European Customers to Benefit from SABIC’s 
New Specialty MD LDPE Film Grades Portfolio

                                                                                                       

To better serve customers in the packaging industry seeking innovative, high quality and sustainable materials, SABIC today announced a product range expansion to encompass specialized medium-density (MD) LDPE film grades - typically used for applications requiring high clarity and stiffness, such as collation shrink films. Production is taking place at SABIC’s manufacturing facility in Wilton, Teesside, U.K., on the world’s largest low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant.

To benefit converters and end customers, SABIC^® LDPE 2801TH00W resin was developed with key features of high purity and superior optical properties, as well as excellent machinability and cutting/punching performance. This material, which is SABIC’s first MD LDPE grade, is the initial product in a planned series of innovative grades in the 928 to 935 g/cm³ density range.

“We are on track in our planned expansion of Teesside’s capabilities to offer European customers a portfolio of specialty materials for food, beverage and hygienic packaging. In addition to their high quality, attractive aesthetics and excellent processing characteristics, our new MD LDPE films promote sustainability in packaging,” said Ben Raven, Technical Marketing Engineer, SABIC. “Because the materials are relatively stiff, they enable very thin gauges that reduce overall resource usage, which also results in less waste. SABIC continues to invest in new technologies that contribute to environmental protection while ensuring the highest level of performance for customers and end users.”

During the pre-commercialization phase the new SABIC^® LDPE 2801TH00W resin was market tested by SABIC customers. Customers actively participated by testing the ‘trial’ grade and providing feedback, which was very positive. They especially noted the product’s superior optical properties. This customer involvement not only helps ensure that the new product will add value to their businesses, but also strengthens their relationship with SABIC.

Ben Raven: “A key example of these optical properties is SABIC^® LDPE 2801TH00W resin, which was approved recently by a Spanish converter for use as a medium duty collation shrink film. The resin converts very easily under normal processing conditions, yet delivers an outstanding combination of gloss and transparency, definitely exceeding other resins used for the same application.”

The new grade is designed for collation shrink packaging of food and beverages, such as multi-packs of bottles. This transparent, printable film provides several customer benefits such as excellent optical properties, including low haze and high gloss that produces a brilliant print appearance. A higher level of stiffness streamlines cutting to enable higher converting speeds. Other processing advantages include excellent bubble stability and good welding properties. This film’s high stiffness and puncture resistance enable down-gauging without sacrificing strength.

The other types of MD LDPE film planned for Teesside will target the packaging of products including hand tissues, feminine hygiene products and high clarity tissue overwraps, as well as automatic packaging films (lamination, pouches, mailing). The 400,000 tpa high-pressure SABIC plant at the Wilton International site in Teesside came on stream in the second half of 2009.

A calendar packed with side events

Over 25 official meetings, more than 150 speakers and discussion topics involving the nine business communities represented at the show. These are just a few examples of IPACK-IMA’s extensive event calendar. There is much awaiting for prominent figures such as Giovanni Rana, who will take part in a round table called “Technology increases fresh pasta consumption. In Italy and abroad” scheduled for tomorrow February 29th. Tomorrow’s agenda is packed full of events. Some examples include the Technology Day dedicated to innovative materials, with a meeting on “Bio-plastics for food packaging, new solutions”; the exhibition “Responsabilmente. Packaging: directions for everyday practices” will also be officially opened. This edition’s news include the INNOVATION CORNERS, located in halls 9, 13 and 8 offering over 60 meetings and presentations by exhibitors. Noteworthy is also the multi-disciplinary area called PLANNING THE FUTURE, located in hall 11, hosting universities, associations and research institutes and offering seminars, round tables and workshops in partnership with Conai (the Italian Packaging Consortium).

One of this edition’s key issues is food safety. It will be discussed in a workshop titled “Packaging choice in food safety” organized by AIDEPI – the Italian Association of Confectionery and Pasta Industries on Thursday March 1st. Food safety will also be under the spotlight the following day with a meeting organized by the Italian Packaging Institute on the “CAST Project”, born in 2007 with the objective of experimenting new approaches to food safety by integrating public and private institutions.

