The increasing volume of plastic waste and the growing pollution of the oceans by such waste have brought the sustainable handling of plastic products into the focus of society and politics. Both recycling and bioplastics can be a part of a strategy for greater sustainability, but they are not free of side effects. In order to avoid irrational decisions, it is important to assess their effects comprehensively.

If a film is used in the packaging sector, it should be made of at least a recycled material – leading to the common opinion that assumes that materials in circulation are automatically more sustainable. However, a detailed life cycle analysis, which considers all relevant energy and material flows on the basis of a generally valid calculation method, shows that it is not that simple

3D View of Sustainability

Verpackungsmaterial

Logistik

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Flachfolienanlagen

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Maschinen und Komponenten

Extrusionsanlagen

Blasfolienextrusion

Flachfolien- und Plattenextrusion

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Extrusion

Nachhaltigkeit

Folien

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Kunststoff-Recycling

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Folienblasanlagen

Kreislaufwirtschaft

Why Recycled Films Are Not Necessarily Sustainable

With innovations in metrology, processing and automation, the film industry is again pursuing the goal of process optimization and digitalization this year. But efficiency and sustainability are also the focus of the machine manufacturers, who will be serving up pioneering innovations at K 2019.

The Circular Economy – Sustainable yet Efficient?

Verpackungstechnik

Folienabzug- und -aufwickelmaschinen

Faserverarbeitung

Extrusionswerkzeuge

Werkzeuge für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Folienreckanlagen

A Perfect Concept All Round

Desire for hygiene and food safety increase worldwide demand for flexible packaging films.

Plant of Brückner Maschinenbau in Siegsdorf, Germany

Unternehmen

kunststoffe.de

KU-Verarbeitungsmaschinen allgemein

Kunststoffverarbeitungsmaschinen

 Brückner Maschinenbau to Increase Order Intake Significantly in 2020

At a three-day inhouse trade show, a plant manufacturer presented the latest developments in film production and printing and decoration technologies to an international audience. The focus was not only on increasing output, but also on developing new film products and adapting the product pallet to current market developments. 

Film Extrusion: Response to the Slack Period 

A machine manufacturer is expanding its wide program of cast and blown film lines with a system for water-quenched blown film extrusion. This provides a unique system portfolio for the production of flexible packaging. The article presents these extrusion processes, their specific characteristics and the resulting application areas. 

Kunststoff-Verpackungsmaschine

Medizintechnik

Film Production: System Options for Wafer-Thin Protection 

The global trend toward conserving resources has also impacted the film and sheet industry. Production is becoming increasingly more efficient and the films more functional than ever. In the area of high-tech films, the focus is on replacing alternative materials such as glass. 

Sheet and Film Extrusion: Caught Between Efficiency and Functionality 

About 650 visitors from 51 countries attended the in-house exhibition held mid-November at Windmöller & Hölscher in Lengerich, Germany. Under the slogan “Competence in Flexible Packaging – Your Partner for Customized Solutions”, the company presented itself as a partner and system supplier to producers of flexible packaging. 

Verpackungsmaschinen

Film and Packaging: Focus on the Product 

The developments in hardware and processing technology for film extrusion and further processing are just as multifaceted as the branch itself. Prior to K 2010, the emphasis lay on equipment with high outputs and multiple layers. This year, system builders are focusing on film quality and efficient production. 

Film Extrusion: Efficiency, Quality and New Fields for Application 

Makers of equipment and components for producing film showed at K2013 that there is still scope for innovations, even in a mature technology like film extrusion. Novelties both large and small are boosting production line efficiency while enhancing film quality. 

Trend Report: A Sector with Plenty of Potential 

MDO (machine direction orientation) can be used for the production of polymer films that have unique properties. By using an optimized machine and control technology, existing MDO applications can be produced much more efficiently and new areas opened up. 

Selective Modification of Film Properties through Uniaxial Stretching 

Stretching the Limits  

The addition of calcium carbonate into the blown film process is the most effective way to boost productivity and output, and to improve the mechanical properties of the film. Thanks to a newly developed technology, direct dosing of CaCO₃ powder is now possible. 

