SPE FlexPackCon?-AIMCAL R2R 2018 Summary

For the fifth consecutive year, the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Flexible Packaging Division and The Association of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters, and Laminators (AIMCAL) co-hosted a combined event in 2018 with nearly 330 attendees, over 100 presentations and more than 70 exhibiters.

The complete technical program has four parallel tracks that address materials, processing, extrusion, coating, lamination, machinery & converting, recycling & sustainability, packaging design and e-commerce.

Carey Yang is on the Technical Program Planning Committee of SPE FlexPackCon 2018 and also moderated Tuesday morning session on packaging materials, trends and M&A’s.

Keynote 1: Global Trends Relevant to R2R Processing

Max Winograd, Avery Dennison

The presentation focuses on 3 key consumer and industrial megatrends that are driving the demand for innovative new materials, products, and services from R2R manufacturers and processors. These trends - the Personalized Consumer Experience (for better individual consumer engagement), Industry 4.0 (for smarter, connected supply chains), and Innovating to Zero (for a sustainable future) - require new strategies for investing in and partnering with new capabilities and channels to enable R2R manufacturers and processors to create sustainable competitive advantages in a more digital, direct, connected, and sustainable world.

Keynote 2: State of the Flexible Packaging Industry

Alison Keane, President and CEO of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA)

The presentation updates attendees on the State of the Industry for the U.S. flexible packaging industry comprised of packaging made with paper, plastic, film, foil, metalized or coated paper, and film or any combination of these materials; and includes rollstock, bags, pouches, liners, shrink sleeves, wrap and stretch wrap, bulk shipping sacks, flexible lidding and film wrap around labels. The sustainability aspects of flexible packaging and the FPA’s advocacy efforts to promote the industry with consumer product companies, consumers and policy makers were discussed.

Keynote 3: The North America Oriented Film Market

Robert Gilfillan, Wood Mackenzie

Review of the global supply and demand trends for both biaxially-oriented polyethylene (BOPET) terephthalate) and polypropylene (BOPP) films segmented by film type and end use application.

Keynote 4: Solid State and Thin Film Lithium Batteries – Considerations for R2R Processing

Nancy Dudney, Oak Ridge National Labs

Very hard and advanced subject to understand

How Packaging Can Address Consumer Uncertainty Around Produce

Kaylor Hildenbrand

PARK Research Partners

Produce is clearly an underpenetrated category for packaging and this leaves consumers with a lot of guesswork and unknowns in the store, online and at home. In store, shoppers take time to inspect fruits and vegetables. Still, many admit that they really don't know what they are looking for and remain uncertain they are making a good choice until the final test at home where they can evaluate taste and see how long the items stay fresh. Online shoppers are unsure how their items will be selected and some are anxious about the quality of the products they will receive. They essentially search for an item, define a quantity and cross their fingers.

Nylons to Overcome E-commerce Food Packaging Needs

Alex Peters, UBE America

This presentation discussed the evolution of nylons into new copolymers that can be used to overcome the limitations of traditional nylons in the e-commerce of food packaging in terms of abuse and structural material and aroma barrier. They showed that the new materials will provide the protection, strength and flexibility that are necessary in this relatively new distribution channel. The developments of materials for food packages in e-commerce being conducted in collaboration with academia was discussed.

Enhancement of Protective Packaging Films with Cyclic Olefin Copolymers (COC)

Paul Tatarka, Polyplastics USA

Cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) provide film manufacturers and converters with an opportunity to create thin, stiff, and high barrier protective packaging products. Protective packaging is an excellent illustrative application to highlight COC as effective and efficient polyethylene modifier. Key COC performance benefits include low nitrogen and water permeability, higher stiffness, lower tear resistance and broad heat sealing window.

eCommerce Packaging Workshop

Kyla Fisher, Ameripen, Jonathan Quinn (Nova)

The workshop addressed trends for the various components of eCommerce packaging, the requirements, followed by round-table discussions of each.

Trends in Food and Packaging

Tim Trovillion, Euromonitor

Global trends in flexible packaging was reviewed by type, industry and region.