THE PACKAGING OSCARS: a new edition of the prestigious contest promoted by the Italian Packaging Institute awarding the most innovative packaging solutions. The award ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow, February 29th. 

(picture from the last edition of IPACK-IMA)

Πάνω από 25 επίσημες συναντήσεις, περισσότεροι από 150 ομιλητές και θέματα συζήτησης με τη συμμετοχή των εννέα επιχειρηματικών κοινοτήτων που εκπροσωπούνται στην έκθεση. Αυτά είναι μόνο μερικά παραδείγματα του εκτενούς ημερολογίου εκδηλώσεων της IPACK-ΙΜΑ. 

Υπάρχει μεγάλη αναμονή για εξέχουσες προσωπικότητες, όπως ο Giovanni Rana, ο οποίος θα λάβει μέρος σε συζήτηση στρογγυλής τραπέζης που ονομάζεται "Η Τεχνολογία αυξάνει την κατανάλωση φρέσκων ζυμαρικών στην Ιταλία και στο εξωτερικό» έχει προγραμματιστεί για αύριο 29 Φεβρουαρίου. 

Η Αυριανή ημερήσια διάταξη είναι γεμάτη από γεγονότα. Ορισμένα παραδείγματα περιλαμβάνουν την Ημέρα αφιερωμένη στην Τεχνολογία καινοτόμων υλικών, με μια συνάντηση με θέμα "Βιο-πλαστικό για τη συσκευασία τροφίμων, νέες λύσεις"? Η έκθεση "Responsabilmente Συσκευασία: κατευθύνσεις για τις καθημερινές πρακτικές» θα εγκαινιαστεί επίσημα. Στην νέα αυτή έκδοση περιλαμβάνονται οι γωνίες ΚΑΙΝΟΤΟΜΙΑ, που βρίσκεται στις αίθουσες 9, 13 και 8 που προσφέρει πάνω από 60 συναντήσεις και παρουσιάσεις από τους εκθέτες. Αξιοσημείωτη είναι επίσης η διεπιστημονική περιοχή που ονομάζεται Σχέδια για το μέλλον, που βρίσκεται στην αίθουσα 11, φιλοξενώντας τα πανεπιστήμια, τις ενώσεις και τα ερευνητικά ινστιτούτα και τα σεμινάρια που προσφέρει, συζητήσεις στρογγυλής τραπέζης και εργαστήρια, σε συνεργασία με την CONAI (την ιταλική κοινοπραξία συσκευασίας).

Ένα από τα βασικά θέματα αυτής της έκδοσης είναι η ασφάλεια των τροφίμων. Θα συζητηθεί σε μια ημερίδα με θέμα "επιλογή συσκευασίας στην ασφάλεια των τροφίμων" που διοργανώθηκε από AIDEPI - την Ιταλική Ένωση ζαχαροπλαστικής και ζυμαρικών την Πέμπτη 1η Μαρτίου. Η ασφάλεια των τροφίμων θα είναι επίσης στο επίκεντρο του ενδιαφέροντος την επόμενη ημέρα με μια συνάντηση που οργανώθηκε από το Ιταλικό Ινστιτούτο Συσκευασίας στο "έργο CAST", ιδρύθηκε το 2007 με στόχο την πειραματική εφαρμογή νέων προσεγγίσεων για την ασφάλεια των τροφίμων μέσω της ενοποίησης των δημόσιων και ιδιωτικών ιδρυμάτων.

Η ΣΥΣΚΕΥΑΣΙΑ Όσκαρ: μια νέα έκδοση του δημοφιλούς διαγωνισμού που προωθείται από το Ιταλικό Ινστιτούτο Συσκευασίας ανάθεση των πιο καινοτόμες λύσεις συσκευασίας. Η τελετή απονομής έχει προγραμματιστεί για αύριο, 29 Φεβρουαρίου.

(φωτογραφία από την τελευταία έκδοση του IPACK-ΙΜΑ)