Europe’s converters prove quality counts

Top honours in this year’s ExxonMobil OPPack Awards went to Kraft Foods’ Gourmet Chips pack from Norway (right). A truly international affair, the Gold Award for Flexible Packaging winner was converted by Alcan Packaging Dublin. The independent jury of international experts from the European packaging industry complimented the pack’s “excellent metallized graphics on the outside and its clean, fresh grease-free white look inside”. It was constructed from a laminate of 30 micron Bicor MB400 transparent OPP film and 38 micron Metallyte MW480 white film metallized on one side.

Recognizing excellence and innovation in flexible packaging and labelling in Europe, the competition’s six winners were chosen from 11 flexible packaging and eight labelling applications nominated throughout the year by the ExxonMobil Chemical Films Business evaluation team.

Silver went to end user Aroma AD and Studio Aroma, of Bulgaria. The judges commented that the pack, a double laminate of acrylic-coated 52 micron Bicor MBR666 transparent film, gives the soap packaging stiffness and rigidity. They added: “The film's high transparency and gloss and easy machinability provides the product with new sales opportunities”. The converter was Novaprint AD. The Amandinas confectionery pack for CEMOI, in France, took the bronze award (above). Flexo printed, the double laminate of 30 micron Bicor MB666, acrylic coated on both sides, replaced a coextruded laminate. The jury selected the pack for the film's high gloss, transparency and barrier properties, as well as for its easy machinability and stiffness on the Ilapack vertical form, fill seal packaging machines. The converter was SPO, France.

In-mould labels for Emmi Yogurt containers in Austria, Belgium and France (left) won the gold award in the labelling and industrial packaging category. Surface offset printed 65 micron Label-Lyte LT447 speciality film replaced a traditional solid white cast PP label. The material’s anti static properties are claimed to provide stability during printing, die cutting and moulding. Converter Drukkerij Verstraete and moulder Superfos produced the packaging for end user Emmi Österreich.

Baby George Wet Wipes from the UK won the silver award for end user NicePack International. According to the jury, the surface flexo printed 60 micron Label-Lyte LL536 pressure sensitive labelstock, which replaces a competitive OPP film, is a very special application. “It uses new UV hotmelt instead of a conventional glue without impairing the multi reclosability of the label. It also allows transparent labels to be used instead of printed ones colour matched to the pack, thus saving converting time, printing ink, materials origination and redundant filmstock.” Systems Labelling, UK, was the converter.

San Pellegrino's Acqua Panna from Italy (left) took the OPPack bronze award. The relaunched mineral water has a new bottle with two clear OPP neck labels and a wraparound body label. They replaced traditional paper labels. 50 micron Label-Lyte LL210 PSA film is used for the neck labels, with the body label of one-side treated 35 micron Label-Lyte LL400 film, slip controlled on both sides. The product is filled and labelled on SIG machines at a speed of 30,000bottles/hour. “The two Label-Lyte labels give the product an outstanding look with enhanced visual properties.” The converter was GPS, Italy.

ExxonMobil Chemical Films Business created its annual OPPack Awards “to recognize industry partnership and reward technical excellence. We present the awards to those applications that display the highest level of distinction in creativity, performance and promotion, using one or more of the company's wide range of OPP films.”