- Our new films are generally used as a printing layer in a duplex/triplex laminate structures either as BOPP/MET BOPP/PE or BOPP/CPP.
- The heat resistant BOPP films are available in 15, 18, and 20 microns.
- The films are well suited for both adhesive as well as extrusion lamination.
Cosmo Films Limited is one of the leading Manufacturer and Supplier of Bopp, Packaging, Label, Print Lamination & Specialty Films in India.
Monday, 7 December 2020
Heat Resistant BOPP Films
Wednesday, 4 November 2020
Printing Guide for Flexible Packaging
In the last decade, the packaging industry has seen many trends come and go, but the one thing unanimously agreed upon is the bright future of Pressure Sensitive (PS) Labels. PS labels are continuous flexible strips of plastic, paper, film or any other material coated with an adhesive. They sticks to different types of surfaces at room temperature with a light application of pressure without the use of heat, water or a solvent. These Labels are becoming increasingly popular owing to their versatility. From the ease-of-use to the cost-effectiveness, these labels are used in nearly 80% of the products in the market today.
Several analysis and studies conducted by various research bodies across the globe suggest a stellar growth for the PS Labels market. According to one report, the global PS Labels market was valued at US$86.8 bn in 2017. The global PS Labels market is likely to show a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period of 2017-2022, and is likely to emerge with a valuation of US$112 bn by 2022.
In this article, we explain some of the most important trends of pressure sensitive labels, and why these are here to stay.
- Sustainability – With the growing consciousness regarding sustainability in the minds of the consumer, more and more brands are turning to sustainable solutions for packaging their products. In many cases, the facestock of PS Labels are made from recycled material. Technological advancements have allowed companies to create special adhesives, which do not interfere with the process of recycling.
- Durability – Not only do PS Labels have a very durable finish, but they are also manufactured to last. There has been an increase in PS Labels that can withstand rough handling and extreme conditions such as on chemical drums.
- RFID – RFID is a game changer for PS Labels. RFID, which stands for Radio- Frequency Identification, uses radio waves to collect and send information. It is an inlay that can be embedded in objects, labels or packaging and allows tracking, storing and transmitting data. RFID inlays can be embedded with PS Labels to offer “intelligent labeling” solutions. These labels are widely used for tracking, authentication and anti-counterfeit of goods.
- Growth in Anti-Counterfeit Labels – Anti-counterfeit labeling is the process of secure labeling that prevents imitation and confirms safety of the goods. Anti-counterfeit measurements are taken by companies, which helps them minimize losses due to counterfeiting in-term of revenue and loyalty. PS Labels are mostly used in food and pharmaceutical product labelings to reduce counterfeiting by using barcodes for tracking or RFID technology.
- High Self Appeal – P.S Labels also need to offer great aesthetics as products vie for neck to neck attention on the retail shelves. Different PS label materials available to label printers include rich textured specialty papers; vibrant metallised foils; films in clear, metalized, matte varieties to striking holographic; textile and even wood veneer products. Converting embellishments could range from die cut shapes to die cut text and logos to debossed or embossed images to rough graining areas or spot varnishing to metallic or holographic foil stamping.
- Growth of Removable and Repositionable Films as Facestock – These films facilitate easy removal and repositioning specially in case of beverage labeling where the machine speeds are quite high. They also find usage in pharmaceutical labeling considering the small surface area and precision application.
At Cosmo Films, we manufacture different kinds of PS label films. These films are universal printable films and are compatible with all ink-based systems. The films available in white, clear, metalized and matte varieties offer great printing performance as well as excellent adhesion with hot/cold foils. These films also offer good stiffness for conversion & dispensing operations. They find applications in most of the personal care product labeling, food & beverages & pharmaceutical product labeling as well as liquor labeling.
What’s next?
Responsible innovation will be the driving force for Pressure Sensitive Films. The demand for high-tech and yet responsible solutions will see technology and sustainability come together to offer more advancements in PS Labels. Rapid growth in e-commerce and international trade, demand for transportation and logistics services are some of the most important factors that stimulate this growth. The future of Pressure Sensitive labels is very bright and positive.
Friday, 9 October 2020
COSMO SYNTHETIC PAPER: PRINTING RECOMMENDATIONS
Printing Recommendations*
- Off-set Printing Off-set printing for CSP requires some additional care than a wood-pulp paper. This is because on a normal paper, the ink dries by absorption and oxidation but on CSP, the ink would only be able to dry out with surface oxidation. Thus, the process would take a little longer and if not allowed to dry properly, the user might face ink set off issues. To avoid this, following precautions are necessary:
- 1. Pre-print stacking – The advisable limit is not more than 3000 sheets. Air conditioning should be adequate before you could start the printing in order to ensure smooth movement of sheets. Vacuum can cause suction marks and thus, needs to be reduced.
