Netstal presents a lightweight ICM thin-wall cup
Fakuma 2023 presented Netstal with the opportunity to showcase the new Axos 9 control generation – the light as a feather yogurt cup.
With a filling volume of 200 g, part weight of 5.4 g, and wall thickness of 0.3 mm, the cup and label are made of 100% polypropylene (PP) and the packaging is particularly easy to recycle.
Unlike a conventional in-mould label, the label comes off in the mechanical recycling process. The PP stream is not affected because printing ink particles are reliably separated from the pure PP. Injection compression moulding (ICM) reduces the weight of the cup by 34%. Another improvement in terms of sustainability: the combination of the ICM process and product optimisation also results in a 27 % reduction in packaging volume.
The sustainable thin-wall packaging for dairy products is produced in four cavities at a cycle time of 2.7 seconds in an Elion 1750 with hybrid injection unit. The Netstal machine operates with reliable performance and leading energy efficiency.
The packaging application, optimised for recycling, was developed in collaboration with high-end system partners Glaroform, Beck Automation, SABIC, IPB Printing, motan, Regloplas and Uniform Color. The development partner from the food industry is Emmi, the largest bottler of dairy products. The specifications of the packaging were optimised with and under the guidance of Emmi’s requirements. In the process, the previous appearance of the cup was to be retained.