Direct Extrusion with Mineral Fillers 

Extruder

Calcium Carbonate  Improves Blown Film Properties 

Every three years, experts are invited to Windmöller & Hölscher KG’s (W & H) in-house ‘Expo’ exhibition in the parent factory in Lengerich, Germany. On June 10th and 11th this year, more than one thousand visitors from 60 countries came to inform themselves about the comprehensive and impressive product range for the production of flexible packaging. During the in-house exhibition Expo 2015, Gerhard Gotzmann spoke with Dr. Jürgen Vutz, CEO and shareholder of W & H, and with managing partner Peter Steinbeck about trends in the film market as well as the company’s strategic orientation. 

From Resin through Extrusion to Final Product 

Integrated Process Chains for  Packaging Films Networked Technologies under One Roof 

Meech International, Oxon, UK, has expanded its Hyperion antistatic systems with the introduction of the Hyperion 971IPS-30 extra-long range DC ionising bar. As film web is being wound/wrapped, high static charges may be generated on insulating materials and could lead to the wrong web tension, attraction of dust to the surface of the polymer web or electrostatic shocks to the operator. These problems can be eliminated by an ionising bar which removes all charges from the surface of the material. With a working distance of 200 to 1500 mm, the bar is suitable for very long-range applications, such as large-diameter rewinds and turret winders. A monitoring system ensures consistent performance by generating local and remote alerts which indicate when the bar needs cleaning. 

Meech 

Qualitätssicherung

Charge-Free Film Web 

The continuous reduction in film thickness for cost and weight reduction, as well as the faster production rates are increasingly leading to problems caused by electrostatic charging of film during the production process, which casts doubts on all efforts to optimize the production process. With the Manager IQ Easy, Simco-Ion Netherlands, Lochem, Netherlands, offers the possibility, with up to 32 electrostatic charge control units, to control and monitor all system components in a single process from a central point. All the units can be connected by plug and play and are supplied with 24-volt power from the Manager IQ Easy. Warning and alarm messages give the plant operator an overview of the status of all the units. The operator receives an indication that, for example, an anti-static bar needs to be cleaned, or a specified threshold value has been exceeded. Faults can thereby be corrected before they impact the production process. The integration of the IQ Easy system into the plant control system or company network provides an easy-to-use platform for data acquisition and quality management. 

Simco-Ion 

Controlling Electrostatic Charging across Different Components 

AntiSkid from Ampacet Corporation, headquartered in Tarrytown, NY/USA, features innovative new additive technology for flexible packaging applications that require a non-slip surface, whether for optimum functionality or for visual and tactile appeal. 

Stand-up pouch treated with AntiSkid technology (© Ampacet)  

AntiSkid 

Additive

Additive with Superior Anti-Slip Properties 

Blown Film and Flat Sheet Film Extrusion Trend Report

In the interest of sustainability, film extrusion plants have to process recycled materials and also produce recyclable products. Monomaterial products and a plant layout optimized for the products are the current trends. A multilayer structure as such does not pose a problem for recycling as long as all layers are made from the same class of plastic. Digitization  continues to be an important driving force as digital tools contribute to solving the problems that need to be overcome.

In the interest of sustainability, film extrusion plants have to process recycled materials and also produce recyclable products. Monomaterial products and a plant layout optimized for the products are the current trends. A multilayer structure as such does not pose a problem for recycling as long as all layers are made from the same class of plastic. Digitization continues to be an important driving force as digital tools contribute to solving the problems that need to be overcome.

After two turbulent years, film system manufacturers are happy to see positive economic development. Kunststoffe international describes the current mood in the industry based on interviews with leading companies.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group: “After initial uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, developments over the last 15 months have been very positive. The demand for breathing protection fleece led to a rush of orders in the nonwoven fabric segment and the film segment saw increasing growth as well. Here the demand for packaging – especially for foodstuffs, hygiene products and medical devices – generally increased due to the pandemic. Hygiene awareness has increased around the world and plastic films provide effective protection against the spread of pathogens in many areas.”

Michael Baumeister, COO Technology & Logistics at Brückner Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, describes the company’s business development with concrete figures: “In terms of incoming orders, the past financial year was the second-most successful in the company’s history. The outlook for the coming years is positive as well: the order backlog extends far into 2023.

Dr. Holger Niemeier, Head of Film Technology and Management Board member at Hosokawa Alpine AG, also confirms the positive trend: “Alpine is seeing high volumes of incoming orders from nearly all markets and expects a positive financial result for 2021.”

