Extrusion International 2-2025

48 Extrusion International 2/2025 FILM EXTRUSION – CASE STUDY Production of Recyclable Plastic Films Constantia Flexibles, a leading global supplier of exible packaging for consumer goods and pharmaceutical products headquartered in Vienna, has commissioned a modern 5-layer blown lm line with inline MDO (Machine Direction Orientation) from Hosokawa Alpine at its site in Pirk in Germany. Instead of the usual ten rollers, this MDO has twelve, which gives the lm more time to cool down after stretching. This improves the homogeneity and physical properties of the stretched lm and is one of the many small components for better lm quality. C onstantia Flexibles uses the new machine technology to produce EcoLam HighPlus, among other things. It is one of the products in the company's monopolymer EcoLam family based on PE. "Plastic pack- aging materials and lms are an es - sential part of our modern world," explains Prof. Achim Grefenstein, Head of Group Research and Devel- opment at Constantia Flexibles. In recent years, the demand for more sustainable packaging solutions has increased continuously as part of efforts to protect the environment. The use of mono-materials or pack- aging laminates made from a single material is therefore becoming in- creasingly important for the transi- tion to a genuine circular economy. Constantia Flexibles wants to play an active role in shaping this trend. Mono-materials ful l the requirements for a circular economy "We pursue a 360-degree ap- proach in order to be able to offer recyclable solutions made of pa- per, aluminium, polypropylene and polyethylene," emphasises Prof. Grefenstein. The aim is basically to develop and produce sustainable, innovative packaging solutions that both optimally meet customer needs and minimise the negative impact on the environment. Con- stantia Flexibles has its competence centre for lms in Pirk with 800 employees and a large R&D de- partment. Formulas are developed there and tested and checked in the company's own laboratory. In addition, all production steps are carried out at the plant - from ex- trusion, metallisation and printing to lamination, slitting and packag- ing. "For us, the acquisition of an MDO machine at the Pirk site was the next logical step in expanding our range of services," says Prof. Grefenstein. This is because the mono-PE lms produced with it are recyclable, reduce plastic consump- tion and minimise the environmen- tal impact compared to composite lms made from several materials. The modern 5-layer blown lm line with inline MDO at Constantia Flexibles in Pirk has twelve rollers. This improves the homogeneity of the stretched lm as it has more time to cool down after stretching