- 2. Inks – Oil-based offset printing inks are the most compatible with CSP as they undergo evaporative and oxidative polymerization drying mechanisms. On the other hand, conventional inks can also be used but would need more time to dry. While choosing an ink for CSP, following things should be kept in mind:
– Ink should be able to set quick or dry fast
– Ideal for two side printing
– Results in even surface to reduce set off
– Compatible with UV curable inks
- 3. Dampening System – The dampening level should be minimal as otherwise, it can cause set off. Multicolour printing contains excessive water and thus can lead to improper ink transfer.
- 4. Dampening Water Criteria – Following characteristics should be maintained for great results:
– Water Level: Minimum as per machine parameters to eliminate emulsification
– pH Level: 4.5 to 5.5 (Acidic) to avoid emulsification of inks used
– Temperature: 8-10° C
– Alcohol Content: 5-10% for faster drying of dampening water
- 5. Delivery – Generally, up to 3 inches of stacking is recommendable. That said, it can vary as per the sheet size, ink deposition, amount of powder sprayed and printing pattern.
- Flexographic Printing CSP is compatible for flexography too. However, it may require proper ink selection for which you may consult the manufacturer. Tension should be set at the lowest level possible to avoid misregistration. You also need to maintain an ideal temperature of not more than 80° C during printing & thereafter, close to room temperature.
- Digital Printing For this, the below precautions need to be taken:
- – Selecting correct media setting carefully
- – Conducting tests of the material prior to its use
- – Conditioning sheets in the printing environment for 24 hours
- – Fanning the required number of sheets for jam-free feeding
- – Maintaining temperature between 20-25° C
- – Setting adequate fusing temperature & pressure as per OEM recommendations
- – Lamination is recommended post printing for extended life
- Thermal Transfer (TTR) This process of printing uses carbon ribbon which is moved to substrate upon heating. It is recommended to test suitable energy & speed combinations for printing with different ribbons. Some compatible Resin Ribbons are Armor AXR 7+, Ricoh B110CR, Mastercorp TTR Z400. Amongst Wax Resin Ribbons, Armor AXR FH 7+ and Ricoh B110A are compatible.
- Digital Laser Printing (Dry Toner)
- Proper fanning of sheets is required prior to loading in the tray
- It is recommended to involve the service engineer for media setting
- If required, adjust image transfer current to get good quality print results
- Please ensure proper earthing of the machine
- Suggested to use external static eliminator device for higher productivity
- Maintain room temperature between 20-25 degree C & relative humidity at 55% +- 10%
- Apart from the above, CSP has been tested to be suitable for Letterpress and Screen Printing technologies as well.
Wednesday, 5 August 2020
The Journey of Plastics from a Linear to a Circular Economy
Thursday, 9 July 2020
Rise of high barrier packaging films
The journey of food from farm to plate can be a tricky one, with chances of food spoilage in the course of being picked, packaged, transported, and stored. In handling food products for such a long period of time without compromising the quality, the most important factor is its packaging. It is of utmost importance to provide all relevant barrier properties (Moisture, Gas and Aroma), to keep the products integrity intact. Barrier Films play a major role to extend the shelf-life of the product, also helping to make the structure completely recyclable with all layers belonging to the same family of polymers.
Barrier films have an impermeable co-extruded & flexible structure (single or multiple layers) which is solvent-free, and doesn’t react with the packaged food. It helps prevent contact with oxygen, carbon dioxide or moisture, while restraining migration of mineral oil and UV light. This stringent barrier, crafted using specialized materials, also retains the properties of food such as color, taste, texture, aroma and flavor.
Cosmo Films have engineered BOPP based Barrier Films, which not only extends the shelf-life of food products but also protects them against intrinsic (food itself, nutrients, water activity, pH, redox potential) and extrinsic factors (atmospheric gases, temperature, other microbial flora, relative humidity).
Some of the prime characteristics for Cosmo Films’ range of Barrier Films are-
- It facilitates the reduction of packaging material through laminate rationalization (3 layers lamination to 2 layers lamination structure).
- It replaces aluminum foil with a BOPP/ CPP based film in a multi-layered structure, which offers equivalent MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate) and OTR (Oxygen Transmission Rate). Provides excellent aroma barrier, and are specially designed to provide aroma preservation to FMCG’s products like tea, coffee and rice packs.
