Packaging Insight

Understanding Flexographic Printing

Flexographic printing is defined as a method of direct rotary printing that uses special rubber or photopolymer material. The printing plates are affixed to plate cylinders of various repeat lengths, which are inked by a cell structure (anolox roll) which is used to meter the flow of the ink on roll. It carries a fast drying fluid ink to the plates that print on a variety of substrates (paper / plastic / nylon / polypropylene / cellophane / LDPE / LLDPE / etc.).

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Benefits Of Using Batch Inclusion Bags To Help The Environment

Batch Inclusion film or bags derive their name from the fact the bag itself,along with contents,is actually included in the production batch or during rubber compounding. The bag, once melted and dispersed, becomes part of the product being made. Batch inclusion bags typically hold chemical additives for large scale industries, such as synthetic rubber and plastic compounding. Often the additives involved are difficult to handle, weigh to little or are used to hard to dispense automatically. These could include colorants, fillers, resins and even some polymers for large scale mixing. Because the bag and its contents become part of the batch, the user will realize a cleaner environment, along with other benefits such as reduce labor cost, reduce disposal cost and clean up cost, better hygiene. The bags or film has a number of benefits like more efficient use of raw materials and a more consistent mixtures of compounds. Also, you will find the use of material in a sealed bag allows for a reduction in storage space when compared to an open container, such as metal containers or plastic and sometimes paper bags. As sealed bags can pile in a bin, cardboard boxes, tubs, or carts.

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Cube Packaging / Reduce Your Packaging / Save Space

The Cube will help reduce your packaging and palletize for ease of transportation. Some key advantages that the Cube packaging system offers over traditional lay flat bags are as follows.

• Increase Sales due to instant billboard, stand up presentation of bag, enabling a ready made display directly from the pallet.
• Reduse waste and damage due to strong bi-axially oriented laminated structures used and the size of bags being perfectly matched to the pallet demensions eliminating over hang and therefore damage.
• Reduce transportation and storage costs due to efficiency of the cube shape enables all truck loads of finished products weigh out at the maximum allowable wieght, approximately 150,000 empty units are able to be shipped per truck load and the pallets of empty bags and finished goods are strong enough to allow pallets to be stacked, maximizing warehouse space.
• Optimize retail shelf space utilization by being able to fully stack the shelves and yet the stand up presentation style makes the bag fully visible. Customers report that 20 Cube bags enables a pallet to be sized to utilize all of the space that is present beneath a shelf.

dbanig@packflex.com

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Growth in Stand Up Pouches

Stand Up Pouches have altered the face of consumer packaging for such products as coffee, fruit juice, and soup mixes, yet they have a definite use for industrial applications as well. Using materials such as metalized films, foil lamination's, and custom blended barrier films, stand up pouches are constructed to not only be appealing but functional. Re-sealable zip lock closures; release valves, ultra clear films, and even pour spouts. Stand up pouches give retailers new opportunities to display products and maximize shelf space and manufacturers reduce their packaging costs by eliminating the "old style" bag-in-a-box method of packaging. Two types of printing of pouches are Rotogravure and Flexographic printing depending on the quantity of stand up pouches needed and the particular printing scheme required by your clients. The wide face of the stand-up pouch is perfect for an elaborate label or high quality print design.

There are three fundamental types of stand pouches:

Round bottom gusset stand pouches are one of the most common pouches in existence. In a round bottom gusset stand pouch, it is the welded edge of the material that provides the support that hold ups the package and allows it to “stand” in position. 

K-Seal pouch reaches a certain size it is not possible for it hold up the weight of the product while resting on the sealed edge of the material.

Plow Bottom is also called a corner seal. This style of pouch has grown rapidly in popularity especially among food product packagers and granular items like sugar and bath salts. In this case, the material that is in the package sits directly on the shelf. Pre-made plow bottom pouches replicate the appearance of pouches produced on automatic form fill and seal machinery, perhaps another reason for why they are gaining in popularity.

Wood Pellets - Renewable Energy

What is Pellet Fuel?

