04.16.15
The global packaging market is both massive and diverse. According to the World Packaging Organization (WPO), the global packaging industry’s estimated annual turnover is about $500 billion. The WPO says the global packaging market is very gradually shifting toward smaller package sizes, due in part to families shrinking in size and not eating together as frequently as they did before.
This emphasis on food and small packages has been a boon to the growing flexible packaging segment. Flexible Packaging is the second largest packaging segment in the US, garnering about 18% of the nation’s $155 billion packaging market, according to the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA). The industry had $27.2 billion in sales in the United States in 2013.
The largest market for flexible packaging is indeed food (both retail and institutional), the FPA says, and it accounts for about 59% of shipments. Other markets for flexible packaging include retail non-food at 11%; industrial applications at 7%; consumer products at 10%; institutional non-food at 4%; and medical and pharmaceutical at a combined 9%. Market research firm Smithers Pira says the global flexible packaging industry will reach $231 billion by 2018, growing at a rate of 3.5% annually. This impressive rate of expansion is higher than the gross domestic product (GDP), suggesting the flexible packaging market is growing more quickly than well-developed and traditional rigid packaging markets, the firm says.With flexible packaging showing significant growth and potential, some label converters have taken note, and are leveraging the capabilities of their converting equipment to enter the market, thus diversifying their portfolios beyond labels and tags.
“The reach of flexible packaging into the narrow web label converting space continues to grow and expand as more and more targeted marketing and private labeling continues to flourish and offer continued growth to the industry,” states Cindy Collins, product manager, Rapid Roll, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials.
“Narrow web converters may have advantages in segments of the flexible packaging markets that are short run/quick turn,” adds Mark McGarel, general manager for FILMtech. “As the market evolves, there are source reduction and alternate barrier materials being utilized to reduce the overall package thickness. We are metallizing certain films for coffee and tea markets that are surface printed and overlaquered. In the past, this product would have been laminated; with the ability to control slip migration and metal adhesion we can offer a product that is both printable and sealable with moderate barriers.”
David Parsio, business development manager at Multi-Plastics, emphasizes that flexible packaging’s penetration in the narrow web segment has a lot to do with recent advancements in flexo press technology. He says, “Over the last five years, converters with newer seven to 16 inch web presses have been able to get into flexible packaging manufacturing, and this is largely due to the capabilities of these new, top-of-the-line presses. The tension and heat control ability of the machinery is allowing narrow web printers to print on thinner films – even down to 12 microns. Older narrow web press technology would stretch or burn those films.”
Multi-Plastics, who has supplied films into the narrow web market for more than 20 years, is seeing increased interest from label converters who want to expand into flexible packaging. “While we have been active in offering the industry thin, unsupported film for 25 years, we’ve been a relatively small part of the label industry. However, this is changing. In the last ten years, our business in the label market has grown significantly,” Parsio says. “In fact, over the last six years, our flexible packaging business has grown annually by 50%.”
According to Parsio, education is paramount to a label converter successfully entering the flexible packaging market. “To enter this market, and to be successful, you have to be educated. So we walk our customers into the industry. And when these converters get educated on the process, they transfer that knowledge through their organization, gaining the confidence to move forward.”
Moving Forward with the Right Materials
“The primary benefit of the materials being used for the narrow web market is that they are the same constructions used in wide web,” says Collins. “This allows converters and packagers to have confidence in the structures being offered. The structures include paper and film facestock laminations with foil and film barriers with a host of sealant options.
“To meet the growing demand for flexible packaging within the food sector, materials have been engineered with the specific requirements for food contact and safety. In addition, cosmetics and personal care applications are also areas of growth for narrow web flexible packaging.
“The material laminations used to reach the narrow web converter base are paper laminations with foil or a metalized film barrier commonly used for dry goods like soup and gravy mixes; these are surface printed in both wide and narrow web. Stick pack structures, being a great fit for narrow web, are built to perform in the vertical equipment that fills more than one package at a time,” Collins explains. “As those types of applications expand in ingredient changes and migrate to lotion/liquids, we have the varied structures built to hold them. Film laminations tend to be built with more chemical resistance and higher barrier properties to cover more active ingredients.”
