During the 2015 Global Pouch West Conference, Sun Chemical’s Robert O’Boyle, a product manager for coatings, will talk about how coatings can transform flexible packaging.

The presentation, to be delivered from 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, at the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove, CA, USA, will show how a combination of barrier coatings, laser marking solutions, and sensory coatings can enhance shelf life and meet regulatory requirements for safe food contact packaging while at the same time visually pop off the shelf. He will also discuss the added benefits of using coatings with multi-purpose inks.

Sun Chemical recently introduced its new SunSys resistance coatings, a series of water-based coatings formulated to impart or enhance resistance properties to paper and board substrates while at the same time being FDA compliant for direct food contact. Designed to provide resistance to water, grease/oil, industrial chemicals, extreme temperatures, scuffing abrasion, and friction, the SunSys line of aqueous coatings provide converters and brand owners an option to be able to offer a more sustainable and less expensive package, replacing traditional barriers used in the market, such as polyboards and pre-coated boards.

Sun Chemical’s SunBar Oxygen Barrier Coatings are designed to enable lightweighting of packaging by removing EVOH polymer layers from packaging, as well as offering improved laminate flexibility. SunBar is easily overprinted with inks and can be laminated to a variety of secondary films. SunBar is cost-effective, recyclable, biodegradable and press-ready, allowing for lighter-weight packaging, a reduced carbon footprint, and easy application with few changes to current equipment.

Using the senses to elevate package standout
Sun Chemical manufactures a wide range of coatings, including a variety of options for satin, matte and gloss printing, in addition to its SunInspire sensory coatings product line which offer special effects that allow a customer’s product packaging to stand out on store shelves visually through high luster metallic, fluorescent, glitter, pearlescent, as well as iridescent finishes. SunInspire tactile coatings, ranging from coarse and gritty to soft and smooth, appeal to the sense of touch. Other coatings offered can create an interactive experience with color shifting, reticulating, and other aromatic coatings.

Marking solution improves productivity
Sun Chemical’s SunLase laser marking solutions is a coating that enables brand owners to add content to both secondary and primary packaging information after the filling and closure of the pack, whether for practical supply chain purposes or as a late stage packaging differentiator. The SunLase solution prints a transparent or tinted coating onto a packaging substrate during the printing process. After the packaging has been sealed, variable coding graphic information, such as barcodes, QR codes, and “Use By” dates or branding, can be created using a low power CO2 or fiber laser to change the color of the patch to black where marked, with no risks to the packaged product.

Ink system maximizes efficiency
O’Boyle will also discuss how combining coatings with a mutli-purpose ink system can maximize pressroom efficiency. Suitable for surface print applications on a number of the commonly used flexible packaging substrates, Sun Chemical’s SunUno Solimax multi-purpose ink system will maximize press room efficiency while simplifying the overall print production process. Intended for surface printing and lamination for various end-use applications, such as lidding materials, medical laminates and food packaging for confectionery and snack food, these inks provide a single platform that can cover multiple end use applications and produce the shelf stand out and high quality packaging needed for today’s competitive industry.