In a pilot project, Sappi and Rovema are demonstrating how the efficient, fully automated production of stand-up pouches can be successfully converted to a sealable barrier paper.
18 February 2021
The SBS Single block packaging machine reliably processes paper and plastic packaging materials.
(Image: Rovema)
When it comes to switching from plastic to paper-based solutions, many food manufacturers still have major concerns. Sappi and Rovema are therefore demonstrating in a pilot project how the efficient, fully automated production of stand-up pouches can be successfully converted to a sealable barrier paper.
The use of resource-saving materials is now a „must“ in the packaging industry. Numerous brand manufacturers have recognised this development and are already using environmentally friendly substrates.
Pilot project with prospects
A well-known manufacturer of cereals was planning a new cross-company sustainability strategy the complete conversion of its packaging from plastic to paper. The company produces flours, oat flakes, muesli and bread baking mixes in the organic segment and currently still serves a niche in the German market. Developments in this direction and on this scale have so far only been driven by an Austrian competitor.
Development partner at eye level
The company's expectations of the packaging machine manufacturer Rovema were correspondingly high, both in terms of an efficient packaging process and the high and, above all, environmentally friendly quality of the packaging material. This is why the packaging specialists from Fernwald Conversion of stand-up pouches to paper with special barrier properties Support from Sappi. An efficient partnership with many synergies has been in place since 2018.
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In a successful pilot project, the fully automatic production of stand-up pouches was successfully converted to sealable barrier paper. (Image: Rovema)
Many years of specific expertise are required to find the optimum, sustainable substrate solution for the customer and achieve maximum performance.
Gerhard Kuss, Head of Application Technology at Rvema GmbH, Fernwald (Image: Rovema)
„The smooth production of stand-up pouches requires more than just our expert knowledge of machine settings. To ensure a high, continuous output, all parameters in this process must be right.“ Gerhard Kuss, the head of application technology at Rovema Ltd.
This is because pouch production and the packaging process must be more efficient than stand-up or flat pouches made from composite materials. much more cautious with the paper-based alternatives run off. Paper tolerates little tensile transmission and can tear more easily. And as a rule, much more attention must be paid to the puncture resistance of the paper used during subsequent filling.
Sealable barrier paper for flexible packaging
This is precisely where the many years of expertise of Sappi came into play. After a detailed consultation on the customer's specific requirements, the paper specialists were able to recommend the most suitable material for packaging sensitive foodstuffs. The paper-based alternative was to offer powerful grease and mineral oil barrier function with optimum heat-sealing properties have. The choice therefore fell on the innovative functional papers of the Sappi Guard product family, which were specially developed for the flexible packaging market. The additional application of a coating or lamination is not necessary with these functional papers thanks to the integrated barriers.
Within a few weeks Sappi and Rovema The interaction between packaging material and packaging machine was researched and perfectly harmonised. And it quickly became clear that the Sappi-Guard-Nature-MS packaging material had found the ideal substrate for the customer. The material with a grammage of 80 g/m² was not only characterised by an ideal mix of stability and formability, but also impressed with its high sealability. Guard Nature MS scores highly because it can be recycled in the paper waste stream, has very good printing results and can also be optimally adjusted to the packaging process when printed.
Perfectly harmonised processes
All process factors must be perfectly synchronised, especially in automated stand-up pouch forming. Whether folding, sealing times or sealing temperature, which can be a frequent source of errors in the process, everything must be synchronised in order to reliably produce a perfect product. Thanks to the synergies between Sappi and Rovema in the precise synchronisation of packaging material and machine, the quality of the packaging process has been significantly improved.
Longer sealing times, which occur when switching to paper-based packaging material, can result in a loss of performance of up to 30 per cent. In this pilot project, however, it was possible to reduce the reduction in performance to just ten to 15 per cent. This enables a Software specially developed by Rovema, which fits perfectly into the precise packaging process. This means that parameter changes can be synchronised directly and the process adapted accordingly. Faulty changes in the process are prevented by individually defined limit values and plausibility calculations, which means that output can be kept stable. This precision is not yet widespread, especially with paper-based packaging materials.
Bundled expertise
This successful pilot project shows how the combination of the packaging machine manufacturer's technical expertise and the paper manufacturer's know-how regarding sustainable barrier packaging solutions has opened up an important opportunity for the packaging industry. Customers who favour the use of resource-saving packaging materials can now benefit from the partners' wealth of specialist experience: They receive A customised and individual packaging solution, with which they can secure clear competitive advantages.
[Guard Nature MS is one of the most modern barrier papers from Sappi. The uncoated paper is characterised by its heat sealability and an integrated mineral oil barrier on the reverse side. It is suitable for the food industry, e.g. for inner bags with dry foodstuffs. The mono material is a sustainable alternative to multi-layer laminates and is available in grammages from 80 g/m² to 95 and 110 to 125 g/m².[/infotext]
