Bostik & Brückner Maschinenbau Collaborate on Peelable BOPET Lidding Film

Bostik, the Adhesive Solutions division of Arkema, has collaborated with cast extrusion line manufacturer Brückner Maschinenbau (Brückner) to develop a coextruded peelable BOPET lidding film. The film addresses film producers’ needs for streamlined production efficiencies, improved consumer ease of use, and reduced end-of-life impacts through the use of optimized equipment.

The collaboration was driven by the market’s lack of a full-service approach to manufacturing lidding films. It required providing film producers with raw materials such as resins and adhesives, as well as training on how to optimize equipment settings to efficiently produce BOPET lidding films that meet direct food contact standards.

Bostik and Brückner wanted to combine Bostik’s expertise in designing and formulating specialty copolyesters with Brückner’s expertise in designing cast extrusion lines. This combination of skills allowed Bostik and Brückner to simplify the process: film producers can now coextrude resin and adhesive to create film in a single step, which reduces overall energy consumption compared to other film production processes that require multiple steps.

The finished film features peelable properties that meet consumer preferences for ease of use and seal security for meat, double-layer baking, produce and fresh-slice fruit packaging, among others. Additionally, converters can reduce complexity and associated costs because they do not have to modify the film after receiving it through a coating process that uses a seal/peel layer.

Finally, as an all-PET product, the film facilitates mono-material packaging designs and can be recycled with PET thermoformed trays.

Bostic and Brückner can also provide training to film producers on how to best utilize equipment to reduce downtime (including associated waste and energy costs) and quickly deliver high-quality film to converters.

“We are pleased to be working with Brückner on this initiative and believe that a full-service approach to BOPET lidding film production is very valuable to the flexible packaging market. In addition to streamlining operations and reducing overall costs, it enables film producers to understand how optimized equipment can improve their processes and end results,” said Claude Granel, Global Market Leader for Bostic’s Advanced Packaging and Converting business.