The order situation at Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H) is just as good. Dr. Lennart Ederleh, Technical Sales Director Extrusion: “Diversification with the three divisions of extrusion, processing, and printing was particularly advantageous for W&H during the coronavirus pandemic. With numerous international service centers and digital solutions, customers abroad could be served even during the lockdown. W&H is a family business with more than 150 years of family history, which also boosted confidence in the market. The group generated EUR 928 million of sales in 2020, and ongoing positive development is expected.”

Topics that Gained Importance in Recent Years

A look back reveals trends that define the topics R&D departments are working on today. Sustainability is the number one issue here. “Efficiency was a major concern in the past. Cooling was also a focal point for a long time in order to boost productivity,” Niemeier says. “Monomaterial solutions are playing an increasing role and demand has gone up considerably in this sector,” the member of the Alpine Management Board continues.

Reifenhäuser views sustainability as an opportunity even as public pressure on plastics increases. Ulrich Reifenhäuser: “We don’t see the sustainability transformation as a threat, but are helping our customers view the higher requirements regarding recyclable products, the proportion of recycled materials, and biodegradable plastic products calmly, to gain speed, and to utilize sustainability as an opportunity for economic success.”

Lennart Ederleh, W&H, believes that openness in terms of data exchange and cooperation is another important point: “In our world, everyone is concerned about their process stage and has optimized that. When discussing the circular economy today, the horizon has to be broadened, looking beyond company boundaries as well. A global rather than just a local optimum needs to be achieved. No matter who develops what solution, openness for the exchange of data is essential. Here it is important to not merely send data back and forth, creating a mountain of data. Clever interpretation of these data along the entire value chain is the key. This is exactly where our Ruby platform comes in. This transparency also leads to traceability, for example, to verify the recycled material content of films.”

Alpine’s product range includes blown film systems from monolayer to 11-layer production (Title figure), with optional monoaxial stretching units. The MDO was optimized for even better flatness this year. Customer service also includes services such as project planning. A high-performance AW series film winder is new to the product range. It supports roll changes in less than 45 seconds and has numerous handy features for high-quality roll production and process reliability.

In the blown film segment, Reifenhäuser is introducing the patented EVO Ultra Stretch technology to manufacture monomaterial composites (full PE films) for flexible packaging (Fig. 1). The film is fully recyclable through the exclusive use of PE. With a stretch rate of up to 10 times, the Ultra Stretch stretching unit improves the mechanical properties of the PE film as a straightforward PET replacement. According to the manufacturer, the position of the stretching unit directly in the outfeed of the blown film system makes the process stable and efficient. The film, still warm from extrusion, is stretched without being heated again.

Monoaxial, biaxial, and simultaneous film stretching technology is Brückner’s core competency. The manufacturer of flat sheet film systems developed the continuous Lisim simultaneous stretching process between 1993 and 1996, which uses linear motors to stretch the film in two directions in one operation (Fig. 2). This established technology is highly reliable and produces very good film properties.

A product highlight at W&H is the Optimex II, a blown film system for three to five layers, now available with a larger working width of up to 2.60 m. The Filmatic S II O film winder is offered as a complement (Fig. 3). This contact winder in a modular design was developed with a focus on optimal roll quality. Numerous technical developments were also realized and great emphasis was placed on intuitive user guidance.

Reifenhäuser focuses on the Mirex PET/PLA sheet system in the flat sheet film segment. When required, this system is prepared for fast and easy conversion to PLA processing. Due to its physical and mechanical properties, the bio-based material PLA is well suited as a sustainable replacement for PET-based thermoplastics. The REItruder twin screw extruder technology supports direct extrusion without pre-drying and the processing high proportions of additives and fillers, among other things. It is FDA-approved for use in the food industry.

Brückner is also counting on flexible systems for the future, supporting a change of materials between PE and PP. Full plant utilization by the customer without long changeover times is the goal.

Flexibility and therefore the customer’s needs take center stage at W&H as well. “W&H works with customers to develop sensible systems to meet customer needs and market requirements. Further development and market changes are taken into account and incorporated in planning from the outset. This ensures maximum productivity and future viability,” says Lennard Ederleh.

Aside from digitization, sustainability is a continuing mega-trend. There is little evidence of genuine networking between systems – so they interact with each other – in the extrusion sector to date. Continuous data flows from ERP systems to machines and processes to the product are therefore the next step.

Reifenhäuser covers a broad range of digitization  solutions for modern production plants – from plant control to fully automated assistance systems and remote service to full integration with ERP systems.