- Provides excellent moisture and gas barrier properties
- Improves productivity by enabling FFS machines to run at a higher speed due to High Hot Tack and Low SIT properties.
- Provides excellent dimensional stability and stiffness.
- Gives amazing machinability with low seal threshold quality.
Type of Barrier Films
Cosmo Films’ range of barrier films can be categorized as below:
Metalized Barrier Films:
- High Moisture Barrier Films (HMB): These are metalized BOPP barrier films that are corona treated on both sides and can be used for duplex as well as for sandwich lamination in snack foods, shampoo sachets, dry milk powder and powdered drinks sachets/packs, where loss of moisture is a concern.
- High Speed Barrier Films with High Hot Tack (HSB): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films have a High Hot Tack and Low SIT which enables FFS machines to run at a higher speed, thus helping improve productivity.
- High Seal Strength Barrier Films (HSS): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films have been specially designed for packaging applications requiring high seal strengths.
- Ultra High Barrier Films (UHB): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films can be used to substitute aluminium foil since they offer a MVTR < 0.15 g/m2.day and OTR< 0.1 cc/m2.day
- High Metal Bond CPP Films (HMBS): These metalized Cast Polypropylene (CPP) films have been specially designed for packaging applications requiring high interlayer bond strength for making multi-layer laminate structures. The film offers high metal bond strength (>400gf/inch).
- High Barrier CPP Films (HB): These metalized CPP films have been designed for applications requiring OTR <30cc/m2.day, MVTR<0.3g/m2.day, high heat seal and hot tack strength.
Transparent Barrier Films:
- Aroma Barrier Films (AB): These are transparent barrier films typically used for coffee/tea, spices, chewing gum and perfume boxes overwrapping.
- Aroma & Oxygen Barrier Films (AOB): These transparent films have both excellent moisture and gas barrier properties and are used for packaging of cream biscuits, chocolates, chips and snacks with some dose of fatty content.
- Ultra High Barrier Films (UHB): These transparent films have excellent moisture, aroma and gas barrier properties and are used to convert 3 layer laminates to 2 layers for packaging of aromatic and fat content rich products like dry fruits, nuts, spices etc. These films also offer mineral oil resistance.
Each product in the FMCG industry has its own characteristics and property, and Cosmo Films’ range of Barrier Films caters to each one of them. Be it providing barriers from moisture and air or keeping the aroma intact, we have a film to solve all your requirements.
Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Key Benefits of Flexible Packaging
Convenient & Lightweight
- Flexible packaging solutions, available in forms like pouches, are easy to carry & store for consumers.
- Features like zip locks and spouts add to its usability, making the consumer’s life easier by reducing the necessity of transferring its content into another container post opening.
- These are light in weight and take less space. This makes transportation easier, drastically reducing the cost involved in shipping compared to heavier goods.
- Since these are lightweight, it makes them less prone to damage.
Spoilage is one of the major concerns, especially in the food industry. According to FAO of the United Nations, food spoilage due to inferior packaging results in almost 1/2 of total food wastage across the world. To prevent this, companies have increasingly started using Barrier Films, a type of flexible packaging. These flexible films facilitate food safety by:
- Acting as Barrier: Certain types of flexible packaging act as barriers against outside elements like moisture, chemical and gases incl. oxygen which may otherwise become the reason for food degradation.
- Preserving Inside Contents: While it does not allow entry of outside elements, it also keeps the inside aromas & food freshness intact.
- Improving Shelf-Life: It increases the shelf life of food products by leveraging material that can aid in maintaining appropriate temperature and controlling the transmission of gases & other elements.
All around the world, there have been various myths around this concern. Here’s why flexible packaging is beneficial for the environment as compared to other solutions:
- Use of flexible packaging reduces greenhouse gas emission as it consumes comparatively less power while being manufactured as opposed to its substitutes.
- Both its production as well as transportation (since it’s easy to carry & lightweight) require less energy and make for a cost-effective & environment-friendly solution.
- Its production involves less use of resources like fossil fuels and water.
- It can be reused and recycled.
Cost-Efficient
Not only is it easy-to-handle & environment friendly but it’s a cost-effective solution too making it preferable for the manufacturers.
- It has a higher product to packaging ratio. This means that fewer resources are required in production of flexible packaging.
- Even in the case of multi-layered films where material required for production increases, these eventually save the cost incurred by preventing food spoilage and wastage.
- They are highly durable and reduce losses caused by tampering.
Customizable & Innovative
Flexible films can be moulded into any shape or form. The commonly used materials for this purpose are polyethylene, chloride and polyolefin. These can be easily converted into stand-up or lay-down pouches, or any other form of packaging.
