Stakeholders expect more from packaging today than ever before. It needs to be convenient, reliable, good looking, secure, and provide the best protection for products to maximise the shelf life. Plus, some types must allow easy reheating and resealing. On top of that, there is more and more focus on recyclability. All of this means in many cases businesses have to look at engineering the perfect packaging for their needs. Laminating services can be ideal, so let’s have a closer look.
Composition
The big advantage for businesses today is it’s easy to create high quality composites for different needs, including flexible packaging. What you can do here is layer materials to combine their characteristics. The final product you end up with will have the exact combination of properties you need.
A key thing to remember is you can choose as many layers as you need with composites. Some are just three, whereas others have many more. In advanced industries like aerospace, a composite could have dozens of different layers. It all depends on the requirements, particularly strength and flexibility.
If you’re considering flexible packaging, typically four layers will be enough. This includes an outer layer, a middle or barrier layer, an inner layer, and a layer for adhesive or resin to bond everything together. Speak to us if you need advice about laminating services.
Combination
If you are looking at engineering the perfect packaging, you need to think about the individual layers and how you can combine them. There are some really common combinations, and other cases where changing one layer can have a big impact.
The classic option, still incredibly popular today for many types of flexible packaging (including pouches and bags), is to use PET and PE. The outer PET layer is stiff, strong, and clear, but you can also easily print on it. A PE inner layer provides the sealing and moisture resistance.
Interestingly, you can engineer composites for retort packaging instead of relying on traditional metal tins or glass bottles. In this case you can use PET but swap the inner PE layer for CPP. It improves the thermal performance and also boosts toughness and puncture resistance. Choose exceptional laminating services today.
What about sensitive products?
If you’re dealing with any kind of product with higher sensitivity to oxygen, moisture, UV, odours, or other things, you need to think more carefully about the packaging. As we said though, you can easily introduce a middle or barrier layer. Common options include aluminium foil (AL) or nylon (PA). They can reduce transmission to preserve products and given them a longer shelf life.
There is an interesting alternative here too. If adding a foil layer exceeds the weight requirements, you could try metallised PET or BOPP. They have a very thin metal layer, generally aluminium. This can be enough to provide the barrier properties, but with less weight.
Ask us about laminating services
Engineering the perfect packaging provide a huge amount of value for businesses and consumers. As we said, it can increase the shelf life of different products, maximising the value. Additionally, it can make them easier to transport and handle, reducing the risk of damage and losses. It’s great for branding and ensuring products stand out too, especially if you choose the right kind of outer layer to carry high definition graphics and art.
As one of the leading providers of foiling and laminating services in the UK, we’re always happy to advise clients. You can contact us to discuss different foils and films for various applications.