Brückner is working on digitization  in many areas of the company as well. Machine Condition Monitoring (MCM), the growing number of assistance systems for plant control, and Easy Operation (EOP) are examples of digital features for film stretching systems offered by Brückner. The latter is part of the “Brückner One” solution: a digital platform that supports all needs of the film stretching system during the life cycle, including its operation – all from one source. The digital service platform comes standard with all new systems and can be retrofitted in older plants.

W&H’s answers to the digital platform are Ruby Go and Ruby Gain. These systems link inline and offline process data, ensuring the monitoring of all production parameters in real time.

Are multilayer films still an issue in the future – or will the trend reverse as recyclability gains importance? The manufacturers that were surveyed have clear answers to this question. Holger Niemeier of Alpine: “A multilayer structure as such does not pose a problem for recycling. What matters is whether different classes of plastics are used. In fact, multiple layers could make it possible to obtain properties that are otherwise only attainable by combining different types of plastics. Thus a multilayer structure does not conflict with sustainability.”

Ulrich Reifenhäuser has a similar view: “Multilayer films do not automatically mean that recyclability is not given. What is important is that the materials used are compatible in terms of recycling, or ideally that only one type of plastic is used. Multilayer full PE blown films are a good example of a fully recyclable monomaterial composite.”

Can a high product quality be maintained when recycled materials are used? According to Alpine, this is possible in many applications even though recycled materials is not being used for all of them today. In the end, the quality of the recycled material is decisive. “However, the availability of high quality recycled materials is currently still very low for certain applications,” Reifenhäuser adds.

Film extrusion is mass production: what factors ensure the future efficiency of systems? “A plant layout tailored to the product is the most important factor. Especially for bulk products, such as metallizable film, less is often more when it comes to the plant layout,” Ulrich Reifenhäuser believes. “Options that do not add value for these products merely increase the investment cost and make the plant more complex to operate.”

At Brückner, the system width and speed are key factors in the film stretch technology segment. “This not only applies to packaging film systems, which are already very fast today, but also to specialized systems. Efforts are underway to increase both values here in order to achieve a higher plant efficiency. R&D is also focusing on energy and raw material efficiency,” Baumeister explains.

Alpine is working on a second cooling ring for improved performance, among other things. “Simplified system operation, where the operator can see everything at a glance, is one of the trends,” says Niemeier.

Lennart Ederleh agrees: “Processes are becoming more complex and finding well trained operators keeps getting more difficult. Efforts are therefore being made to simplify operation as far as possible, making complicated processes manageable for the customer.”

The circular economy is the overriding trend. Plastic films are high-performance products that, from an integrated perspective, have great sustainability potential in the packaging sector – especially regarding climate protection. Due to their low weight compared to other materials, such as glass or metal, they reduce CO2 emissions during the transport of goods. The energy demand for recycling is lower as well. The problem, however, is that the high quality recycling of plastic waste is not yet sufficiently established today.

Ulrich Reifenhäuser: “Two key basic prerequisites have to be met in order to make this possible: fully recyclable packaging and highly developed recycling processes. Various recyclable packaging solutions already exist for the first perquisite. To meet the second prerequisite, today’s waste streams need to be examined. Even fully recyclable packaging is frequently not sorted precisely enough for high-quality recycling. This is where the two mega-trends of sustainability and digitization  meet. What is known as a digital product passport can lay the foundation for a highly developed recycling process by automatically recording the properties relevant for recycling during the production of plastic packaging. Precise information is thereby passed along the value chain and can be made accessible with special markings on the packaging, such as digital watermarks or QR codes. Based on this additional information, waste sorting plants can identify recyclable packaging and sort it into recycling-friendly pure fractions. The combination of fully recyclable packaging and life cycle data from the digital product passport for precise waste management is the key to obtaining recycled materials of high quality, closing the circle, and transforming the value chain into a value cycle.” Under the R-Cycle initiative, Reifenhäuser with other partners is committed to the development of a standard for digital product passports (see Box p. 27).

Michael Baumeister in response to the question of what the most important future issues will be: “Plastics and the environment! Brückner is convinced that the future still belongs to plastic, provided it is used sustainably and reused. As part of a circular economy, the indisputable advantages of plastic can definitely be combined effectively with the sustainability objectives of a modern society. Brückner is working intensively on the production of films with the highest possible degree of recyclability and the lowest possible use of resources on the machines. This includes cooperation in various consortiums with partners along the entire value chain, from the raw material producer to the brand owner. The R-Cycle (see Box p. 27) and PrintCYC initiatives are examples”.