Pellet fuel is a renewable, clean-burning and cost stable home heating alternative currently used throughout North America. It is a biomass product made of renewable substances – generally recycled wood waste. There are approximately 800,000 homes in the U.S. using wood pellets for heat, in freestanding stoves, fireplace inserts and even furnaces. Pellet fuel for heating can also be found in such large-scale environments as schools and prisons. North American pellets are produced in manufacturing facilities in United States and Canada, and are available for purchase at fireplace dealers, nurseries, building supply stores, feed and garden supply stores and some discount merchandisers.

In short, pellet fuel is a way to divert millions of tons of waste from landfills and turn it into energy

Printed Stand Up Pouches - What Material Sructure Do I Really Need?

The first step when considering printed stand up pouches was to ask the question and clearly understand what you were packaging.  Step two goes deeper to explore the type of structure you’ll need based upon your criteria for the particular printed stand up pouch or stand bag.  Your criteria delves deeper into the weight you plan to put into the pouch, the conditions the stand up pouch will be subjected to, what the ultimate use will be for the stand bag, and even who the end user will be.  The information below will shed some light onto the advantages and disadvantages of the different barrier film structures available.

 Your Criteria determines the thickness of your pouch.

Your Criteria + the thickness + the quantity needed = the price per pouch

 Clear Structures and Metalized Film Structures:  are usually very close in price when everything else is equal (your criteria).  Both can be made with excellent barrier properties, excellent strength and durability too.

Aluminum Foil Structures:  these tend to be more expensive, as they generally have superior barrier properties over clear and metalized film.  Remember, aluminum foil is just one part, one layer of the overall structure.  It all depends on your criteria.

Boilable Structures:  these can be made from clear film, metalized film, and foil structures.  As mentioned above, clear and metalized films tend to be very close in price points whereas aluminum foil tends to be more expensive. It all depends on your criteria.

Microwaveable Structures:  are made from clear films that are laminated to provide barrier properties and the strength to withstand microwave heating elements.  Anything metalized wouldn’t work in a microwave.  The price points for microwaveable clear films are in line with other clear films and are based on your criteria.

Your Criteria

a)  What you are packaging (is it a powder, a paste, a liquid, sharp, heavy, oily, greasy, etc?)

b)   Do you want to be able to see your product or have a clear window on your pouch?

c)   How much weight you are packaging into the pouch (150 grams, 1 pound, 5 pounds, etc)?

d)  What style pouch do you want (will it be a Stand Up Pouch and need to stand, or will it be a flat pouch that hangs in a display, a gusseted pouch, a tamper evident pouch that loads from the bottom, etc)?

e)  What features do you want (ziplock, tear notch, hang hole, liquid pour spout, etc)?

f)   What kind of conditions will the pouch will be subjected to (will it be in a chemical factory and thrown off of a pallet, will it be used by a consumer who will open it and place it back into his/her pantry, will it be used in a dirty, greasy industrial plant, or will it be used in a clean-room electronic facility, etc)?

g)   What price point do you want/need to be at.  Do you want the cheapest possible price to keep your product fresh for 30 days, or do you want something that will keep your product fresh for one year and withstand high temperatures, a drop from 15 feet, etc?

IMPORTANT:  As far as cost is concerned, all of these factors (above) play a role into the film structure and ultimately the thickness of the film we propose to the client.  Is clear film the cheapest?  Not necessarily.  The thickness of your pouch means how much material your pouch will require/use and this will play the largest part of your price followed closely by the actual materials (aluminum foil, polyester metalized film, clear film, etc) used in the different layers.

 Clear Structures

Advantages:

1. You can see thru it…and/or print it with a clear window

2. Excellent barrier properties available
3. Strong, puncture resistant film structures available
4. Lots of choices based upon the use and needs of the client (your criteria)
5. Cost effective (not always the cheapest…this depends on the overall thickness and the other layers chosen, but clear is always cost effective).
   

Disadvantages:

1. You can see thru it.  This is not a typo.  Some clients choose a clear structure based upon what they are packaging, their cost structure, the style of pouch, etc (see below).  If the product going into the pouch is sensitive to light, we will need to under-print the pouch with a solid color to make it opaque and prevent light from affecting the product(s) inside.

