Extrusion Asia Edition 2-2021

45 Extrusion Asia Edition 2/2021 ➠ SÜDPACK Verpackungen www.suedpack.com ➠ ILLIG Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG Robert-Bosch-Str. 10, 74081 Heilbronn, Germany www.illig.com S ÜDPACK produced the film in an extrusion process and de- veloped the laminate lidding film, which is also industrially compostable. ILLIG designed the thermoforming tool, thermo- formed the trays from the film and sealed the lid. The result is a thin-walled food container that replicates the mold's shape in detail and can be produced at the same speed as similar pack- aging made from conventional plastics. This collaborative project demonstrates that thermoformed packaging based on certified compostable materials is possible under current market conditions. It follows the increasing trend and demand for compostable and bio-based packaging solu- tions in more and more countries. In particular, food packaging with organic remnants is difficult to process in conventional mechanical recycling processes. In such applications, industrial- ly compostable containers are a viable alternative where the ap- propriate infrastructure for composting exists. In this way, the food scraps, including the packaging, can be sent for organic recycling instead of thermal recycling. The ecovio ® bioplastic used for this case study has been specially optimized for film extrusion with subsequent thermoforming. It can be processed on standard mono- or co-extrusion machines into films with or without an additional oxygen barrier. The bioplastic has a high heat deflection temperature up to 95° C, is approved for con- tact with foodstuffs and has mechanical properties similar to those of polypropylene (PP). Technically flawless solution "Together with ILLIG, a leading global manufacturer of thermo- forming and tooling systems, we were able to demonstrate that films made from ecovio ® material can not only be produc- ed effectively on common extrusion lines, but also show excel- lent properties when processed on thermoforming lines," says Dr. Jürgen Betz, responsible for R&D Extrusion at SÜDPACK. The flexible film developed by SÜDPACK for the lid consists of a multilayer, partially transparent laminate based on polylactic acid (PLA) and brown paper.All components are industrially compostable according to DIN EN 13432. The film is heat-seal- able with other PLA-based materials and can also be optionally equipped with a barrier layer. "With our joint project approach, we demonstrate how certi- fied compostable and bio-based plastics can be easily thermo- formed and further processed on standard machines," says Sven Engelmann, head of the ILLIG Technology Center ITC and packaging development at ILLIG in Heilbronn. "We were able to run the same machine speed as with polypropylene. In parti- cular, our thermoforming tool reproduces the lettering 'Vegan Burger' embedded in the bottom of the tray with great detail. This opens up numerous design possibilities for thermoformed, industrially compostable packaging." With the cooperation project, ILLIG and SÜDPACK are demon- strating ecologically interesting solutions for packaging manu- facturers and thus shaping the future sustainably. Note: ecovio® is a registered and protected trademark of BASF. www.smart-extrusion.com