Driven by the discussions about recycling targets for plastic packaging, mono-material packaging structures like biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) or polyethylene (BOPE) films, are receiving more and more interest due to better packaging sortability and quality improvement of recycling material.
The future packaging designs of traditionally used aluminum metallized films or aluminum foil demand a transparent barrier solution such as AlOx, SiOx, or EVOH. Here the inline coating technology offers a number of significant advantages for BOPP and BOPE applications.
Key Benefits of Inline Coating
- Huge variety of possible applications and film types
- Cost efficiency
- Thinnest, very consistent coating layers in the nanometer scale (< 100 nm): Low coating material costs
- No additional corona treatment needed on coated surface
- Low investment costs due to the narrow coating width before transverse orientation
- Energy optimized process by using the transverse orientation unit’s pre-heating zone as dryer
- Low operation costs by saving expensive off-line coating process steps
- Enhanced film properties
- Improved coating adhesion to the film in the virgin, not-crystalline state – superior to offline-coating
- Improved printability
- Higher metal adhesion and perfect barrier improvement after metallization (Al / AlOx / SiOx)
- Antifog and antistatic layers
- Long term stable surface energy
- Improved recyclability due to lowest impact of the thin layer technology
Inline coating technology provides sustainable solutions for the packaging industry that prioritize recyclability and cost efficiency. By applying thin and consistent coatings to BOPP and BOPE films, the technology improves the sortability and quality of recycled materials, thus paving the way for a sustainable future.
Application of Brückner’s Inline Coating Technology
Brückner’s newly developed technology is installed between the machine film orientation (MDO) and the transverse film orientation (TDO). A wet chemical treatment is applied directly inline, providing a tailored base-layer (primer) for the subsequent AlOx/SiOx metallizing step. This technology can be used in regular 3-layer BOPP or BOPE film stretching lines. The metallization layer is perfectly bonded and homogeneously distributed across the entire film width, providing excellent oxygen and water vapor barrier values comparable to high barrier films such as metallized BOPET or aluminum foil.
The coating material is water-based, transparent, and nanoscale (typically < 100nm), resulting in minimal environmental impact and recyclability issues that comply with laws and regulations. Compared to any barrier solution containing EVOH, inline coating is even more economical and stable in the long-term without decay.
Why choose Brückner as supplier?
- Comprehensive know-how of BOPP coating formulation and process
- Complete concept for line modification
- Seamless integration into existing control systems
- Solid concept for line operation and safety