Due to a collaboration between Colines, Dow and Comexi, the production of Mono Oriented PE film (MOPE) with cast technology has been achieved. The three companies have set a new benchmark for the market, by producing a very high-level 30micron MOPE with unique and specific mechanical and optical features.
Colines
Colines launches cast MOPE film
The film was made with DOW PE-based resins and extruded on the latest generation of Colines Polycast line, equipped with patented MDO system. The film was subsequently printed with a high-quality solvent-free Comexi Offset CI press.
Nicola Lombardini, Colines’ R&D Manager, said: “Mono oriented PE film is commonly produced with blown extrusion technology, but the extruded film has some limits. For instance, the blown MOPE film doesn’t have good haze and gloss, which is something easily achieved with cast extrusion technology. In addition, the possibility to have one side of the film with good sealability is another enormous advantage of cast technology. Of course, this opens a huge market for cast MOPE film, since it would be able to replace some existing products like BOPET, guaranteeing both higher recyclability and extreme down-gauging.”
Colines’ CEO Anthony Michael Caprioli added: “We have achieved something extremely innovative, and we will soon make further steps forward thanks to our brand new Polycast R&D line. The line is perfectly optimised for processing PE resins and equipped with our latest MDO unit. We have scheduled further tests with Dow and Comexi and we are also available for running tests with our customers.”
Dow has committed to developing and providing solutions to enable and accelerate the move to sustainable packaging designs based on mono-PE structures and has expressed satisfaction at the outcome of this joint project.
The Comexi Offset CI involved is a solvent-free technology that uses curing ElectronBeam (EB) inks and coatings.