The Performance Packaging business supplies adhesives, film substrates, foams and rigid packaging.
Dow said the Center is a lab that offers customers and formulators the opportunity to conceptualize, fabricate, test and validate the film packaging applications without the cost and downtime associated with utilizing their own production facilities.
The installation of a Herrmann Ultrasonics HiQ Dialog 20kHz Ultrasonic Welder allows the evaluation of sealants and film structures for ultrasonic sealing applications and measure seal strengths.
The HiQ Dialog provides the ability to control the sealing process by total energy, and records and tracks seal process data, enabling a thorough analysis of the ultrasonic sealing window for materials and structures.
The welder will facilitate the investigation of seal through contamination and other benefits of ultrasonic sealing, allowing the team to test films for performance in ultrasonic sealing applications.
Nanolayer film production
The Cloeren Nanolayer Feedblock offers a system to produce nanolayer films on Dow's Egan five-layer cast extrusion line.
The system is suited for use in the testing and production of films in applications including flex-crack resistant barrier film, optical film, stretch film and high barrier food packaging film.
Dow said its partners can fabricate and test packaging applications with enhanced barrier performance, film toughness, modulus, formability and optics.
Customer value
"The Hermann Ultrasonic Sealer and Cloeren Feedblock are two wonderful new additions to our facility and we couldn't be more pleased with the value they offer our customers,” said Greg Bunker, associate marketing director for Flexible Food & Specialty Packaging, North America.
“This new equipment from two of our trusted industry partners further expands the breadth of our testing and fabrication capabilities in technologies which are becoming much, much more important to flexible packaging.
"We are committed to providing the resources, relationships and expertise that our customers need and by collaborating not only with Herrmann Ultrasonics and Cloeren, but all of our packaging and film extrusion partners, we can enable better packaging for all of our customers."
In a conference call discussing the firm’s Q3 results, William H. Weideman, chief financial officer and executive vice president, said the Performance Packaging segment recorded gains in all geographic areas, led by Asia-Pacific and North America.