All from one source
- Portfolio expansion for strategic growth in the PP blown film segment
- Expanding competence in the field of flexible packaging
- Objective: To complete the solutions for mono-material packaging
- Designed for recycling and sustainability
Film specialist POLIFILM EXTRUSION expands PP solution range.
POLIFILM EXTRUSION expands its product range by adding PP solutions for single-material packaging, thus offering the market two relevant source materials for films: polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). With this expansion, the company, headquartered in Weißandt-Gölzau, is strengthening its range of products for converters, especially in the flexible packaging sector.
“The customer in the centre and the market in view”, this is how POLIFILM EXTRUSION division manager Jens Kölble describes the motivation behind the portfolio expansion. While the requirements placed on films for packaging purposes are becoming more and more diverse, depending on the specific application, the demand for single-material solutions that are easy to recycle, so-called mono-material packaging, is becoming ever increasing in the context of the sustainability debate.
PE and PP are in general easy to recycle and have been the focus of developers for a long time to meet the requirements of modern packaging solutions. Due to their different material properties, both polyolefins offer special problem-solving competencies. With its low melting temperature and the resulting excellent sealability, even in the event of contamination, PE is an ideal sealing layer for the packaging of powdery products. Combined with a PE-based print carrier, this allows the production of packaging with high recyclability. This also succeeds with PP. Whereby PP is interesting due to its higher melting temperatures, especially for applications that require hot sterilization. Examples of such applications include packaging for wet feed in the pet food sector.
“Our customers serve a wide range of industries, which naturally makes it a logical consequence for us to advise them as a partner for all applications, such as mono-material packaging, and to offer variants. Especially when our area of expertise makes it possible.” On the one hand, Kölble alludes to POLIFILM’s typical, customer- and application-specific solution development. On the other hand, Kölble also refers to the decades of experience in blown film extrusion that accompany it. Over the years, the company has focused not only on PE extrusion but also on the processing of PP in the blow film process. However, it was when the demand for solutions that corresponded to the “Design for Recycling” approach increased that the decision was made to invest strategically in this area in order to significantly expand the product portfolio. “We have successfully placed the first PP sealing films with low SIT on the market. The medium-term goal, however, will be to complete the PP film portfolio in the area of flexible packaging just as we already find it in the PE solutions segment.” Kölble continues. POLIFILM EXTRUSION’s range of PE laminating films includes a variety of high-quality sealable and printable films and thus both relevant layers for flexible packaging.
POLIFILM EXTRUSION continues to pursue its approach of focusing more on the customer as a development partner. The product segments Technical Films and Packaging Films will move closer together as a jointly managed Packaging & Performance Films division under the management of Jens Kölble. For customers, this will mean an expanded range of services from a single point of contact.