AMI Specialty Packaging Films Asia 2015 conference to be held in Singapore next March

Applied Market Information (AMI) announced that its Specialty Packaging Films Asia 2015 conference will be held from March 17-19 next year in Singapore.

AMI Consultant Charmaine Russell will present his findings on the global flexible packaging markets. As said, Asia Pacific has the fastest growing packaging demand in the world with China driving much of the marketplace.

There is a global realization that a few grams of plastic can protect large quantities of fresh produce and save a great deal of food, pharmaceuticals, and other commodities from being wasted, according to AMI.

From India, Printpack Packaging Supplies is involved in the emerging trends and applications for high barrier sheet. Liquid storage is increasingly converting to more flexible packaging for cost and space reasons: the prize winning company Parakh Agro has specialty films and laminates for packaging of liquid food products from milk to cooking oil.

The increasingly global nature of the packaging market is bringing large players to the fore, and Cosmo Films is building a worldwide business in specialty biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films.

Layered films combine the properties of different polymer materials and keep down costs. Bandera Luigi Construzioni Meccaniche has versatile blown film machinery to produce quality barrier films, while energy consumption can be reduced with technology from Piovan.

Laminated film can be produced using technology from Davis-Standard. A sealant layer can be incorporated in film using polymer from companies such as ExxonMobil Chemical and Dow Chemical.

Converters use inks and functional barrier coatings from companies such as DIC (Shanghai) and Toyo Ink (Japan) to make labels, bags, sachets and pouches. Easy peel, consumer-friendly polymer options are available from DuPont (Korea).

Packaging design provides the opportunity to maximize consumer appeal and ease of use, but it must incorporate a degree of price awareness. The leading flexible packaging manufacturer in Malaysia, Daibochi Plastic and Packaging Industry Berhad combines these factors in new product development.

Sustainable packaging is another hot topic among the industry. Plantic Technologies from Australia is producing high barrier bio-based films, combing a long shelf-life and lower carbon footprint.

Over in Vietnam Lotus Chemical Technology is examining biodegradable polymers for flexible packaging. In Indonesia PT Inter Aneka Lestari Kimia has developed a starch-based, oxygen-barrier, lamination layer.  The conventional barrier layer materials include EVOH available from Kuraray Asia Pacific, and polyamide from BASF.

Product safety is also of high priority particularly for food and pharmaceutical products. The Chinese regulatory authorities are currently implementing a range of legislation, which affects packaging materials and this is being reviewed by Keller and Heckman, LLP (China). There have been discussions about Halal certification of packaging and these are being led by Gimdez in Turkey.