The different methods of coating for flexible packaging | KYMC
The coating is a process of applying a liquid form / molten form of the solution onto the moving substrate. Common film substrates used in flexible packaging and food packaging include PE, PP, and PET. In addition, paper substrate and aluminum foils are commonly used. The main benefit and purpose of the coating are to enhance the physical properties of the packaging such as transforming the packaging into a better barrier towards external factors to increase product shelf life. Another benefit and purpose of coating for packaging are to enhance the aesthetic presentation of the packaged product to increase consumer purchasing preference.
KYMC provides a portfolio of coating methods to choose from for flexible packaging and food packaging. At the high-level KYMC offers two different methods of coating solution which are roll application and pre-metered application. Roll application uses rollers to apply the coating liquid onto the substrate. The benefit of the roll application is the high process speed and the fast change over speed. For pre-metered applications, it uses a die head to control the exact amount of liquid that should go onto the substrate. The benefit of the pre-metered application is that it provides great precision, and it is also less prone to contamination as the die head is in an enclosed environment.
The commonly selected coating method for flexible packaging and food packaging is the roll application as packaging usually does not require very high precision for its applied coating. Moreover, the contamination level is less stringent when compared to other industries like semiconductors and electronics. Therefore, without the high precision and contamination free constraint, roller application is selected for its quick-change attribute.
The different roll application coating methods include direct gravure coating, reverse gravure coating, gravure offset coating, micro gravure coating, flexo coating, and four roller coating. A different roller type application will be selected depending on factors such as the viscosity level of the coating liquid, the required coating uniformity, the required coating speed, the coating thickness requirement, and the working range of viscosity level requirement and thickness requirement.
Talk to a KYMC representative regarding your coating requirement for flexible packaging or food packaging. KYMC will work hand in hand with you to work out a solution that best suits your need.
Article by Daywey Chen, KYMC