2. If you are printing this pouch and/or printing everything but a “clear window” area, consider under-print the rest of the pouch (except the clear window area).  This may add a minimal amount to the per piece price, however, if this is not done, the printing would look translucent, drab, dull, and boring.

Metalized Film Structures

 Metalized film is not foil (aluminum).  Metalized film is made from polyester and is just one part, one layer of the overall structure.

Advantages:

1. Opaque, doesn’t allow light to product inside

2. Because of this opacity, the printing naturally POPS without the need of any under-printing.
3. Excellent barrier properties
4. Cost effective
5. Strong, puncture resistant structures available
6. Lots of combinations available depending on your criteria.
   

Disadvantages:

1. Opaque, cannot see thru to contents inside

Aluminum Foil Structures

 Advantages:

1. Opaque, doesn’t allow light to product inside

2. Because of this opacity, the printing naturally POPS without the need of any under-printing.
3. Strong, puncture resistant structures available
4. Lots of combinations available based upon your criteria.

 Disadvantages

1. Tends to be more expensive than other structures

In closing, there are many things to keep in mind when considering printed stand up pouches.  Some of the information above pertains to the overall cost; some to print capability, and some to the strength and durability required.  This information should be helpful as you start this journey.  As always, your packaging professional will be instrumental to helping you navigate the road ahead.  Counting on them will save you time, aggravation, and money.

Lamination Plastic Materials

CPP

Description: Cast polypropylene (CPP) is extruded in-house, and can be used for a variety of applications, including, twist film, flow wraps, bag film, and a myriad of special applications. CPP extrusion is very common in Europe and Asia, but is more of a specialty film in North America.
Typical Features: Excellent clarity, gloss, scratch resistance, heat seals, and hot tack. Good stiffness.
Barrier Properties: Excellent water barrier, poor gas barrier.
Typical Grades: Ranges from 60 ga up to 4 mil.
Applications: CPP is an excellent alternative to PE for bags with less than 1 lbs of content. CPP has significantly better heat seals than OPP and easily seals through contamination for dusty products. CPP is an excellent sealant web, laminated to OPP, PET, Paper. It is also often used for Twist Wrap applications.

OPP

Description: Oriented polypropylene (OPP or BOPP) is a commodity film that is typically produced in dedicated factories in North America, Asia, or the Middle East.
Typical Features: Excellent clarity, gloss, and stiffness. Good heat seals.
Barrier Properties: Excellent water barrier, poor gas barrier.
Typical Grades: We generally stock 70ga, 80 ga, 1 mil, 1.2 mil, and 1.4 mil.
Applications: Sealant web or outer web in laminations, or a stand-alone film for certain applications. Most grades of OPP is sealable on 2 sides, and can in most cases be fin sealed or lap sealed.

PE

Description: Polyethylene is extruded throughout North America, and is a readily available and commonly used material. We extrude PE in-house and also buy certain grades from local suppliers, depending on the requirements. PE is typically blown, but can also be cast. Cast PE is typically softer and clearer than blown PE.
Typical Features: Excellent heat seals, puncture resistance, and impact resistance.
Barrier Properties: Good water barrier, poor gas barrier.
Typical Grades: 1.5 mil, 2-4 mil.
Applications: PE is most commonly used as the sealant web in laminates of all kinds

PET

Description: Polyester (PET) is a commodity film that is typically produced in dedicated factories in North America, Asia, or the Middle East.
Typical Features: Excellent stiffness, clarity, gloss and heat resistance.
Barrier Properties: Excellent gas barrier, poor water barrier.
Typical Grades: We stock 48 ga PET, which is the most common grade in North America for flexible packaging.
Applications: Polyester is almost always used as an outer web in laminations. The heat-resistance of PET makes it ideal for this application, creating a very "forgiving" material that is easy to run. Heatsealable grades of PET do exist, but they are not that common. As a result, PET laminations require a fin seal.

