Shelf-life trials for micro-perforated printed lidding films for soft fruit

26-Feb-2015 - Last updated on 26-Feb-2015 at 19:47 GMT

TCL Packaging has launched micro-perforated printed lidding films, to replace standard hole punched films which can let in contaminants such as dirt and insects, for soft fruit and is offering shelf-life trials of the product.

The firm claims the films permit precise gas and moisture transmission rates, tray sealing and protection for the contents in time for the soft fruit season.

Rofin-Baasel laser scribing unit

The company has also installed a Rofin-Baasel laser scribing unit, a turnkey system for high speed laser micro-perforation and scribing of printed packaging films, developed in collaboration with Rofin-Baasel at its new factory in Telford.

It owns two Rofin-Baasel laser units in total.

Mike Golding, managing director, TCL, told FoodProductionDaily it means it can provide a wider range of packaging products from one system.

“It also improves flexibility and turnaround and increases our perforation production capacity by 200% for produce industry modified atmosphere packaging,” he said.

“The machine has three scanning heads each with Rofin’s two-axis technology making it capable of perforations down to 0.1mm in size and in any pattern.

“Lasers operate along and across the web to facilitate fast, complex and flexible designs of micro perforations. This creates films that maximise shelf-life for an increasing variety of fresh food products, each with unique respiration rates and storage conditions.”

New factory premises to increase production capacity

Golding said the company moved from its previous Telford site to Stafford Park Industrial Estate, also in Telford, Shropshire, UK last year.

“It is two-and-a-half times the capacity of the previous premises, six miles away in Telford on the Hortonwood industrial estate which was in service for the last 13 years,” he added.

“The move was undertaken to increase production capacity to cope with sustained strong demand for TCL films and the additional requirements for updating films to meet the EU FIR food labelling regulations.

“The new site provides 70,000 square feet of production area for printed packaging films. Since moving there TCL has installed a third Uteco flexographic press, an extra solvent-free laminator and the laser scribing unit.

'Learnshops' in May

“It also provides room to grow as the company expands. TCL Packaging has experienced double-digit annual growth for some years, including throughout the recent economic recession and sales exceeded £10m for the first time last year. If the current year is anything to go by, we expect this.”

Golding said it is now launching a series of ‘learnshops’ to train and share learning on how to specify printed and treated flexographic films. The first session is in Telford on May 14, 2015.

Speaking about the launch of its micro-perforated printed lidding films he added the R&D team has been working on the technology since last year.

“The UK fruit season for this year is just beginning and we are currently talking to our existing customers in that sector as well as introducing the films to the wider market. We expect initial sales in the next month or so which will continue throughout the season,” he said.