Film manufacturers

Film manufacturers and their products

Products ranging from just a few µm in thickness to several millimetres are referred to as films. Film manufacturers process a wide variety of materials to produce films. Plastic films are often made from petrochemical raw materials, i.e. from crude oil. However, there are also films made from renewable raw materials such as cellulose or starch. Producers of metal films or paper-based films are also referred to as film manufacturers. In this text, however, the focus is on film manufacturers that produce plastic films in the broadest sense, even if the raw materials are not synthetic but renewable.

Types and materials of petrochemical plastic films

Film manufacturers produce a broad range of films for different requirements from raw materials derived from crude oil. The most important materials used in film production include:

• Polyethylene (PE) in different grades such as LDPE, HDPE or LLDPE. The preceding abbreviations mean “low density”, “high density” and “linear low density” and stand for soft and flexible, rigid and strong, and a mixed form of both qualities. The films are processed into packaging, bags, agricultural films and many other applications.
• Polypropylene (PP) is used as BO-PP, i.e. a biaxially oriented film, for food packaging, labels and many other applications.
• Polyester (PET) is also processed in the vast majority of cases as biaxially oriented film, i.e. BO-PET. The films are heat-resistant, dimensionally stable and tensile. They are suitable for a wide variety of packaging solutions and are ideal for technical applications.
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has disappeared from many applications, such as in the food sector, due to the chlorine compounds it contains. However, this transparent, stretchable and very stable film is still widely used for long-lasting applications, for example in construction or decoration.
• Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is a highly versatile material that plays an important role in particular as an interlayer film in laminated glass panes and for encapsulating solar modules.
• Polyamide (PA) is mainly used to give other films certain properties, such as mechanical strength or thermoformability. It also serves as an aroma and gas barrier and provides high puncture resistance, especially in vacuum packaging.

Types and materials of bio-based and compostable films

Film manufacturers are faced with increasing demand for films made from renewable raw materials, which ideally should also be compostable. Here are some of the most common materials:

• Polylactide (PLA), commonly also known as polylactic acid, is a material obtained from lactic acid and corn starch. The PLA film made from it is food-safe, and its good moisture transmission rate makes it particularly suitable for use in the food sector. However, these compostable films are also used in the non-food sector for packaging or as transparent windows.
• Diacetate film is made from wood fibres dissolved in acetone. This compostable film also has a good natural anti-fog effect and is therefore widely used in food packaging, but also in technical applications.
• Triacetate film, like diacetate film, is made from wood fibres, but these are dissolved in dichloromethane. The film is used in particular in special technical applications and in the optical sector. Films made from triacetate are only conditionally compostable.
• Cellulose hydrate is also obtained from the raw material cellulose. The product, also known as regenerated cellulose film or glassine paper, is best known under its brand name Cellophane. It is also compostable, but can also be disposed of with waste paper or thermally. In the packaging industry, it is currently gaining importance again for environmental reasons, after this oldest film material had been largely displaced by petrochemical films in the 1950s.

Metallized films and composite films

By laminating, coating or vapour-depositing with aluminium or other materials, or by combining different film materials, film manufacturers produce films for special applications. The barrier properties are adapted to the intended use of the products. Protection against oxygen, light, UV radiation or moisture is specifically modified by the additional layers of a plastic film. Film manufacturers must take into account a complex interaction of a wide variety of materials and additives.

The tasks of film manufacturers in interaction with industry

Film manufacturers deal with the material development and formulation of films. They select suitable raw materials and combine them with additives, auxiliary materials, colours and other materials. The films are manufactured using various processes such as extrusion, casting, blowing or calendering. The finishing of films by printing, coating, laminating or embossing is also part of the range of services offered by most film manufacturers. Another important task of a film manufacturer is quality assurance, in order to reliably implement legal requirements from the health or environmental sector and product characteristics requested by the customer. Another important task of the film manufacturer is application-related consulting for customers from different industries. This concerns product characteristics, but also processing options for the films offered, as well as required certifications and environmental standards.

