Page 57 - Plastics News May 2024

BUSINESS NEWS

At a Glance the difficult thin-walling possible by level of thin-walling technology. The
adjusting hot-runner technology made heart of the solution combines its Thin
ET innovation advances recy-
cling in food packaging. for high-pressure, short-time molding. Recess Injection Molding (TRIM) with
The result? “The PET cup uses 15% a set of seven sequentially controlled
Ultrathin-wall cups optimize valve gates to yield the lightest part of
sustainability. less material versus a comparable PP this type ever molded.
cup,” says Jordan Robertson, Stack-
PET label makes recycling of the pack- Teck Systems VP business develop- The hot runner for the mold uses Yu-
aging seamless. ment and marketing. do’s ISOTM technology. This enables
Polypropylene is a polymer seeing a lot tightly spaced valve gated drops on the
of positive traction in food packaging bottom of the container, while incor-
including food cups. That’s due to PP’s porating independent control of valve
material’s sustainability and recyclabil- gate timing to suit optimal filling of this
ity back into food-grade resin. ultra-thin part. The hot runner is cus-
tom designed to be suitable for high
A new twist in packaging introduced at pressure injection, with thermal pro-
NPE2024 looks to get in on that action filed nozzles and incorporating a bal-
using tried-and-true PET. anced thermal management approach.

The innovation uses that most widely RICK LINGLE The polymeric ingredients, two types
recycled polymer in a source-reduced, of PET resin, are equally crucial and
thin-wall cup that’s paired with a PET It also offers a superior barrier com- point to a more recyclable future.
film applied via in-mold labeling (IML). pared to PP.
The result is complete and seamless Robertson also points out that PET is “We set out to establish a new stand-
recyclability for the packaging. The PET denser, so it is 15-20% heavier than a ard in molding PET containers using at
cup offers barrier and recycling advan- similar PP cup. least 30% content of hard-to-fill PET
tages versus PP — US recycling rates with a high IV level mixed with a high
for PET hover around 30% — while The 4 ½-inch diameter cup size was volume, easier filling low IV PET resin
chosen because it’s a standard offer-
directly addressing the rPET shortage with the intention that customers would
due to high demand by major brands. ing for dairy products such as yoghurt be able to run the same part using 30%
and cottage cheese, according to Rob- rPET,” says Vincent Travaglini, Stack-
Two key partners in the development ertson. Teck CEO. “Some customers on the
are StackTeck Systems and Netstal PET preform side of the business are
Machinery. “It‘s getting more than a little interest running 100% rPET for beverage ap-
from customers,” Robertson offers.
The PET cup resin was supplied by plications, and so we’re pointing the
Eastman; the 100% PET IML labels are The research and development began way towards adding post-consumer
supplied by MCC Verstraete. in mid-2023, he adds. material for thin-wall containers, while

The cup is formed using injection More processing and polymer details adding advantages in material strength
and clarity.”
molding, which was the central chal- for the technically minded.
lenge of the entire project. And that’s StackTeck claims the injection-molding Source – Plastic Today
where StackTech’s know-how made technology delivers an unprecedented

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