In collaboration with Brückner Maschinenbau with their advanced film stretching technology, Japanese FP Corporation, a leading manufacturer of food containers, has developed the world’s first ultra-high-rigidity biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) sheet.

Management representatives from Brückner and FP Corporation.

This partnership has optimized FP Corporation’s material as well as Brückner’s LISIM technology (Linear Motor Simultaneous Stretching) to produce high-class thick BOPP films for a variety of applications, ranging from food containers to industrial uses such as for the automotive industry.

World’s first ultra-high-rigidity BOPP sheet

The ultra-high-rigidity BOPP sheet have the characteristics of both PP and biaxial stretching:

• Inherent characteristics as PP: Light weight, chemical resistance, recyclability

• Characteristics from biaxial stretching: Transparency & high gloss, high rigidity & toughness, cold resistance

The sheet also exhibits excellent formability, decorativeness and mono-material characteristics.

With superior cold and heat resistance, the new BOPP sheet can produce food tray for frozen and microwave food.

The new sheet can be used to produce food tray.

The sheet, with a thickness of 150-300 micron, exhibits excellent mechanical features such as high rigidity and high toughness. When used for In-Mold Labeling (IML), rigidity and toughness of the molded article can be significantly enhanced. Thus, the amount of injection resin can be decreased to 20% by mass in order to attain the same level of mechanical strength of the conventional IML article.

Moreover, if the sheet is decorated with printings on injection side, it can produce a decorated IML article that contributes to paint-free system. This makes the IML article suitable for automobile parts and other industrial parts.

The material is also applicable to automotive uses, such as car side mirror.

Laminated OPP sheet

The laminated OPP sheet, with a thickness of 1-3 mm, features transparency, mechanical strength, and light weight. It is suitable as building material, including windows, waist-high walls, carport roofs and solar panels.

Furthermore, when arranged as a decorated sheet, it can be used in several fields such as automobile exterior, automobile interior, housing & furnishings. In particular, when used as exterior material for automobile, it also enables paint-free system.

New production plant in design phase

The new OPP sheets have already received positive recognition across various industrial fields. FP Corporation is currently designing a new plant to start production in late 2027, with plans to market these products through alliances with related industries.