Extrusion International 4-2023

18 Extrusion International 4/2023 INDUSTRY NEWS MDO PE Films for Sustainable and Recyclable Flexible Packaging Fully recyclable packaging: RKW Horizon® is the new generation of sustainable PE plastic films based on state-of-the-art MDO technology. Especially when it comes to plas- tic packaging for consumer goods, consumers are demanding more sustainability, as this is the only way they will be accepted in the long term. Therefore, the RKW ECORE® sustainability portfolio has been expanded to include mono-axially stretched PE films (MDO PE), which aremarketed under the brand name RKW Horizon ® . The RKW Horizon ® product portfolio of MDO films is unique worldwide and includes highly transparent MDO films and print carriers, with oxygen barrier if desired, as well as white opaque variants. When MDO PE films are laminat - ed with a functional PE sealing film, the result is packaging made from a single raw material: polyethylene. Unlike many conventional pouch packaging, these are single-grade and therefore fully recyclable. "Especially as a manufacturer of high-quality plastic films, we are aware of our responsibility. That's why we have bundled our develop- ment resources and created a product portfolio that provides op- timum protection for food," explains Luc Hermans, Di- rector Sales Con- sumer Packaging, adding, "We are developing materi- als that meet the requirements for a smaller carbon footprint, improved recyclability and increased use of re- cycled plastics." The RKW Horizon ® films meet the high requirements of flexible pack - aging manufacturers in terms of tear resistance, transparency, gloss, printability and good processability. In addition, the films feature excel - lent machinability on conventional packaging equipment. MDO films can be used for a wide variety of packaging forms, such as stand-up pouches, gusseted pouch- es, pillow pouches and sachets or as lid films. Areas of application are mainly the packaging of confec- tionery and snacks, coffee and tea as well as frozen foods, but MDO films can also be used in the non- food sector for the packaging of pet food, personal care products or cleaning and detergents. At the RKW site Petersaurach, one of the largest investments in new multilayer blown film lines was made for this purpose. A new five- layer extrusion film line and a new nine-layer extrusion line significant - ly expand the production capacities for high-quality sealing films and MDO-PE films. The Petersaurach site is ISCC+ cer- tified and offers sustainable MDO films as well as bio-based films and films with a high recycled content (PIR and PCR) for a wide range of applications. RKW-Group https://rkw-group.com Extrusion Tooling Guill introduces the latest genera- tion of its Series 800, the 2-to-6 layer extrusion tooling designed to pro- duce the highest quality, highest ma- terial-efficient 1/8” to 6” OD tubing for automotive, medical, appliance and industrial applications. The rede- signed Series 800 produces flawlessly smooth extrusion and layer definition of Fluropolymer and other materials for all multi-layer, multi-lumen medi- cal tubing, as well as fuel line con- structions, multi-layer PEX pipe and drip irrigation applications, among others. The Guill design further al- lows thin layer combinations of poly- mers and adhesives to .02mm or less. Guill offers its extensive line of crossheads and inline tubing dies in fixed and ad - justable center, for single or co-extrusion applications. The tooling is designed to process all compounds and features the company’s patented, precision Feather Touch Concentrici- ty adjustment, the Seal Right System, which combines with the Feather Touch system to eliminate polymer leaking. Guill also offers its unique spiral flow distribution system. All Guill tooling is produced with rigorous computer simulation of the flow channels using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) programs, re- sulting in optimum uniform flow with no weld lines. Guill Tool & Engineering Bill Conley: bconley@guill.com , www.guill.com