The company has decreased its OPS (oriented polystyrene) sleeves to 40My (micron) and PET sleeves to 30My. The thin gauge foils are available now and are ideal for conical yoghurt pots and bottle applications.
Containers that can be compressed easily
OPS is a low density film that has undergone a stretching process orienting the fibers in a certain direction, which is the direction in which the heat shrinking will occur and is used for containers that can be compressed easily.
Sander Kool, sales and marketing manager, Clondalkin Kirchberg, said it was excited to have completed this development and can now offer thin gauge sleeves to the market.
“We've had a positive response to the sleeves from our customers,” he added.
“They help customers to reduce unit costs and the environmental impact of their packaging. It is not only the reduction of the material that contributes to achieving this.
“The application of thinner sleeves also requires less energy to make the sleeve shrink around the container or bottle. The new OPS also has an improved gloss that enhances the graphics on the sleeves.”
Shrink sleeves & coffee creamer lidding
Clondalkin Kirchberg is a subsidiary of Clondalkin Group, and a European supplier of polyester lids, aluminium lids, shrink sleeves and coffee creamer lidding.
Kirchberg, formerly Nyco Flexible Packaging, is based in Switzerland and produces shrink sleeves, die cut lids and lidding foils.
Talking about the OPS behavioural qualities, Tobias Hirschi, technical product manager, Clondalkin Kirchberg, said the shrink sleeves offer brand owners high end packaging aesthetics and superior design to give their product stand shelf appeal.
He said in a production environment, stability and constant shrink behaviour was previously difficult to combine when the gauge of a film was reduced.
“The 40 micron OPS for instance has the same stability as 50 Micron alternatives. Also the film has no static and the performance of the sleeve machine has improved despite the thinner gauge,” added Hirschi.
Clondalkin Group operates 11 extrusion, printing and laminating and converting production facilities throughout Europe.