Sun Chemical and acpo, ltd., will showcase its expanded offering to promote smart and cost-efficient solutions for narrow web, flexible packaging converting, at Labelexpo 2017, September 25-28 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. The two companies have worked together to develop coated films for the narrow web and label market and will showcase the jointly developed films at Labelexpo for the first time.

Sun Chemical, a manufacturer of printing inks, and acpo, ltd., a coater of flexible films, partnered in 2016 to meet the growing demand from brand owners and flexible packaging converters for high barrier transparent packaging and ultra-high barrier metalized (foil replacement) films. By combining acpo’s self-wound films and Sun Chemical’s SunBar Aerobloc oxygen barrier coatings, any label printer with a lamination unit will be able to print and convert these films into pouches, bags or roll stock, for packaging oxygen sensitive products, such as nuts, snacks, nutrition bars, meat, cheese, spices and pet food. This can be done without the need to invest in new machinery. The Aerobloc oxygen barrier coating will be directly coated onto acpo film, making it just as easy as using a standard film.

SunBar Aerobloc oxygen barrier coatings are chlorine free, easy to recycle and highly resistant to flex cracking, which results in package barrier loss. They also offer converters cost-effective, durable, sustainable films that support long shelf life, creating a smooth, pinhole-free and flexible layer that van be easily over printed with inks and then laminated on to a variety of secondary films. The SunBar coated films from acpo, ltd. provide converters with clear, high-barrier film structures.

“We’ve been working with acpo for almost a year now supplying them with our SunBar Aerobloc oxygen barrier coatings. Following the success we’ve had coating and supplying various films for flexible packaging converters during this time, we are now delighted to offer coated films for the narrow web market,” says Michel Vanhems, Functional Coatings Product Manager at Sun Chemical. “Flexible packaging in narrow web is an important and growing trend. However, for traditional label printers looking to reap the benefits of this market area, as a completely different field of application, it can bring with it its own set of complexities in managing laminate structures. Through our collaboration with acpo, ltd. we can simplify this by introducing a turnkey solution for a number of narrow web packaging applications.”

Currently one acpo coated film is available with SunBar Aerobloc oxygen barrier coatings, with plans to expand the coated barrier films product line in the near future.