Metallized PET

Description:

Metallized OPP

Description: Metallized OPP is another common barrier material. We metallize our OPP in-house by evaporating a thin coat of aluminum onto the film under vacuum. 
Typical Features: Similar to OPP
Barrier Properties: Outstanding gas barrier and water barrier.
Typical Grades: 70 ga PET is stocked and metallized for the application. Other grades are also readily available, but since the metal provides the barrier, 70 ga typically works for a multitude of applications.
Applications: Metallized OPP is often used as the sealant web in an OPP/MET OPP lamination for a variety of applications from flow wraps for chocolate to VFFS for candy, etc. Metallized OPP can also be surface printed and used as a single web.
 

UV Coating what is it?

I want to explain what UV coatings are and all the other various coatings.

The two most common reasons for adding a coating over your printed piece are for protection: to avoid scuffing the ink, if you have included areas of heavy ink coverage; and for aesthetic reasons: to draw the reader's eye to particular items, to add depth and interest to your printed piece. First consider why you are coating your job.

When making a decision, keep in mind the following:

1. Dried inks show fingerprints and scuffing, especially in dark solids.

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2. Press coatings (like varnish) cost less than bindery (off-press) coatings (like UV coating and laminates) since bindery coatings are applied over dry ink at slow speeds. Because the chemicals used in aqueous coating damage press rollers, this coating is more expensive for the printer/binder to apply than varnish; therefore, the extra cost is passed on to the client.

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3. Varnish is the least effective way to prevent scuffing, particularly when publications are multiply shrink-wrapped (as opposed to singly shrink-wrapped) prior to shipping. Bindery coatings like UV coating and laminates are far better for protecting loose books in transit. Even aqueous coating is much stronger than varnish and can therefore withstand books shifting around in transit without scuffing.

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4. All printers can apply varnish, but not all printers can apply laminates, UV coating, or aqueous coating.

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5. You cannot print (ink-jet or by hand), glue, or foil stamp over coatings, so you need to leave an uncoated window if you want to do any of these (coatings should be the final finishing step on a printed piece).

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6. You should only varnish coated stock, or the coating will seep into the paper and be lost.

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7. Some coatings deepen the ink color they cover, yellow with age, and/or discolor white paper.

VARNISH
Varnish is essentially ink without pigment. It requires its own printing unit on press. It can be wet-trapped (printed in-line at the same time other inks are laid down), or dry-trapped (run as an additional pass through the press after the initial ink coating has dried). The latter often provides a glossier finish. Varnish comes in gloss, dull, and satin (in-between dull and gloss), and can be tinted by adding pigment to the varnish.

From an artistic standpoint, you can play a dull-varnished portion of the sheet against a portion without varnish or with a gloss varnish. This contrast can give emphasis to certain areas and/or give the impression of depth.

UV COATING
UV Coating is a clear liquid spread over the paper like ink and then cured instantly with ultraviolet light. It can be a gloss or dull coating, and can be used as a spot covering to accent a particular image on the sheet or as an overall (flood) coating. UV coating gives more protection and sheen than either varnish or aqueous coating. Since it is cured with light and not heat, no solvents enter the atmosphere. However, it is more difficult to recycle than the other coatings.

UV coating is applied as a separate finishing operation as a flood coating or (applied by screen printing) as a spot coating. Keep in mind that this thick coating may crack when scored or folded.

AQUEOUS COATING
Aqueous coating is more environmentally friendly than UV coating because it is water based. It has better hold-out than varnish (it does not seep into the press sheet) and does not crack or scuff easily. Aqueous does, however, cost twice as much as varnish.

Since it is applied by an aqueous coating tower at the delivery end of the press, one can only lay down a flood aqueous coating, not a localized "spot" aqueous coating. Aqueous comes in gloss, dull, and satin.

LAMINATE
Laminates come in two types: film and liquid, and can have a gloss or matte finish. As their name suggests, in one case a clear plastic film is laid down over the sheet of paper, and in the other case a clear liquid is spread over the sheet and dries (or cures) like a varnish. Laminates protect the sheet from water (including perspiration from the hands) and are therefore good for coating items like menus and book covers. For more money, one can even specify a porous, lay-flat laminate (the interior of which is covered with numerous "V"-shaped cuts in the plastic that minimize the "curl" one often sees on paperback book covers due to moisture seeping into the uncoated side and causing it to expand). Laminates are slow to apply and costly but provide a strong, washable surface. They are the superior choice for protecting loose books in transit.