Material Selection for Multi-Layer Films

Henk Blom, RollPrint

Flexible packaging materials are widely used in pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic packaging. These materials are often multi-layer structures because they need to meet a number of specific product requirements. This presentation examined the underlying principles of structure design and provided an overview of the options that exist for the heat-stable layer, barrier layer, core layer, and sealant layer of a multi-layer flexible barrier packaging material. Some basic guiding principles for selecting one material for a specific application instead of some other material was provided.

Flexible Packaging Trends & Machinery Technologies

Dennis Calamusa, AlliedFlex Technologies

Standup Pouch and other innovative pouch formats have created an interesting marketing opportunity for many consumer product companies in a wide range of product categories including single serve beverages, cookies, snacks, instant beverages, confectioneries, pet treats, pet foods, frozen foods and a host of other product categories. The trend toward Flexible Packaging and the Standup Pouch has been mainly driven by companies looking for ways to differentiate their products from the competition, add consumer convenience through improved methods of reclosability and in general provide an innovative marketing approach to stimulate the sales of a stagnant brand or increase the acceptance and success of new product introductions. Opportunities of material cost reduction are being enjoyed as compared to some other more traditional packaging formats. In addition, logistics have a dramatic impact on total cost, particularly when compared to rigid methods of packaging including bottles, can, jars, cartons and composite or spiral cans. This presentation explored the market dynamics and packaging machinery technologies driving the trend toward Innovative Flexible Packaging which is changing the landscape of packaging around the globe.

How Flexible Packaging Companies Gain Market Power through M&A

Deborah Douglas, Douglas Group

Mergers and acquisitions can create enormous power for the companies that participate well. Staying power and access to capital is enhanced. New industries can be accessed. Weaknesses in human capital can be shored up quickly. Shareholder value can soar! This presentation highlighted some of the prime “hot spots” of 2018 M&A, the common mechanisms for businesses to get together and revealed “tricks of the trade” for creation of opportunity using 1+1=3 business combinations.

Trends in Flexible Packaging Mergers & Acquisitions

Jonathan White, Mazzone & Associates

While Mergers & Acquisitions have long been part of the flexible packaging landscape, the current levels of activity and valuation are high by historical standards. What continues to drive this level of activity? How long can this level of activity and pricing be sustained? Where are the favored spots in the market? This presentation analyzed and interpreted data to answer these questions and inform industry participants on how to position themselves to take advantage of the market.

A Holistic View of the Role of Flexible Packaging in a Sustainable World

Todd Bukowski, PTIS

An overview of The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) sponsored and published report on sustainable packaging. The presentation highlighted the sustainability benefits that flexible packaging offers, provide foresight into future sustainability implications for flexible packaging as well as case study examples looking at the benefits of flexible packaging through a lifecycle approach. It provided a view on some of the hot button topics related to sustainability that flexible packaging providers may want to consider as part of their environmental initiatives.

FPA Consumer & Brand Owner Sustainability Study

Brian Hall, GS Communications

This presentation highlighted findings from a recent study commissioned by the Flexible Packaging Association assessing brand owner and consumer perceptions of flexible packaging sustainability. The research explores how brand owners are addressing flexible packaging sustainability and their views about how consumers perceive sustainability. It also reveals what sustainability means to consumers and opportunities for education about specific lifecycle impacts of flexible packaging.

Being Flexible: Grappling with Barriers for Sustainable Flexible Film

Carole Mars, The Sustainability Consortium

Solving sustainability problems requires bringing together diverse stakeholders to address the issue at hand. This means the stakeholders need to agree on what the problem is, as well as what can be done to solve it. The Sustainability Consortium, in developing their Flexible Film Innovation Project, is grappling with this very issue. This presentation explores the variety of barriers to effective flexible film collection and recycling that have surfaced and their implications for sustainable flexible film management.

Solutions for Recycling of Mixed Stream Plastics

Jill Martin, Dow Chemical Company

The plastics industry is under intense pressure to develop solutions that maximize the value of the materials through the entire product life cycle. Materials that have better physical properties have inherently higher value after mechanical recycling and can provide a benefit to the entire packaging value chain. Dow and duPont have recently merged their portfolio of products (Innate? and Retain?) that provide the opportunity to maximize this value. Case studies that reflect the various recycling stream compositions presented in addition to new developments.

Recycling Innovation in HDPE

Sandra Lewis, Envision Plastics

HDPE PCR Food Grade and OceanBound HDPE for Film Applications were presented to reduce use of virgin HDPE resins.

