FUJI
We Design and Build Versatile Packaging Equipment: One Machine - Variety of Uses
Innovative Solutions
Clean Room Applications Tyvek Applications Hermetic Seal Packaging Surgical/Medical Kits
www.formostfuji.com
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
continued
86 / 103
Let MOCON be your single source solutions provider for all things packaging!
Barrier Analysis Headspace Leak Rate Hole Size Burst Strength Seal Integrity Shelf Life Odor & Aroma Analysis Advanced Packaging Solutions
Contact us for more information: 763.493.6370 Text message: 763.248.3750 Email: [email protected]
www.mocon.com
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
87 / 103
Here are some tips for a successful factory acceptance test (FAT) for form/fill/seal equipment:
1. Furnish a factory acceptance test plan. The FAT is the time to discover failures
or issues, determine reliability, verify efficiencies, and explore how the machine should handle failures. This plan actually should be prepared up front and submitted to the supplier as part of the Request for Quote (RFQ). Although youll pay for the test, most equipment suppliers will agree to a provision that if the machine fails, any subsequent test is free. Your test plan should specify how long the machine should be dry-cycled (24 hours recommended), and how many packages should be produced and at what speed in other words, the length of time (twominute stress runs, no more than five minutes for quality production runs, etc.). It should also specify disposal plans for the finished packages.
2. Know the difference between a factory and site acceptance test. One
of the biggest areas of confusion surrounding the FAT is if it should simulate how the machine responds under actual factory conditions. Thats actually the purpose of the site acceptance test (SAT). In the machinery builders plant, it may be difficult or even impossible to simulate both the production volume and the conditions of your product, especially for more than a few minutes. This is especially true if the product will be packed at a certain temperature, or has a certain consistency or rate of speed coming out of an oven, fryer, or freezer. Much time, energy, and money have been spent in vain trying to address failures in the machine
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
88 / 103
continued
builders plant, only to find that the machine works perfectly once in production at the customers plant. The purpose of the FAT is to verify the desired functionality of the machine. The purpose of the SAT is to confirm that the machine runs your product to your specifications in its operating environment. Knowing the difference can save you and the supplier time, money, and aggravation.
3. Ensure youre using the correct film. Use the film that will be used during actual
production.
4. Train the right people. If training is provided as part of the factory acceptance
test, make sure those being trained are the production people who will run the line, not the engineers. Also, consider a train the trainer strategy as part of the FAT process before the equipment even ships.
5. Follow a detailed failure script. Make an inventory of the type of failures that
youve experienced or might experience, as well as expected outcomes. For form/fill/seal equipment, this checklist could include:
Hit the e-stop, then re-start it. Ensure the machine doesnt jam itself on start-up, and that
there are few or no wasted bags.
Trigger or block each sensor to see how the machine responds and re-starts.
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
89 / 103
continued
Starve the machine of product to see if it stops producing bags. Break the film web to see how the machine responds. Disable the knives to prevent them from cutting; see if the machine detects bags being
made without being cut.
Block the date/lot code from being applied (if applicable). Does the machine detect the bag
with the missing code?
Induce a failure in the auto splicer (if there is one) by cutting the film web halfway through.
Does the machine gracefully shut down?
Run the machine at very low and very high speeds; are there critical differences in the way it
forms, fills, and seals a bag? Also examine the physical characteristics:
Did it fill the correct amount? Does the filled product look presentable (if its a clear bag)? Is it a clean seal? Is it a clean cut?
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
90 / 103
continued
7. Assess safety. Complete a review of the equipment from a safety perspective. Look
for poorly guarded areas and pinch points. Run your hands across the machine (carefully) to detect sharp edges and burrs. Is making the machine LOTO (Lock-out/Tag-out) easy to accomplish or are there unexpected sources of energy that could cause injury? (Lock-out/Tagout refers to the act of disabling all sources of energy such as electricity and compressed air while physically locking down the machine so that it doesnt cause injury due to movement while the machine is being worked on.)
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
91 / 103
2. Quality decreases. When you find the machine can no longer consistently make a
good bag, its time may have come.