What kind of coating you should get depends of course on what you're printing and what that printing is intended for.

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dbanig@prflexbag.com

Star Seal

The star seal is the most common type of seal in HDPE trash bag market.

Designed without gussets, the star seal eliminates gaps along the seal

where leaks can occur. This allows the bag to more easily conformed to

the shape of the container and distributes refuse weight evenly inside the

bag.

Star seal liners maximize the bag's carrying capacity and virtually eliminate

leaks.
Star seal liners are designed in two dimensions, 40 x 46

Gusset Bag

A flat style bag manufactured with both sides tucked in to form gussets.
Where indented, the bag is sealed through four layers of film while in
the middle of the bag has only two. This leads to a potentially weak
bottom seal.

Gusseted seal liners are designed in three dimensions, 23 x 17 x 46.

Flat Bag / Side Weld or Bottom Seal

A flat seal is a two-dimensional bag with a bottom seal or two side seals,

much like a pillow case. Flat seals are generally leak proof but are clumsy to handle.
Also, they do not conform well to the shape of most trash receptacles or box liners.
Flat seal liners are designed in two dimensions, 40 x 46.

Plastic Poly Bag / Technical Information

Here is technical information on plastic bags.  Plastic bags are created from plastic resins through polymerization , the process in which a chemical reaction links together monomers to form a polymer. A monomer consists of molecules from the same organic substance. When linked together, monomers create polymers , solid substances composed of repeating units. In the plastics industry, the term polymer is synonymous with plastic. Polyethylene and polypropylene are two plastic resins frequently used in the production of plastic bags. Polyethylene (PE), a light, chemically resistant thermoplastic used in packaging and insulation, represents the most common plastic resin. The polymerization of ethylene, a flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon found in petroleum, results in the production of polyethylene resin. Polyethylene resins used in the production of plastic bags include low density, linear low density, and high density resins. Low Density polyethylene (LDPE) remains the most common and least expensive plastic bag material. The resin is created through the polymerization of ethylene at very high temperatures and pressures. LDPE maintains its durability, flexibility, water resistance, and clarity under low temperatures, and its low melting point make it ideal for heat sealing. Linear Low Density polyethylene (LLDPE) is produced at lower temperatures and pressures than LDPE through copolymerization, the polymerization of two distinct monomers. Copolymerization results in LLDPE’s crystalline structure, which provides LLDPE greater stiffness and a higher melting point than LDPE. Although it is more difficult to process, LLDPE maintains greater tensile strength and a greater resistance to stress cracking than LDPE. High Density polyethylene (HDPE) maintains greater strength, resistance, and stiffness than either LDPE or LLDPE. Polypropylene (PP) is a light, durable thermoplastic often used in packaging. Polypropylene contains polymers of propylene, a colorless, combustible gas found in petroleum. Although more expensive to process than polyethylene, processing of polypropylene remains quite easy. In addition, polypropylene is denser, stiffer, and stronger than polyethylene, and maintains a high melting point. In addition to various resins, we have numerous sizes, shapes, styles, and features from which to choose. Common plastic bag shapes include flat and gusseted. Flat bags provide versatile plastic packaging for items of many shapes and sizes. Flat bags are heat sealed on either the side or the bottom of the bag. Bottom-sealed bags provide extra support for heavier items. Gusseted bags contain folds or pleats called gussets, which allow the bag and the bag opening to expand in order to accommodate large or bulky items. Gusseted bags consist of either bottom sealed, side gusseted bags or side sealed, bottom gusseted bags. STYLES Countless flat bag and gusseted bag styles exist. Some of the most familiar bags include those used in retail, food storage, and waste removal storage. Retail bags include all bags used to store and carry merchandise. Supermarkets, department stores, and specialty shops offer different bag styles for employee and customer convenience. A few of the most common retail bag styles include the following: T-shirt bags , often found in grocery stores, are gusseted bags containing long handles to accommodate shoppers; the material of choice is high density polyethylene. Die-cut bags are flat bags containing a hole at the top of the bag for carrying; die-cut bags are common in retail settings and trade shows. Patch handle bags are flat bags with a die-cut handle reinforced by a heat-sealed patch for added strength; patch handle bags are useful in carrying heavy items like books. Drawstring bags contain either plastic or cotton drawstrings inserted inside the rim of the bag. The drawstrings allow for easy closure and provide handles with which to carry the bags. TERMS Additive – substance added to a polymer to increase the effectiveness, but not the strength, of the polymer. Strength increase is achieved by adding a reinforcement. Examples of additives include flame-retardants, anti-static compounds, pigments, and lubricants.   