Collins stresses that the materials used for narrow web flexible packaging are designed for one-time-use packaging with shelf life not usually exceeding one year. “They are press stable structures that allow more converters to participate in the growth of flexible packaging,” she says, adding, “Industry standard barriers like foil and metalized films, as well as new technology sealants and resins, are available as the opportunities expand beyond the common markets of food and personal care.”
Multi-Plastics
Multi-Plastics supplies two different types of flexible packaging films. “First, we are a distributor for Jindal Films’ coated OPP products. These are coextruded OPP products that are heat-sealable and possibly coated to offer barrier properties. These can be used as overwraps for cookies, brownies and sandwiches. Many label printers are currently printing a pressure sensitive paper label for them,” Parsio says. “With converters investing in film presses, they can now offer a more shelf-appealing product by printing the film and offering a full printed package over just a PS label.
“Secondly, we offer laminated pouch structures. These are are becoming extremely popular in the convenient single-serve portion packets. Popular applications that we’re seeing include regional and local marketing campaigns, and also health and fitness products like vitamins and powdered drink mixes. In cosmetics, products that benefit from this type of packaging include lotions, wet wipes, perfumes and sun screen.
Multi-Plastics has been focusing on expanding the stick pack sector of the market. In 2013, the company introduced EZTear, a laminated pouch structure for use in easy open stick packs or similar flexible packaging applications. This laminated structure addresses the mechanical aspects regarding tear initiation and control of tear across the pouch. EZTear provides an easy open pouch without using expensive laser scoring to assist with tear initiation or propagation.
EZTear offers easy tear initiation, excellent printability, good stiffness, high burst strength and puncture resistance. The patented product is ideal for end use markets, including powder dry goods (very fine to granular), wet goods or liquids, medical, nutraceutical or cosmetics. “With EZTear,” Parsio says, “End users no longer have to struggle to open convenient single-serve, on-the-go products.
Additionally, the EZTear structure includes DiversaSeal sealant technology which enables the customer to use one structure across multiple applications. According to Parsio, DiversaSeal covers 90% of the end use applications in the martketplace for chemical resistance, product compatibility and ease of use, while other suppliers have multiple SKUs of product for the different applications. “Our DiversaSeal covers in two SKUs what others have in seven,” Parsio says.
Glenroy
Glenroy has been supplying narrow web printers with flexible packaging films since 1993, when certain narrow web printers were first starting to make the transition to flexible packaging. “We saw an unmet need, and we proceeded to offer what we believe to be the first line of surface-printable packaging films engineered for narrow web technology,” says Amanda Dahlby, marketing manager at Glenroy.
Glenroy’s ExpressWeb narrow web packaging films are engineered to accommodate a wide range of applications and markets. “We’re also able to custom-engineer flexible packaging films that meet specific performance requirements for narrow web printers. Many narrow web printers without packaging engineers on staff choose us because of the technical expertise we provide and also our services, such as product/package compatibility testing,” Dahlby says.
In addition to its role as a film supplier, Glenroy also offers converting services. Explains Dahlby, “Some of our narrow web printer customers are now offering stand-up pouches. We are not only able to provide the ideal flexible packaging structures, but we’re also able to provide printers with pouch converting services. We own an extensive variety of pouch converting machinery, which has produced award-winning stand-up pouches. Stand-up pouches with spouts or fitments are rapidly becoming popular alternatives to rigid packaging.”
Innovia Films
Innovia Films offers a range of products that fit well into a number of market segments such as biscuits and confectionery, dried foods, and home and personal care. The supplier caters to brand owner needs for high impact packaging and the flexibility of short runs.
Jake Herbert, marketing coordinator, Americas, says that Innovia’s Propafilm line is particularly well-suited for the narrow web market. “These BOPP films are pre-optimized and ready to run on narrow web HP Indigo presses without the need for a primer, providing excellent print performance,” he says. “Propafilm FFX is a flexible BOPP film engineered for fast run speeds, making it ideal for small impression high-volume narrow packages, such as confectionery or stick packs.”
NatureFlex, Innovia’s family of cellulose films, is bio-based and certified compostable, making it an attractive packaging material in the organic foods market.
Discussing end-uses that are a good fit for Innovia’s products, Herbert says, “Any company that uses narrow film for twist wrap, individual portion or promotional packs that needs high-quality print, and has many SKUs, is a great match for Propafilm and NatureFlex. “All these films offer an excellent moisture barrier for product protection. In addition, Propafilm XDI also provides an oxygen barrier for those products that need protecting from oxygen permeation, for example, foodstuffs with butter content to prevent rancidity and flavor changes.”