3. Changeover time increases. Usually this means it takes more tinkering to get it
right. The cost associated with this type of downtime can really add up.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
continued
92 / 103
www.scholle.com
1.888.BAG.N.BOX
@schollepkg
youtube.com/schollepackaging
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
93 / 103
1. Dont wait until the last minute to involve operators and production people. Often its the engineers and the purchasing people who seem to know everything
about the project, yet its the production people who have to live with the equipment. Get the production manager, operators, and maintenance people involved near the beginning of the project. They dont need to be at every meeting, but they should be at the critical ones. They should be very familiar with the equipment once it reaches your floor.
2. Pay the supplier to install it. Engineers often think they can save the company
money by installing the equipment themselves, but having the supplier install its own equipment or at the least oversee installation in what it considers to be the correct way can save you money down the road.
3. Staff the start-up with your best production people. Dont choose a
mediocre operator. Staff it with your sharpest operators who can teach other operators. While the oldest staff members will have the most experience, younger personnel sometimes are more open to newer technologies and may learn more readily from the supplier how to properly run and change over the equipment. This is especially critical if the machine is brand new technology for the plant, or is considered critical equipment for the company.
FORWARD ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
94 / 103
continued
4. Find the lines correct rhythm. Actual production conditions of infeed systems
can cause inadvertent starting and stopping of vertical bagging equipment, which is a sign the machine is running too fast for the rate of product being produced, even though it may have been engineered for that speed. This can result in increased failures and rejects. Be willing to dial back on the speed; each line has its own rhythm, which may differ slightly from the designed speed. A slower speed may result in more cases out the door at the end of the day, thanks to fewer rejects and less downtime.
5. Minimize the supplier technicians actual contact with your f/f/s machine. Normally during an install everyone stays away from machine-builder technicians
while they perform their work. This is a mistake. Rather than working with the equipment directly, have the supplier technician try to show your staff how to make the adjustments themselves. Your team will learn by doing. When that technician walks out the door for good, you dont want the operator or mechanic having never solved problems or made adjustments during actual production conditions.
EQUIPMENT
95 / 103
continued
modify these drawings so that the line layout drawings reflect the actual packaging line as built. Down the road, youll avoid lost time caused by a mismatch between what the drawing says and the reality on your floor.
9. Finish your punch list. During the factory acceptance test or startup, its common to
compile a punch list of minor adjustments and then never follow it up once product is being successfully produced. Unfortunately, this can lead to problems down the road that impact product quality, such as a guiderail causing an inadvertent scuff on a pouch. Operators are less likely to bring these problems to anyones attention because its always been done this way. The punch list should be reviewed and approved by engineering, production, and management, with ownership transferred from engineering to production in a formal sign-off procedure.
10. Spare parts. Things do fail during start-up. Dont forget to request a spare-parts list
and order the critical spares so they are delivered prior to the equipment arriving at your factory.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
96 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
97 / 103
continued
4. Not adjusting the schedule for changes. Changes do happen, but projects get
into hot water when CPG company expects machinery vendors to accommodate changes without impacting the delivery schedule. Machinery builders, eager to please, often do a poor job of policing these requests. Often the relationship can become dysfunctionalan eightweek machinery project thats already slipping into nine weeks may use a change request to internally justify that delay. (Were going to be a week late anyway, so sure, well take on that request.) In reality, such a change may turn it into a 12-week project, much to everyones surprise.
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
RETURN TO CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT
continued
98 / 103
FORWARD
ADD COMMENT
CONTENTS
GALLERY
99 / 103
GALLERY
100 / 103
GALLERY
101 / 103
Show and sell: Less is more for Geleteria Naias highend frozen treats. Small labels and clear pillow packs let the products eclectic flavors including St. George Single Malt Whiskey, TCHO Chocolate, Blue Bottle Coffee, Earl Gray and Pistachio sell themselves.
ADD COMMENT RETURN TO CONTENTS
GALLERY
102 / 103
103 / 103
Thank you for downloading this playbook! Now that youve had a chance to review this, wed love your feeback. Share your thoughts!
Learn more