adapa develops ProPeel-IWS for high-performance flow-pack applications
Real high-performers: with film thicknesses of only 20µm in some cases, adapa’s ProPeel IWS packs up to 1,100 slices of processed cheese per minute.
Image: adapa
The adapa Group has mastered the art of individually wrapping processed cheese slices with its high-performance films, the ProPeel-IWS (individually wrapped slices) films, which combine low material thickness with high puncture and tear resistance and allow for maximum speeds on vertical flow-pack lines.
The multi-layer, coextruded polypropylene films ProPeel-IWS are extremely heat-resistant with a high melting point of up to 165 °C. This makes them ideal for hot filling. In sophisticated flow-pack machines, the film is formed into a tube into which hot processed cheese mass is continuously dosed vertically at the approximate temperatures of 80 to 85 °C.
The adapa Group said the strong advantages of ProPeel-IWS include its specially developed sealing layer, which allows for maximum packing speeds. The high mechanical stability of the films (tensile strength, stiffness, low elongation) achieves excellent machine runability as well as optimal puncture and tear resistance to ensure process-reliable production.
ProPeel-IWS combines a reliable seal with good opening properties and excellent release for individual removal. The transparent films have a credible, high-quality appearance and offer outstanding printing capabilities.
After the film has enclosed the hot product, it is pressed into slices, reliably sealed in a fraction of a second and then cut, either in a hot or cooled state, depending on the type of system. adapa’s range of standard films for this application is tailored to individual specific customer requirements. For example, the coefficient of friction of the film surface can be adjusted – a rougher film structure ensures safe transport of stacked discs through the line, while a particularly smooth film surface ensures maximum performance when ejecting the discs. Process speeds of up to 1,100 units per minute can be achieved due to the high mechanical stability of the material.
With ProPeel-IWS, adapa has succeeded in drastically reducing the material thickness for flow-pack hot-filling. The films are successfully used in low thicknesses between 25 and 20 µm. This not only saves up to 20 per cent on material and protects resources. At the same time, the particularly thin film ensures greater efficiency in production, as each film roll contains more metres and thus shortens the line’s downtimes for reel changes. In addition, users experience less product and packaging material waste when restarting the line.
“With the extremely thin yet high-performance ProPeel IWS films, we have achieved perfection in vertical flow-pack hot-filling. We are proud to be able to offer our customers such a reliable film,” explains Leif Elenius, TQM manager/product developer at adapa Group.
