Flexible films, the global film manufacturing arm of the flexible packaging giant UFlex, launched its new pioneering patented BOPET high barrier film F-UHB-M, designed to replace aluminum foil in flexible packaging applications. According to the press release dated Kentucky, United States, September 23, 2021, the new film will be manufactured at the Flex Films plant in Kentucky and supplied worldwide.

F-UHB-M responds to the challenges of the converting industry which has long used aluminum foil for packaging. Among the limitations of the sheet are its availability, high material cost, poor integrity, propensity for pinhole formation during use, and difficulty in recycling.

With its new specially formulated bi-axially oriented polyester (BOPET) structure, F-UHB-M offers a superior barrier against gases and water – achieving any of the oxygen and moisture barrier values the lowest (0.1 cc / m2-day and 0.1 g / m2-day, respectively). The advanced metal adhesion of the new 1200g / 25mm structure helps to improve and extend the shelf life of the product. Barrier performance is maintained after incorporating F-UHB-M into a multi-layered laminate structure, demonstrating excellent handling, machinability and resistance to pinhole formation.

The new Flex Films film will be presented to industry visitors at Pack Expo 2021, at the Las Vegas Convention Center September 27-29, 2021, at Flex Films booth N-9115. The new F-UHB-M film is 12 microns thick. Its coating technology and very high optical density are compatible with a wide range of inks and adhesives. In addition, it has better machinability and better handling during processing. Flex says it has good flex crack resistance and has 20% increased puncture resistance compared to BOPET grades.

In addition, an advanced in-line inspection mechanism in its manufacture ensures the consistency of barrier properties and a much lower pinhole density than aluminum foils, making them less susceptible to gas leaks and of water vapor. In addition, it generates less waste during production. These attributes give the new BOPET film a strong competitive advantage, making it suitable for flexible packaging applications dominated by a laminate made of aluminum foil.

From 4 ply to a simpler 3-ply laminate structure

F-UHB-M offers multiple benefits ranging from cost efficiency, higher sustainability quotient and efficient use in logistics and e-commerce. For example, one of the biggest challenges facing the packaging film industry today is reducing food waste by improving the shelf life of food products and reducing the consumption of packaging materials through to the rationalization of the laminate.

Laminate F-UHB-M can help converting industry from “difficult to recycle 4-ply laminate structure with aluminum foil” to “much simpler and easily recyclable 3-ply laminate structure . In addition, this can be done without compromising the performance of the barrier, helping the customer to reduce the weight of the laminate and reduce costs with a minimized carbon footprint.

While the new protective barrier against oxygen and moisture of the new high barrier film helps maintain the flavor and aroma of food products longer than products wrapped in aluminum foil, the high strength of the metal bond ensures against delamination. This makes the laminate safer and the product more secure while maintaining its quality. These advantages can help long-distance e-commerce logistics without damaging consumer food products.

The material cost of F-UHB-M is less impacted by price fluctuations than aluminum foil, which allows for better cost forecasting. So, with better yield per unit area, F-UHB-M is likely to prove to be a very profitable film.

The FDA compliant film is also suitable for applications in medical packaging, dried and powdered items such as cured meats, coffee, yeast, snacks and nuts. In addition, Flex’s new film can work for energy drink packaging, vacuum insulated panels, bag-in-boxes and several other applications.

Speaking of the benefits of the new movie, Vijay Yadav, Business Head, Flexfilms USA, said, “In developing the high barrier F-UHB-M, priority was given to improving the barrier properties to match those of aluminum foil to provide the best packing experience to our customers. In addition, our teams have worked a lot on the creation of a high added value film with many advantages so that our processing partners benefit from a reduced manufacturing cost, better performance and achieve economies of scale while being durable with their packaging.

Anantshree Chaturvedi, Vice President and CEO of Flex Films, explains, “Our mission is to provide solutions to the challenges facing packaging and those that complement changing market needs. . . . . F-UHB-M film offers the improved safety parameters, the less complexity converters want, and the greener packaging consumers want.