This emphasis on food and small packages has been a boon to the growing flexible packaging segment. Flexible Packaging is the second largest packaging segment in the US, garnering about 18% of the nation’s $155 billion packaging market, according to the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA). The industry had $27.2 billion in sales in the United States in 2013.
The largest market for flexible packaging is indeed food (both retail and institutional), the FPA says, and it accounts for about 59% of shipments. Other markets for flexible packaging include retail non-food at 11%; industrial applications at 7%; consumer products at 10%; institutional non-food at 4%; and medical and pharmaceutical at a combined 9%. Market research firm Smithers Pira says the global flexible packaging industry will reach $231 billion by 2018, growing at a rate of 3.5% annually. This impressive rate of expansion is higher than the gross domestic product (GDP), suggesting the flexible packaging market is growing more quickly than well-developed and traditional rigid packaging markets, the firm says.With flexible packaging showing significant growth and potential, some label converters have taken note, and are leveraging the capabilities of their converting equipment to enter the market, thus diversifying their portfolios beyond labels and tags.
“The reach of flexible packaging into the narrow web label converting space continues to grow and expand as more and more targeted marketing and private labeling continues to flourish and offer continued growth to the industry,” states Cindy Collins, product manager, Rapid Roll, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials.
“Narrow web converters may have advantages in segments of the flexible packaging markets that are short run/quick turn,” adds Mark McGarel, general manager for FILMtech. “As the market evolves, there are source reduction and alternate barrier materials being utilized to reduce the overall package thickness. We are metallizing certain films for coffee and tea markets that are surface printed and overlaquered. In the past, this product would have been laminated; with the ability to control slip migration and metal adhesion we can offer a product that is both printable and sealable with moderate barriers.”
David Parsio, business development manager at Multi-Plastics, emphasizes that flexible packaging’s penetration in the narrow web segment has a lot to do with recent advancements in flexo press technology. He says, “Over the last five years, converters with newer seven to 16 inch web presses have been able to get into flexible packaging manufacturing, and this is largely due to the capabilities of these new, top-of-the-line presses. The tension and heat control ability of the machinery is allowing narrow web printers to print on thinner films – even down to 12 microns. Older narrow web press technology would stretch or burn those films.”
Multi-Plastics, who has supplied films into the narrow web market for more than 20 years, is seeing increased interest from label converters who want to expand into flexible packaging. “While we have been active in offering the industry thin, unsupported film for 25 years, we’ve been a relatively small part of the label industry. However, this is changing. In the last ten years, our business in the label market has grown significantly,” Parsio says. “In fact, over the last six years, our flexible packaging business has grown annually by 50%.”
According to Parsio, education is paramount to a label converter successfully entering the flexible packaging market. “To enter this market, and to be successful, you have to be educated. So we walk our customers into the industry. And when these converters get educated on the process, they transfer that knowledge through their organization, gaining the confidence to move forward.”
Moving Forward with the Right Materials
“The primary benefit of the materials being used for the narrow web market is that they are the same constructions used in wide web,” says Collins. “This allows converters and packagers to have confidence in the structures being offered. The structures include paper and film facestock laminations with foil and film barriers with a host of sealant options.
“To meet the growing demand for flexible packaging within the food sector, materials have been engineered with the specific requirements for food contact and safety. In addition, cosmetics and personal care applications are also areas of growth for narrow web flexible packaging.
“The material laminations used to reach the narrow web converter base are paper laminations with foil or a metalized film barrier commonly used for dry goods like soup and gravy mixes; these are surface printed in both wide and narrow web. Stick pack structures, being a great fit for narrow web, are built to perform in the vertical equipment that fills more than one package at a time,” Collins explains. “As those types of applications expand in ingredient changes and migrate to lotion/liquids, we have the varied structures built to hold them. Film laminations tend to be built with more chemical resistance and higher barrier properties to cover more active ingredients.”
Collins stresses that the materials used for narrow web flexible packaging are designed for one-time-use packaging with shelf life not usually exceeding one year. “They are press stable structures that allow more converters to participate in the growth of flexible packaging,” she says, adding, “Industry standard barriers like foil and metalized films, as well as new technology sealants and resins, are available as the opportunities expand beyond the common markets of food and personal care.”