Blow extrusion – common process of creating plastic bags in which compressed air fills an extruded plastic tube in order to enlarge and thin out the resin.   Copolymer – a polymer made up of two monomers in which each repeating unit in the chain consists of units of both monomers.   Crazing - very thin cracks in a polymeric material caused by chemicals or other agents, such as ultraviolet radiation. Degree of polymerization – the length of the molecular or monomeric units in a polymer chain; this length determines the properties of the polymer. EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate ) – copolymer produced through the chemical reaction of ethylene and vinyl acetate; often added to plastic resins to increase the strength of the resin in temperatures below freezing. Glass transition temperature (Tg )–reflects the temperature when a substance changes from a hard, glass to a rubber consistency; polymers become weak at temperatures below their transition temperature.   Grade – polymers originating from the same chemical family and produced from the same company; however, they vary in weight, additives, reinforcements, and the manner in which they are processed.   Heat sealing – fusing together two or more thermoplastic films, such as low density polyethylene, through the application of heat and pressure.   Light-weighting – the process of decreasing the weight of plastic by using less resin, while retaining the plastic’s strength and effectiveness.   Melting point – the temperature at which a substance converts from a solid into a liquid.   Monomer – the most basic polymeric unit, usually a liquid or a gas, consisting of molecules from the same organic substance; chained together, momomers form solid polymers.   Plasticizer – a chemical additive added to plastic resins to increase the plastic’s flexibility.   Polymer – two or more monomers bonded together through a chemical reaction; each polymer consists of a chain of repeating monomers.   Polyethylene – light, chemically resistant thermoplastic used in packaging and insulation.  Polyethylene contains polymers consisting of ethylene, a colorless, odorless organic gas found in petroleum; ripening fruit also produces ethylene in order to regulate growth.   Polypropylene – light, durable thermoplastic with a high melting point often used in packaging. Polypropylene contains polymers consisting of propylene, a colorless, combustible gas found in petroleum.   “Poly bags” – bags derives from polyethylene or polypropylene, although it usually refers to polyethylene bags.   Reinforcement – substance added to a polymer to increase the strength of the plastic. Examples include clay, mica, and glass fibers.   Resin – a class of polymers, or plastics, chemically different to naturally occurring resin, a sticky substance obtained from certain trees and plants. Examples of resins include polyethylene, polyurethane, and acrylics.   Stress cracking – cracking occurring as a result of mechanical stress. In most cases, tiny cracks caused from exposure of the plastic to chemicals or ultraviolet radiation are already present. When stress is applied to the plastic, the cracks enlarge and spread, creating a greater fracture.   Terpolymer - a polymer made up of three monomers in which each repeating unit in the chain consists of units of all three monomers.   Thermoforming – the process of applying heat, pressure, or suction to create plastic sheets according to certain sizes and shapes.   Thermoplastic - category of plastics that have the potential to soften and reform when heated, and harden again during cooling; during the process, the plastic’s physical makeup does not change.   Thermoset – category of plastics that can not be reformed upon reheating; thermosets remain permanently hard.   UVI (ultraviolet inhibitor ) – plastic additive that increases the plastic’s resistance to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, which include fading of color and strength decrease.   Vapor corrosive inhibitor – thermoplastic coating or film that safeguards sensitive items from harsh environmental conditions through the release of a vapor that forms a protective layer on the surface of the thermoplastic. www.prflexbag.com dbanig@prflexbag.com