Collation Shrink Film

The development of collation shrink films is driven by the growing demand for beverages. The beverage market made up nearly half of all PE collation shrink film demand in Europe in 2006. High growth is partly the result of the increasing popularity of multi-pack canned drinks.

The market is expected to continue to grow in terms of square meters of film used, but a reduction in terms of film weight (and volume of material used) due to further down-gauging is predicted. 

Collation shrink film is stretched during its production. This stretched collation shrink film is wrapped around the object (can, box, bottle, etc.) and heated in a shrink oven. The plastic film then collapses around the goods and holds the single packs together.

Some of the main characteristics that are required for film applications in this market segment are:

• good shrinkage due to a well-balanced film and high shrink force, 
• load retention resistance that requires stiffness,
• excellent puncture resistance,
• an anti-sticking package,
• good welding properties,
• excellent optical properties such as low haze and high gloss that result in a brilliant print appearance,
• down-gauging potential for cost savings.

Choosing the right material for collation shrink film

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) currently dominates the collation films market segment with its good shrink behavior, especially in trans-direction (TD). However, Borstar® LLDPE exhibits significant benefits over LDPE. When our Borstar LLDPE is blended with other Linear Low Density Polyethylene and High Density Polyethylene, it offers the highest performance on all key shrink parameters for collation shrink films.

This optimised performance is characterised by: 

• higher stiffness resulting in good cutting, higher converting speed and down-gauging potential,
• high cold shrink forces giving excellent protection and stability of the content,
• low hot shrink forces resulting in no holes in the film while in the shrink tunnel, 
• high penetration energy to withstand sharp objects,
• high clarity and gloss resulting in attractive display and excellent visibility.