Extrusion International 4-2020

23 Extrusion International 4/2020 Compostable Packaging Materials in the Fresh Food Counter Fresh food on self-service shelves must be well packaged so that it reaches the consumer’s table clean andgerm-free.With its organic and compostable PADECO ® moisture absorption pads, Pomona Company Ltd. Sp. z o.o. from the Polish Żyrardów en- sures that liquids are trapped in the packaging and do not get into fresh food. Pomona supplies the food processing industry with a range of absorption pads for fresh foods such as fruit, fish, and meat. At the same time the company researched for an ecological alter- native to traditional pads and packaging that would eliminate harmful chemicals and plastics from fresh food packaging – a completely organic and compostable solution. The company was looking for a material that was compostable, valuable ecologically andwhichwould be easier to process in the production. The absorber consists of cellulose nonwoven fabric, which is combinedwith the compostable film. Afilm is produced in a film blowing process, which is then applied to the surface of the absorber. The Cologne based company BIO-FED knew a solution and solved the problem. As a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, BIO- FED is the specialist for innovative and application-oriented bio- compounds. Depending on the requirement profile, their com- pounds are biodegradable in different environments or suitable for permanent application – completely or partlymadeof renew- able rawmaterials. A compostable filmgrade fromtheM·VERA ® range, which is particularly suitable for this food contact applica- tion and certified according to EN 13432 with OK compost IN- DUSTRIAL from TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium was recommended for the compostable film applied on the PADECO ® absorbers. IBIO-FED Zweigniederlassung der AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH www.bio-fed.com Pomona Company Ltd Sp. z o.o. www.pomona.pl, www.padeco.pl Quality Assurance of Medical Tubes SIKORA AG www.sikora.net 2010 T, offer the highest precision for transparent medical tubes. As an alternative to the LASER Series 2000, the LASER Series 6000 is available. Due to a significantly higher measuring rate, it addi- tionally detects lumps on the surface of the medical tube. Single-lumen medical tubes, whose wall thickness has to be con- trolled during production, are reliably measured by the X-RAY 6020 PRO directly at the manufacturing process. The X-ray mea- suring systemhas been specifically designed for smallest medical tubes with a diameter of 0.65 up to 15 mm and a minimumwall thickness of 0.1mm. The system records continuously measuring data about wall thickness, eccentricity, inner and outer diame- ter as well as the ovality of medical tubes. The X-RAY 6020 PRO can be combined with a 3-axis lump detector. The LUMP 2000 T gauge heads detect even smallest irregularities on the product surface after the cooling. SIKORA measuring devices can be integrated into horizontal as well as vertical extrusion lines depending on the required ap- plication. Due to the precise and continuous measuring values, they guarantee that manufacturers receive an immaculate and save product which specifications are met to 100 %. Thus, the life-sustaining functions of the medical tube can be ensured, the importance of which cannot be overestimated also against the background of the current situation with the corona virus. The X-RAY 6020 PRO has been specially designed for the measurement of medical tubes The production of medical tubes places considerable demands onmanufacturers. Because of the high safety standards, medical tubes are subject to strict approvals as patient safety depends on them. Acontinuous quality control during theongoingmanufac- turing process is essential to ensure reliable, durable and precise- ly processed tubes. Besides, the manufacturing processes has to be reproducible inorder toensure consistent product quality and to save costs, making productionmore efficient and economical. SIKORA supplies innovative measuring and control devices for quality control during the extrusion of medical tubes. Two typical aspects that manufacturers pay particular attention to regarding quality assurance of their products are the dimen- sion and surface of medical tubes. Single or multi-lumen colored tubes, for which an outer diameter and ovality measurement is relevant, are measured with a device of the LASER Series 2000 XY. Furthermore, the 3-axis 2000 T models, such as the LASER The biodegradable PADECO ® moisture absorption pads absorb fluids secreted by fresh foods. It has the advantage that their recycling process produces compost – unlike traditional pads, which are destroyed in the combustion process. In accordance with the zero-waste philosophy, the rawmaterials used to produce PADECO ® are returned to nature