Holger Niemeier considers cooperation very important for the future: “The challenges of a functioning circular economy for flexible packaging can only be overcome by working with all partners along the value chain. On the one hand, our blown film systems have to produce recyclable films, and on the other hand, they must be capable of optimally processing recycled materials. Here the interplay of the entire industry is the key challenge. Film properties need to be optimized while the use of materials and energy is minimized.”

The Race to the First Full PE Film with Barrier Function

Will a full PE film also be able to provide a barrier function in the future? Everyone is working on this today. Which developments are presented by the manufacturers at next year’s K trade fair will be exciting.

Lennart Ederleh, W&H: “There will be developments that make homogeneous composites with a certain barrier function possible. Homogeneous but not made of a single polymer; rather, homogeneous with about five percent of permissible extraneous material, which currently seems to be the trend. A lot of development work remains in this field. The goal is to obtain barrier effects with a low proportion of extraneous material, making it possible to package foodstuffs that require an oxygen barrier.”

Brückner is conducting research in the same direction: “Monomaterials define the trend. With inline coating, a very good barrier can be realized, even in mono-structures,” Baumeister says.

Material performance was a defining topic in the past. This remains fundamentally unchanged, only with a different focus. Now what counts is the performance of recycled materials that are not yet available in sufficient quantity and quality or at a price that makes processing economical.

Numerous raw material, system, and packaging manufacturers are cooperating closely to make the industry fit for the future. New material combinations, recyclable products, and energy-efficient systems are being researched in a whole series of development projects. The R-Cycle project is just one example.

According to the motto “less is more”, machine manufacturers are asked to supply systems that are easy to operate and process films made of fewer different material classes. With outstanding properties, naturally.

Hosokawa Alpine AG  

https://www.hosokawa-alpine.de/

Brückner Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG 

https://www.brueckner.com

Windmöller & Hölscher KG  

https://www.wuh-lengerich.de

Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co.KG Maschinenfabrik 

https://www.reifenhauser.com

Ausgabenartikel

Dr. Lennart Ederleh, Technical Sales Director Extrusion: “Openness to the exchange of data and looking beyond company boundaries are essential”

Dr. Holger Niemeier, Hosokawa Alpine AG: “The challenges of a functioning circular economy for flexible packaging can only be overcome by working with all partners along the value chain.”

Fig. 1. In the Reifenhäuser EVO Ultra Stretch line, the PET layer is replaced by stretched PE. The stretching unit is positioned directly in the outfeed

Ulrich Reifenhäuser: “Especially for bulk products, less is often more when it comes to the plant layout. Options that do not add value for these products merely increase the investment cost and make the plant more complex to operate.”

Michael Baumeister, Brückner Maschinenbau: “Monomaterials define the trend. With inline coating, a very good barrier can be realized, even in mono-structures.” 

Fig. 2. Brückner is adept in the biaxial stretching of films. In the Lisim simultaneous stretching process, linear motors stretch the film in two directions in one operation

Hosokawa Alpine produces blown film systems for monolayer to 11-layer production. View of the heart – the tube forming zone – of a 5-layer system

Fig. 3. The Filmatic II O contact winder in modular design was developed with a focus on optimal roll quality

Name - Hauptartikel

This article was created with the support of Christoph Dohm, M.Sc., who conducts blown film extrusion research in the Institute for Product Engineering (ipe) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

Recyclable formulations, the use of global identification numbers, standardized data formats, and the establishment of a stable server structure: R-Cycle establishes the foundation for a closed circular economy.

Development efforts for the traceability of film formulations have been underway for about two and a half years. Initial, interim results have already been presented to the industry audience at the K 2019 plastics trade fair – with a positive response and numerous suggestions for new pilot projects. Major progress has been made since then. Today R-Cycle already has the ability to digitally record all information relevant for recycling during the production of packaging films, and to deliver the collected information. All relevant parameters are automatically recorded in the database through an IoT gateway. Packaging is clearly marked and serialized with globally valid identification numbers.

In the summer of 2021, the project won the German award for sustainability projects. The initiative placed first in the packaging category.

The following partners are involved in R-Cycle:

Arburg, Brückner Maschinenbau, Comexi, EECC European EPC Competence Center, Erema Group, GS 1 Germany, Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV), Kampf Jagenberg Group, Kautex Maschinenbau, Multivac, ProData, Reifenhäuser, Steinert