Cast MDO-PE film for recyclable mono-material flexible packaging
Machine Direction Oriented Polyethylene film (MDO-PE film) plays a key role at the production of easy-to-recycle mono-material structures for flexible packaging.
SML’s latest cast film lines with integrated MDO unit enables manufacturing MDO-PE film with excellent optical, mechanical and barrier properties. The film can be easily laminated to mono-material structures, for example with CPE sealant film on a FlexPack line from SML.

Cast film lines with integrated MDO unit from SML.
“Cast MDO-PE films exhibit excellent printability and have been successfully tested on both Flexographic and Rotogravure printing systems. Metallization is possible without any complications even with ultra-thin MDO-PE films,” stated Elias Mayrhofer, Product Manager at extrusion line manufacturer SML.
The cast MDO technology allows the production of a wide variety of different types of MDO-PE film, including ultra-thin film down to 15 µm with five-layer structure, seven-layer structured 17 µm film with an EVOH barrier layer of less than 1 µm, and up to 65 µm MDO-PE film for extended application areas.

Ultra-thin MDO-PE film down to 15 µm with five-layer structure.

Seven-layer structured 17 µm MDO-PE film with an EVOH barrier layer of less than 1 µm.
Additionally, manufacturing MDO-PE film in the cast process allows direct integrating a sealing layer. This makes it possible to produce a completely ready-to-use film straight off the line, for example for products such as stand-up pouches.
Generally, MDO-PE films produced in a cast process attain an excellent level of transparency. A superior film quality is reached through optimum flatness and the ideal distribution of thickness during production.