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Journal articles
19th European PLACE Conference highlights challenges of balancing sustainability with product protection, TAPPI Journal July 2025
ABSTRACT: The European PLACE (Polymers, Laminates, Adhesives, Coatings and Extrusion) Committee was founded in 2023 with the goal of continuing a biennial conference for the flexible packaging and converting industry, including converters, OEMs, raw materials suppliers, and academia. Previous iterations of the PLACE Conference were organized by TAPPI, but the new European Place Committee has now found a home within bdvi e.V. (Bund Deutscher Verpackungsingenieure), which is the Association of German Packaging Engineers, a registered nonprofit organization.
Journal articles
Local delamination in pharmaceutical blister packages • A thermomechanical theory on buckling of heat-sealed composite laminates in flexible packaging, TAPPI Journal July 2025
ABSTRACT: Pharmaceutical blister packages consist of cavities made from a thick polymeric form foil and a thin aluminum lid foil. Heat-sealing technology is usually used to bond the lid foil to the form foil. Occasionally, the sealed area shows buckling defects of the lid foil, which allow contamination to enter into the cavity. A contaminated product is a worst-case scenario for pharmaceutical production and must be avoided. We discuss a thermomechanical theory on buckling defects in blister packages and derive strategies to avoid these. The theory is based on the assumption that the seal of a blister packaging behaves like a laminate of thin composite layers under compressive load. Literature research on buckling of thin laminated films, thermal behavior of polymers, and seal strength of heat-sealed polymers provides the technical and physical background to elaborate the theory. The theory comprises three elements: an initial condition regarding thermal load and precedent defects; a buckling condition; and a crack propagation condition. The plausibility of the theory is verified using model calculations and heat-seal tests. The paper concludes with strategies against buckling of heat-sealed lid foils and an outlook on other applications in laminating and coating of polymer films.
Journal articles
Data-efficient determination of machine-specific process windows in thermoforming using the example of PCR materials, TAPPI Journal July 2025
ABSTRACT: In an industrial context, process windows for thermoplastics in thermoforming processes are still often determined through time-consuming trial-and-error approaches. This results in increased effort when commissioning new machines, implementing new technologies, or substituting sheet materials. One key reason is the lack of methods that allow for efficient, process-related assessment of material behavior and a quantitative definition of a “target state” of the heated sheet in relation to geometry and process conditions. In this study, we present the In-Situ Thermoforming Characterization (ITC) method as an application-oriented approach that enables format-independent evaluation of material behavior directly within the forming station of a thermoforming system. The method was successfully applied to a material substitution case, replacing conventional virgin polypropylene (PP) with post-consumer recyclate (PCR) — in this case, recycled PP (rPP) — in the production of a defined cup geometry. The results enabled the transfer of existing process knowledge from the virgin material to the recyclate, thereby accelerating material qualification. Based on the collected data, material behavior under process conditions could be mapped within the design space, making it possible to identify machine settings that deliver equivalent forming results in our test setup. Overall, the method shows strong potential for efficient and precise determination of machine-specific process windows.
Journal articles
The case against oxidation as a primary factor for bonding a
The case against oxidation as a primary factor for bonding acid copolymers to foil, "the PLACE", December 2000
Journal articles
Creative problem solving, "the PLACE", December 2000
Creative problem solving, "the PLACE", December 2000
Journal articles
Hot melts in the graphic industry - current trends and future ideas, "the PLACE", October 2002 (354KB)
Hot melts in the graphic industry - current trends and future ideas, "the PLACE", October 2002 (354KB)
Journal articles
Contact mechanics and the science of pressure sensitive adhesion, "the PLACE", September 2002 (224KB)
Contact mechanics and the science of pressure sensitive adhesion, "the PLACE", September 2002 (224KB)
Journal articles
Curl in multilayer pa/pe file, "the PLACE", April 2003 (218KB)
Curl in multilayer pa/pe file, "the PLACE", April 2003 (218KB)
Journal articles
A new enhanced polyethylene for extrusion coating and laminating, "the PLACE", August 2003 (355KB)
A new enhanced polyethylene for extrusion coating and laminating, "the PLACE", August 2003 (355KB)
Journal articles
Permeation processes in barriers and membranes: complementary differences, "the PLACE", February 2003 (336KB)
Permeation processes in barriers and membranes: complementary differences, "the PLACE", February 2003 (336KB)