Different Materials used in Flexible Packaging
Posted by Packaging Depot Staff on
As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest challenges is to find the perfect packaging for your products that will be very attractive for your market and at the same time provide protection from exposure to oxygen, moisture, and other harmful elements. That said, you must find the most suitable materials to be used in your packaging for your product. Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of flexible packaging.
Components of Flexible Packaging
Most often than not, your flexible packaging such as stand up pouches must have 2 to 3 layers of laminated film. A 2 layer laminated film is the cheapest type but provides the lowest form of protection from oxygen & moisture.
A 3 layer laminated film will usually consist of the following:
- Top Film – the outermost layer of the packaging where your brand is printed onto
- Middle Film – the layer that provides the protection from oxygen, moisture and other elements
- Inner Film – the innermost layer of the packaging that will come in contact with your product which is food grade and is heat sealable
Some products can make do with just the top and bottom layers (2 layer laminated film), forgoing the middle layer since the two layers are enough to keep the product in good condition. However, there are some products that need more than 2 layers of laminated packaging.
At Packaging Depot Manila, we can manufacture and provide all your flexible packaging requirements from 2 layer laminated film to the 3 layer or s 4 layer laminated packaging depending on your needs.
Materials for Flexible Packaging
Let’s break down the layers...
TOP LAYER
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
– a film that is clear, exceptionally strong, and provides a good barrier against oils and odors. This layer is widely used to print the logos of the packaging due to its high clarity and stiffness.
- Oriented polypropylene (OPP) – a film that also has excellent clarity/transparency for printing, has a high gloss and a good barrier to moisture. It can be substituted for PET. It is commonly used as the outer film for dry goods such as instant noodles.
- Nylon (NY) – is a component of food packaging films best used for the packaging of fresh meat or seafood, processed meat, cheese packaging because of its excellent barrier properties against oxygen. It also has good puncture resistance, high melting point and toughness at low temperature properties.
- Kraft – is a paper produced from natural fibers and is not generally used on its own for making pouches and other flexible packaging
MIDDLE LAYER
- Nylon (NY) – can be used as a top layer or as a middle layer where there’s a need for the packaging to have a high puncture resistance property.
- Vacuum metallized PET (VMPET) – is a PET film that has been metallized with aluminum. It provides a good barrier to light and oxygen and is used as an alternative to pure aluminum.
It has a smooth and glossier finish compared to aluminum but is slightly less efficient as a light/oxygen barrier. It is, however, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. It’s best suited to use this film for products that are fast moving and does not require a long storage period.
- Aluminum (AL) – is the best flexible film barrier against light, oxygen, and moisture to maintain the quality of your product. It is commonly used for products with long shelf life requirements and products that are very sensitive to oxygen and moisture such as powder products like milk formula, protein shakes and coffee.
INNER LAYER
- Polyethylene (PE) – is by far the largest volume packaging film used. It is mostly used where heat sealed packaging is required. It is the inner film that comes in contact with your food products and is food grade.
- Cast polypropylene (CPP) – is a versatile and glossy film that has a high tear and impact resistance, and heat-sealing properties, commonly used for solid food products. CPP is most commonly recommended for products needing high clarity packaging.
- Kraft – is a paper produced from natural fibers and is not generally used on its own for making pouches and other flexible packaging. Kraft papers will usually be combined with other films to provide the necessary protection from light, oxygen, and moisture.
Other Considerations
THICKNESS
Besides knowing what correct material to use for your packaging, you must also consider the thickness of your packaging. For flexible packaging such as pouches, gusset bags, or vacuum bags we measure the thickness using microns.
Just imagine, a human hair is around 70 microns. Flexible packaging can go as lower than 70 microns depending on your requirement. The higher the microns, the thicker the packaging will be.
At Packaging Depot Manila, we can manufacture your packaging based on your thickness requirements or we can recommend what are the usual thickness that you can based on your needs.
SIZE
When considering the size of your packaging, we, at Packaging Depot Manila, recommend measuring the volume of your product to find out the correct size of packaging for your product. Every product is different and as an example, a 100 gram sugar is not equal to 100 gram milk powder. The powder will require a bigger pouch compared to the sugar. This is why we use volume as the proper unit of measure and not weight.
You can use a measuring cup to find out the volume and from there, we can recommend possible sizes of pouches.
At Packaging Depot Manila, we have an array of packaging sizes to choose from and if we don’t have in stock what you need, we can customize the size for you.
FINISH
Finally, the last part is to consider how your packaging should look. How your logo should appear in your packaging as your brand will play a very important role in selling your product.
- Do you want it to be transparent?
- Do you want it to have a glossy or matt finish?
- What color do you want in your packaging?
- Do you need to have labels or stickers in your packaging or have it printed?
At Packaging Depot Manila, you can choose from ready made flexible packaging such as stand up pouches, vacuum bags, gusset bags, spout pouches and much more. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can customize them for you!
Guidelines in Choosing a Flexible Packaging at Packaging Depot Manila’s Website
Packaging Depot Manila has a variety of flexible packaging that you can choose from stand up pouches to vacuum bags, you name it. You can view the selection through our website.
When you click on a specific packaging, you will see its film composition in as seen below (sample details is of a Stand Up Pouch with Zip Lock in Kraft White):
The way it is written, the top, middle, and inner layers are determined from left to right showing that Kraft is the top layer, VMPET is the middle layer, and CPP is the inner layer. This type of pouch packaging is perfect for nuts, snack foods, grains, spices, or pet food products. You will see different size options when you visit the website.
Other pouch packaging options have more than 3 layers of laminated material as seen below (sample details is of a Stand Up Pouch with Zip Lock in Aluminum Matte Black):
MOPP is the top layer, NY and AL are the middle layers, and PE is the inner layer. This type of pouch packaging is perfect for food products that require a longer shelf life such as powders or coffee. You will also see different size options when you visit the website.
Key Takeaway
Each type of flexible packaging will have different characteristics depending on the type of materials used, the number of laminated layers, the thickness, the size, and the packaging’s outer finish.
At Packaging Depot Manila, we can help you find the right packaging based on your requirements as an entrepreneur. You can choose from our ready made packaging bags or you can have it customized to tailor fit your packaging needs.
For assistance, contact us through the following channels:
Mobile Numbers:
- +63 966 900 7103
- +63 917 817 1831
- +63 923 806 4016
- (02) 7799 5315
Email Address: sales@packagingdepotmanila.com
Website: https://packagingdepotmanila.com/
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