Apr 22 2005
Dazzling packaging performance, economic benefit and enhanced retail marketing opportunities can all be achieved using new Nexxstar resin formulations designed expressly for collation shrink (sometimes referred to as bundling or multipack) packaging films. These coextruded resin formulations (or film structures) are the second in a series of advanced, custom designed Nexxstar resin formulation packaging film solutions from ExxonMobil Chemical and can offer considerable benefits for both converters and brand owners.
With up to 70% of retail purchasing decisions made in-store on impulse, packaging has never before had so much influence on the product selection process. Because collation shrink films manufactured using Nexxstar resin formulations exhibit superior optical properties such as improved clarity, reduced haze and high gloss, they enhance product/brand appeal because print quality can be improved when compared to traditional shrink films. This brings new opportunities for marketing, branding, point-of-purchase (POP) and product promotion.
Additionally, collation shrink films manufactured using Nexxstar resin formulation technology exhibit excellent toughness for outstanding packaging integrity during transportation and handling and impressive stiffness for state-of-the-art high-speed packaging. This combination also provides an opportunity to further reduce the requirement for trays and other costly packaging components.
Significant value can be achieved by downgauging the film without compromising performance. Costs can be lowered by 10-15% compared to traditional shrink films and by more than 50% compared to paperboard.
Nexxstar resin formulated collation shrink packaging films are particularly suitable for the bottled water, beverage, detergent and personal care sectors where recent trends in retail marketing have led to multi-pack merchandising in supermarkets and bulk buying of packaged products from warehouse and club-store outlets.
Kurt Aerts, Global PE Films Segment Manager, ExxonMobil Chemical Company, said, "This is a major step change in the collation shrink, packaging market. Not only have we developed resin formulations that can provide economic benefits by taking advantage of downgauging and reducing nonessential secondary packaging, but shelf appeal of goods in the retail environment can be radically improved. This is an increasingly important factor in developing packaging materials as the trend towards multi-pack merchandising and bulk buying continues. Producing a film which maximizes branding and promotional opportunities is now essential as packaging is fast becoming the in-store, silent salesperson."
Incorporating two new, advanced Nexxstar HDPE and LDPE products developed expressly for high performance Nexxstar resin formulated shrink and Exceed metallocene linear low density PE, the technology has been tested on state-of-the-art packaging machinery at KHS-Kisters in Germany and at brand owners in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.
This innovation is a culmination of ExxonMobil Chemical's advanced polyethylene process and film application technologies which offer end-users and converters a new generation of enhanced, custom-designed, co-extrusion packaging solutions. Nexxstar consulting and custom design services are available upon request.
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