Market Access - Global Food Contact Regulatory Compliance

Huqiu Zhang, Intertek

Food contact materials are regulated globally in different countries and regions. Compliance to these legal requirements becomes critical step for market access. Understanding the regulatory requirements in different countries and regions, managing material supply chain efficiently, and seek cost effective way of ensuring compliance are the increasing focus of the industry. This presentation provided you basic information and strategies to achieve food contact regulatory compliance.

U.S. and EU Regulation of Printing Inks

Cynthia Lieberman, Keller and Heckman

Developments in U.S. and EU regulations of interest to the flexible packaging industry were reviewed. Very complicated regulatory landmine.

The Tipping Point – A Case Study of a Significant Additive change at the Producer Level

Mark Kay, Nova Chemicals

Regulatory scrutiny is increasing across the globe and has certainly affected both the additive and polyolefin producers. For example, TNPP (Tris(nonylphenol) phosphite) a long-term industry standard antioxidant is facing growing global deselection pressures in the marketplace due to regulatory actions in some jurisdictions. The growing concerns associated with the use of TNPP led to a significant management of change effort for a major PE producer. This paper focuses on project execution excellence (i.e. how to manage a significant and complex additive formulation change that impacted multi-billion pounds of resins). This additive formulation change required extensive planning and flawless implementation involving many different business units and functions (e.g. the Manufacturing, Purchasing, Sales and Marketing, Technical Service, Customer Service, Additives, and Product Safety teams). The paper demonstrates how a project of such large magnitude can be effectively managed and provides key insights and learnings from this significant management of change as it relates to the supply chain.

Laser Die cutting while solvent less laminating in applications for flexible packaging

Giancarlo Caimmi, Nordmeccanica NA Ltd.

A new trend in flexible packaging is evolving very quickly. It allows for improved impact and product presentation enhancement in flexible packaging pouches. It involves die cutting one of the laminated layers (in most cases paper) to allow product vision while allowing to vehicle certain marketing messages such as brand recognition, bio-food consumer perception, etc. Die cutting has been performed for decades using mechanical devices. The nature and the volume of flexible packaging requires new improved production performances and flexibility. The laser technology provides both the production performance as well as the digital flexibility. First rudimental attempts to use a laser die cutter for such applications involved the installation of a laser die cutter unit on a slitter to process the web after lamination, partially die cut through the laminated layers and finally remove the upper web. Consequence is the weakening of the entire laminated compound barrier wise, with the reported risk to perforate the laminated compound entirely and expose the product to contamination. The innovative development presented in this paper describes the benefit and advantages connected to the installation of a laser die cutter on a Solvent Less laminator. Reliable integration required to resolve all of the technical issues connected to properly interface the two equipment: the laser die cutter and the laminator. Advantages recorded are remarkable: production speed; accuracy and flexibility in the design of the cut; accuracy in registration; ability to perform a large number of additional applications allowed by laser technology applied to flexible packaging pouches, etc. Paper will discuss design and technology integration, web handling solutions, advantages and benefits of the innovation as well as marketing reasons behind the significant market demand for this technology. 

Functional Coatings with Enhanced Optics and Haptics for Flexible Packaging

Manesh Sekharan, Dow Chemical

Brand owners are looking for ways to differentiate their products on the shelf. Often consumers associate the quality of packaging as an indicator of quality of the product. To meet this growing demand of shelf differentiation, sustainability, and consumer preferences, The Dow Chemical Company has developed the “OPULUXTM Optical Finishes” line of both matte and glossy functional coatings to serve the packaging market. The new OPULUXTM matte coating is designed to deliver premium feel while providing high level of soft touch, excellent color fidelity, low haze, and superior abrasion resistance. This unique acrylic, waterborne, matte coating is suitable to be applied on variety of substrates, such as PET, PE, nylon, paper, and others. The high gloss OPULUX TM HGT coating is designed to provide high temperature-resistance to all-PE packaging that enables recyclability and simplification of the packaging structure.

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About the author:

Dr. C. Carey Yang, Ph.D. is a Chemical Engineer by training and a technical leader in polymer materials science and extrusion processing technologies. He has more than 23 years of cross-industry experience in R&D, process engineering, product development and commercialization in plastic resin, additive & filler masterbatch, multilayer film, paperboard, food, and flexible packaging end markets.