Quality and safety requirements for film manufacturers

Film manufacturers must comply with strict legal requirements and high quality standards, especially when the films produced are used in sensitive areas such as food packaging or medical technology. Important areas that must be taken into account include:

• Food suitability in accordance with EU Regulation 10/2011 in Europe or FDA regulations in the US market, which define the properties a film must have when it comes into contact with food
• For this purpose, standardized migration tests must be carried out, which a film manufacturer must confirm by means of a declaration of conformity
• Barrier properties against oxygen, water vapour, light and UV radiation must be documented
• Mechanical properties such as tear and puncture resistance, elongation, temperature resistance and dimensional stability are presented by the film manufacturer in product data sheets
• Film manufacturers must also be able to provide their customers with information on properties such as gloss, transparency and other optical properties or printability
• For technical applications, the electrical properties of the different films play an important role
• Compostability, recyclability and sustainability of film materials are becoming increasingly important, as are certifications such as ISO 14001 for environmental management or ISCC PLUS for supply chain transparency

Importance of EU legislation for film manufacturers

In various regulations and laws, the EU is trying to limit plastic consumption. To implement these requirements, film manufacturers must find innovative solutions in various areas. The intended circular economy requires the recyclability of products and the development of mono-material solutions that function according to the design-for-recycling principle. The proportion of plastic in individual products must be reduced. Instead, the use of bio-based or paper-based alternatives is to be promoted. Extensive digitalization of production is required to control production, but also to increase efficiency. In order to meet these requirements, film manufacturers must bring sustainability into harmony with performance and the economic viability of their products.

Modern film manufacturers invest a great deal of money and manpower in research and development. A large part of the market is still covered by films made from classic petrochemical materials such as PE, PP or PET. However, sustainable alternatives are becoming increasingly important. Recycling solutions, alternatives made from renewable raw materials and intelligent material concepts are gaining more and more importance. This development is driven on the one hand by legal requirements at national level or from the EU, and on the other hand by changing consumer behaviour and the sustainability goals pursued by many companies.

Realizing sustainability goals for film manufacturers through innovation

The aim of film manufacturers’ sustainability efforts is to reduce material use without any loss of functionality. Thinner films that have identical or even improved mechanical and/or chemical-physical properties can save resources. To achieve this, film formulations are optimized, innovative additive combinations are developed and new extrusion technologies are created. In addition, efforts are being made to develop materials with a higher proportion of recyclates. Mechanically recycled plastics or chemically recycled raw materials are specifically integrated into new film structures. Ensuring consistent quality while reducing resource and energy consumption is the goal of these research efforts.

Film manufacturers develop mono-material composite solutions

An important topic in the development of new materials is mono-material composite solutions. While classic films with good barrier properties often consist of several layers of different materials that are difficult to separate, modern concepts focus on the pure use of a recyclable material. Coatings, plasma treatments or other innovative processes make it possible to achieve high oxygen and water vapour barriers even with mono-materials. Film manufacturers that rely on mono-materials make recycling significantly easier and thus contribute to a modern circular economy.

Film manufacturers are intensifying digitalization

The digitalization of production processes is an important component of innovation efforts among film manufacturers. Production parameters such as temperature, pressure, layer thickness or surface quality are continuously recorded and controlled automatically. Automated sensors and inline measuring systems help to minimize waste and increase energy efficiency. Process optimization based on continuously collected data improves and accelerates operating procedures and simplifies documentation obligations towards authorities and customers.

This area also includes the integration of intelligent functions into the products of film manufacturers. Electronics printed on films, RFID tags integrated into films or temperature-indicating indicators open up new possibilities in the fields of logistics, product safety and product traceability. These so-called “smart packaging” solutions combine specific material properties with digital technology.

Film manufacturers are increasingly producing special films

Films equipped with special functions are becoming increasingly important on the market. In medical technology, films with antimicrobial surfaces are often required. In agriculture, UV-blocking agricultural films are used. For electronic components, antistatic films are required on the one hand, while electrically conductive films are needed for other applications. In the construction industry, films are needed as vapour retarders or vapour barriers, as well as sealing films for very different requirements. In the food industry, films with barrier effects are adapted to a wide range of product requirements. Film manufacturers focus on improving shelf life, product protection, barrier performance and product presentation.

Film manufacturers use bio-based drop-in solutions

Bio-based drop-in solutions are plastics made from renewable raw materials that are product-identical to conventional materials. This has the advantage that existing machinery does not have to be converted in order to process the films. This applies, for example, to BIO-PP (polypropylene) or BIO-PE (polyethylene). They can run on the same machinery as the previously used petrochemical-based materials. The use of bio-based drop-in solutions by film manufacturers improves carbon footprints without production processes having to be completely changed.

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