The Nova-Pack Europe show, which is currently running in Dusseldorf, Germany, is featuring a forum on the business advantage for PET containers, held by the PA Consulting Group, as well as a number of innovations from companies present in the plastics packaging sector.
Dr Clive Edmonds, who heads the Consumer Products Group in the Product and Process Engineering Practice at PA Consulting Group will present a paper on the advantages that using PET containers and filling technologies can give to manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
The paper will explain the recent expansion in the functional foods and beverage markets in Japan, Europe and the US, and will predict future packaging development and demands on materials - especially PET.
In addition to the PA forum the show will also act as a platform for a number of other key players to showcase their technologies. Kureha Chemical Industry Co will introduce a new family of high gas barrier resins, PGA (poly-glycolic-acid), with oxygen barrier properties which the company claims are 10 times better than those of MXD6 in film form.
The Dow Chemical Company will unveil a novel plasma deposition technology designed to produce clear, flexible and durable, glass-like barrier coatings on plastic substrates. PET bottles coated using this process can provide an oxygen barrier improvement of 25X versus uncoated PET, the company is claiming.
Owens-Illinois will give a presentation that will reveal advances in emerging new product, process and materials technologies that will bring additional value to users of metal cans with the functionalities and aesthetics that are unique to plastics.
Ticona has addressed the issue of PVC shrink sleeve recyclability when used with PET containers. Its development uses cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) sleeve films that have high recoverable shrinkage.
Business Consulting will explore the dynamics of the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverage sector, addressing how PET packaging might work to further maintain the momentum of this rapidly growing sector.
Finally, Plastics Forming Enterprises will describe results of recycling trials which were aimed at addressing the complicated issue of recycling opaque PET containers. The problem this type of container throws up is trying to distinguish and separate opaque flake, which often occurs in the packaging of milk products, during the recycling process. The company believes it has a solution which recyclers will be interested in.
Nova-Pack Europe starts today and runs for two days. For further details contact the show organisers, Schotland.