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Running Recyclable Films on Packaging Machines
Thomas Bornemann, Director Sales & Marketing at Hastamat, says the company works closely with film manufacturers and has shown fully recyclable materials, such as paper with a sealing layer and PE mono material, but does not think every machine can run them. Dennis Feldbusch, Area Sales Manager, explains that paper-based film can tear during mechanical gusseting. Hastamat retrofits existing machines for recyclable films.
Key takeaways
- Thomas Bornemann says Hastamat has a lot of experience with recyclable films because it works very closely with film manufacturers, and it has shown fully recyclable materials, such as paper with a sealing layer or PE mono material, at exhibitions.
- Dennis Feldbusch says paper-based film is a challenge: depending on heat and pressure, and with mechanical gusseting, it can get holes or tear, and film choice affects speed.
- Thomas Bornemann says Hastamat already retrofits existing customer machines for recyclable films, for example with size parts specially designed for that film.
Common questions
- Can any VFFS machine run recyclable packaging film?
- Asked whether every machine can run recyclable materials, Thomas Bornemann of Hastamat said he does not think so. Hastamat works closely with film manufacturers and has shown fully recyclable materials at exhibitions, such as paper combined with a sealing layer or PE mono material.
- What are the challenges of running paper-based film on a bagger?
- According to Dennis Feldbusch of Hastamat, paper-based film is a challenge depending on the heating and pressure applied. For pillow and gusset bags, the bags are gusseted mechanically, and paper-based film can get holes or tear. He also confirms that film choice affects packaging speed.
- Can existing packaging machines be retrofitted for recyclable films?
- Yes. Thomas Bornemann of Hastamat says they already retrofit existing machines for existing customers to run recyclable films, for example by adapting the machine or changing size parts that are specially designed for that kind of film.
Transcript
Tom Rougeux, President, Piepenbrock Packaging
So the conversation in the industry right now is recyclability of packaging materials. What kind of experience does Hastamat have with the new materials that are supposed to be more recyclable?
Thomas Bornemann, Director Sales & Marketing, Hastamat
I mean, we have a lot of experience, because we are working very close together with film manufacturers, because they have also big interest to run their film on our machines at the end. And we already show us on a few exhibitions in the last years a fully recyclable material. So it could be a combination of paper and plus a sealing layer, or, for example, a PE mono material, yeah, which is also fully recyclable.
Tom Rougeux
Can everybody do this? Is every machine capable of running recyclable materials?
Thomas Bornemann
I don't think so.
Tom Rougeux
No?
Thomas Bornemann
No.
Tom Rougeux
What are some of the constraints that you run against with trying to run these new materials? What problems do you have?
Dennis Feldbusch, Area Sales Manager, Hastamat
I would say especially for paper-based film, which is in discussion today, or since months or years right now, that's more or less a challenge for us. So depending on the heating, the pressure we can put on the film, when we're talking about pillow bags or gusset bags, so we have to gusset the bags mechanically, so paper-based film could, we can make holes in it and it could break, tear, yeah, it could tear. So these are the challenges with a paper-based film today.
Tom Rougeux
Does the choice of film affect the speed of which somebody can package them?
Dennis Feldbusch
Absolutely, yeah.
Tom Rougeux
Okay, so if a customer is running a plastic multi-layer film with foil and plastic and other things and they want to switch to a recyclable material, how does Hastamat involve themselves with that decision and making that happen for a customer? What kind of things do you do for a customer to do that?
Thomas Bornemann
I mean, that's things which we're already doing for existing customers, you know, to retrofit existing machines, especially for such kind of recyclable films. So it means we can adapt the machine or change, for example, size parts which are really special design for that kind of film.
Tom Rougeux
So you help customers retrofit their existing machinery to new films?
Thomas Bornemann
Of course we do.
Tom Rougeux
Okay.