Multi-Plastics
Multi-Plastics supplies two different types of flexible packaging films. “First, we are a distributor for Jindal Films’ coated OPP products. These are coextruded OPP products that are heat-sealable and possibly coated to offer barrier properties. These can be used as overwraps for cookies, brownies and sandwiches. Many label printers are currently printing a pressure sensitive paper label for them,” Parsio says. “With converters investing in film presses, they can now offer a more shelf-appealing product by printing the film and offering a full printed package over just a PS label.
“Secondly, we offer laminated pouch structures. These are are becoming extremely popular in the convenient single-serve portion packets. Popular applications that we’re seeing include regional and local marketing campaigns, and also health and fitness products like vitamins and powdered drink mixes. In cosmetics, products that benefit from this type of packaging include lotions, wet wipes, perfumes and sun screen.
Multi-Plastics has been focusing on expanding the stick pack sector of the market. In 2013, the company introduced EZTear, a laminated pouch structure for use in easy open stick packs or similar flexible packaging applications. This laminated structure addresses the mechanical aspects regarding tear initiation and control of tear across the pouch. EZTear provides an easy open pouch without using expensive laser scoring to assist with tear initiation or propagation.
EZTear offers easy tear initiation, excellent printability, good stiffness, high burst strength and puncture resistance. The patented product is ideal for end use markets, including powder dry goods (very fine to granular), wet goods or liquids, medical, nutraceutical or cosmetics. “With EZTear,” Parsio says, “End users no longer have to struggle to open convenient single-serve, on-the-go products.
Additionally, the EZTear structure includes DiversaSeal sealant technology which enables the customer to use one structure across multiple applications. According to Parsio, DiversaSeal covers 90% of the end use applications in the martketplace for chemical resistance, product compatibility and ease of use, while other suppliers have multiple SKUs of product for the different applications. “Our DiversaSeal covers in two SKUs what others have in seven,” Parsio says.
Glenroy
Glenroy has been supplying narrow web printers with flexible packaging films since 1993, when certain narrow web printers were first starting to make the transition to flexible packaging. “We saw an unmet need, and we proceeded to offer what we believe to be the first line of surface-printable packaging films engineered for narrow web technology,” says Amanda Dahlby, marketing manager at Glenroy.
Glenroy’s ExpressWeb narrow web packaging films are engineered to accommodate a wide range of applications and markets. “We’re also able to custom-engineer flexible packaging films that meet specific performance requirements for narrow web printers. Many narrow web printers without packaging engineers on staff choose us because of the technical expertise we provide and also our services, such as product/package compatibility testing,” Dahlby says.
In addition to its role as a film supplier, Glenroy also offers converting services. Explains Dahlby, “Some of our narrow web printer customers are now offering stand-up pouches. We are not only able to provide the ideal flexible packaging structures, but we’re also able to provide printers with pouch converting services. We own an extensive variety of pouch converting machinery, which has produced award-winning stand-up pouches. Stand-up pouches with spouts or fitments are rapidly becoming popular alternatives to rigid packaging.”
Innovia Films
Innovia Films offers a range of products that fit well into a number of market segments such as biscuits and confectionery, dried foods, and home and personal care. The supplier caters to brand owner needs for high impact packaging and the flexibility of short runs.
Jake Herbert, marketing coordinator, Americas, says that Innovia’s Propafilm line is particularly well-suited for the narrow web market. “These BOPP films are pre-optimized and ready to run on narrow web HP Indigo presses without the need for a primer, providing excellent print performance,” he says. “Propafilm FFX is a flexible BOPP film engineered for fast run speeds, making it ideal for small impression high-volume narrow packages, such as confectionery or stick packs.”
NatureFlex, Innovia’s family of cellulose films, is bio-based and certified compostable, making it an attractive packaging material in the organic foods market.
Discussing end-uses that are a good fit for Innovia’s products, Herbert says, “Any company that uses narrow film for twist wrap, individual portion or promotional packs that needs high-quality print, and has many SKUs, is a great match for Propafilm and NatureFlex. “All these films offer an excellent moisture barrier for product protection. In addition, Propafilm XDI also provides an oxygen barrier for those products that need protecting from oxygen permeation, for example, foodstuffs with butter content to prevent rancidity and flavor changes.”