PaperBarrier

In front of increased requirements for a circular economy and material recycling (e.g. as a result of legal regulations and due to sustainability strategies of many companies), more and more mono- and/or recycled materials, bioplastics, or also fiber-based materials are used in bag applications. For a good quality processing at high machine speeds in the often intermit-tently running vertical form-fill-seal machines, coated papers require a process that is sensible on the packaging material handling, that realizes a damage-free forming and that have new processing windows compared to conventional packaging materials. In addition to the typical defects, like sticking, abrasion, wrinkling or even web breaks, coated papers have limitations in processing due to their low elongation and the increasing risk of damage to barrier properties.

The main objective of the Fraunhofer IVV of this project is to detect and evaluate the barrier properties of selected papers with special and functional barrier layers (after mechanical material stress at the critical points in the process). Furthermore, a correlation with the web tension profile, the friction coefficient and the forces acting during the forming process under processing-relevant web tension and velocities will be carried out. In front of this, current processing limits and optimization potentials for the process design can be identified. In the future, this will be the basis for research applications for the development of intelligent, adaptive process designs and (inline) monitoring of barrier layers as well as the control of existing and new developed actuators.