Today's development trends of flexible packaging in the packaging industry

Most trends often keep changing before you even notice them, but flexible packaging trends seem to have a longer lifespan than most other trends, because they send a signal that this packaging format is here to stay. Below are some of the latest flexible packaging trends we are familiar with, in which flexible packaging brings new ways of thinking to packaging sustainability.

1. Easy-open, reclosable options are becoming more and more widespread

Opening features and closures are being applied much more widely than before. These applications include special linear tear strips, reclosable zippers that allow the pouch to be opened without tearing off the top of the flexible bag, and liquid pouches with spouts. The corresponding machinery has also improved a great deal, enhancing the ability to add these easy-open, reclosable features inline during filling and sealing, while minimizing downtime problems.

1. Transparent high-barrier films

A new generation of transparent films and coated films is gradually beginning to offer the barrier properties of aluminum foil and metallized films, which provides a new opportunity to showcase those tasty products, while at the same time

1. Multi-layer coextrusion

Although it may not sound intuitive, adding layers to a flexible packaging structure can actually lead to both economic and functional improvements. So how is this achieved? First, more precise control of the number of layers must be considered. Three-to-five-layer film coextrusion lines are often limited by extruder size and die design. More and more converters are turning to seven-to-nine-layer coextrusion lines, which offer greater flexibility, deliver the required functionality and thickness, and save costs, because the product does not have an over-engineered structure. In this regard, one technique is to use a less expensive resin for the core layer, and another is to split the barrier layer into two thinner layers, using one of them as a "backup" in case pinholes penetrate the other. This approach also increases the number of materials at the interfaces, since the materials will inevitably interdiffuse, thereby reducing the permeation rate and ultimately achieving the barrier objective. Several technologies for splitting barrier materials into multiple layers are now being widely introduced, and data show that the barrier properties of new materials have been well improved in this way.

1. Shaped packaging

Form-fill-seal packaging at the current stage can produce more pouch shapes than ever before, in a variety of styles. Shaped packaging is important to consumer packaged goods companies eager to make their packaging stand out on the shelf. Although most shaped packaging appears in other countries, this packaging format - cut into two-dimensional shapes and also into curved shapes - has been around for many years. Equipment manufacturers are also working to improve machines for producing conical or three-dimensional flexible pouches, and the current challenge is how to achieve good control in designing more shapes on the existing foundation.

1. More high-temperature retort packaging

Retort packaging is a type of packaging that, after being filled, is placed at a sufficiently high temperature and "cooked" for a sufficiently long period, which kills the bacteria and microorganisms that easily spoil food. Metal cans and glass jars are the most traditional forms of retort packaging. Several factors have driven the development of retort flexible packaging: compared with metal cans and glass jars, flexible packaging is easier to open and lighter in weight, and flexible packaging is understood to have a smaller environmental impact than metal cans and glass jars. In addition, it not only greatly reduces losses from deformation and breakage, but also opens up innovation in retort capability or food packaging - for example, canned tuna can now use sealed packaging that requires no added water or oil.

Furthermore, because fewer abusive heating cycles are used for sterilization, food from retort packaging usually tastes better. The flat geometric design of flexible packaging is intended to bring the food closest to the package surface, so it does not need to be heated for a long time or at an excessively high temperature, and the food in the middle can be assured of sterilization before it receives the optimal time/temperature combination. It also avoids the creasing and cracking problems caused by aluminum foil and some older coating technologies. These structures also offer development potential for microwaveable flexible pouches.

1. Flexible packaging penetrates entirely new product categories

It is undeniable that in just a few short years, flexible packaging has sought to sweep across entire product categories. The most classic examples include canned tuna and pet food; decades after metal cans were applied in these fields, retort pouches are now very common as well. More recently, in the baby food sector, more and more glass jars are being replaced by retort pouches (and thermoformed trays as well). Flexible packaging has even found application in the fertilizer industry, where its main feature is resealability.

What will come next? The sticky condiment packaging sector will be a promising area, because these products can be effectively squeezed out of flexible pouches, and in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America, this type of packaging has already been widespread for many years. Health and beauty products have also reached a mature stage for packaging conversion - think shampoo and hand soap. Product areas dominated by metal cans or glass bottles have also been affected by packaging conversion.

Cereals can be described as a "holy grail" for the flexible packaging supplier community. Although flexible packaging has already penetrated everything from high-end granola to low-end cereal foods, experts still strongly agree with the approach of cereal manufacturers investing heavily in existing packaging equipment so they can quickly switch packaging formats at any time. Considering the advantages of recyclable cartons made from renewable energy throughout the entire application process, the process of replacing cartons should be even more complex. Although one packaging format is converting to flexible packaging, this does not mean that consumers in any particular country will accept the conversion, especially in the United States. That said, the most thorough trend is for brand owners to adopt a holistic approach to innovation right now. From now on, new packaging structures or formats, including flexible packaging, will come from every corner of the world.

This article is reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-372857.html. All rights belong to the original author; this article is for industry exchange and learning only.