- It enhances the look with its glossiness and clarity.
- It gives graphic designers & marketers the opportunity to make the most out of the visual presentation, giving the product a competitive edge over the others. The designer can place his imagination & design freely anywhere on the package.
- It offers amazing print quality so that the design could be brought to live effectively.
With multiple producers in the market, it becomes hard to pick one. However, for Cosmo Films, a global brand accredited with prestigious national & international awards, one need not think twice. The company produces a variety of packaging films with versatile applicability & superior features. For more details, head over to the Cosmo Films website.
Sunday, 17 May 2020
Labelling: Techniques and their Comparison
Some of the most commonly used labels are In Mould Labels, Pressure Sensitive Labels, and Wrap Around Labels. Let us take a look at each of these labels in detail, and how are they different from each other.
In-Mould Labelling (IML)-
In Mould Labelling is one of the labelling techniques that works byputting the label inside the mould at the time of the moulding of the container only. To put it in simple words, IML unites the decoration process along with the moulding process, resulting in low manufacturing cost in the long run.
Pressure Sensitive Labelling (PSL)-
PSL is a three-tiered labelling technique that includes a facestock, an adhesive, and a release liner. The resultant label is first printed, laminated, die-cut, peeled off and then applied to your product.
Wrap Around Labelling (WAL)-
WAL is a technique that extends the label around the whole object and wraps it. The two ends are glued together through a hot melt adhesive. It is commonly used for labelling bottles and jars.
Shrink Sleeve Labels (SSL)-
Shrink sleeve technology optimizes the printable label area with 360-degree graphics, while accommodating extreme container contour. This flexibility is applicable to virtually any shape or size container on a variety of films.
The above table draws a comparison between all the commonly used labelling techniques. One can see that all the mentioned techniques vary according to their features and functionalities.
To conclude the comparison, it can be said that all the labelling techniques vary according to their functionalities and customer’s requirements. Therefore, it is crucial to understand your needs and then make a decision. IML, PSL, SSL or WAL- all four of them possess different set of features, so choose the one that fit your requirements the best.Cosmo Films carries a vast portfolio of labelling films so that the customers can get an opportunity to choose from a variety of options. Their portfolio of PSL films has Clear, White, Metalized, Matte and Repositionable films; for IML Films they have White and Metalized varieties while for WAL Films they have White, Metalized and Pearlized varieties to offer.
Thursday, 26 March 2020
Importance of OPP Lamination Film for Premium Packaging
It is very common to take note of the developing number of applications with lamination that can upgrade a way of life today. Daily Activities, for example, purchasing fresh products from the stores and hypermarkets require picking the best of produce that has been kept new on the rack before purchase. This is the place, where quality Lamination utilizing Oriented polypropylene films is required. Fresh created package in OPP, gives shoppers the affirmation that the best consideration was taken to keep up the freshness of the products from its farms to the shelf.It is very common to take note of the developing number of applications with lamination that can upgrade a way of life today. Daily Activities, for example, purchasing fresh products from the stores and hypermarkets require picking the best of produce that has been kept new on the rack before purchase. This is the place, where quality Lamination utilizing Oriented polypropylene films is required.
Purposes
OPP Lamination Film isn't just applied on new products but also on a heap of things in the home, office, manufacturing plants, schools and ventures. Durable items need insurance from the regular taking care of or misusing by customers and laborers that may bring down the things' quality and worth. This much of the time occurs with show things in stores which should be discounted from the records after the season; this would be accounted as a misfortune for the organization regardless of whether the stock is put on blowout sales.
Favored Choice
Despite the fact that there are numerous sorts of film in the market to take into account the various kinds of uses, the OPP Laminating film is especially engaging in an assortment of uses. Its solid and strong plastic cover offers a more clear visual intrigue with a defensive capacity that can keep out dampness, air and other potential contaminants like residue and animal waste items.
The OPP Lamination film is extremely viable in delivering a great lamination that accompanies an unmistakable sparkle for the strength required on the secured item. This sort of film is astounding on reports that contain significant designs and assortment of textual styles that should be shown plainly. OPP films are uncommonly intended for marked applications in the market to keep up the exclusive requirements and quality that are synonymous with that brand.
OPP Features
OPP Lamination films are adaptable in their highlights and usefulness. They can be situated in a flat or vertical way relying upon the kind of cover machines they are applied on. This adaptability permits a different scope of business and insdutrial applications to be undertaken with ease.
Get more information about laminating film solution, visit cosmofilms.com .