Film Lab, Film Testing and Analysis

Film Lab

The John Cook Packaging Research Lab

Polymer Chemistry Applied to Packaging

Optimize your unique product’s flexible packaging with in-depth analysis, research, testing, and consulting.

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CURRENT MATERIAL ANALYSIS

When it comes to film applications, the first thing our team does is perform an audit of the current materials and application processes.

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TESTING CAPABILITIES

Our state-of-the-art testing equipment and team of packaging experts determine the ideal packaging for your unique applications.

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REPORTING

Film specialists analyze data gathered during testing to make recommendations for a better performing film or to help troubleshoot an existing problem.

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FOLLOW THROUGH

Once we’ve determined the best films to use for your application, we follow up with training, monitoring, and technical service.

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Our Film Lab is dedicated to longtime Atlantic Polymer Chemist John Cook. John began researching and innovating upon polyethylene resins in the 1970s, and his knowledge of packaging materials was instrumental to starting and running our Film Lab.

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CASE STUDIES

Take a look at how we’ve been able to help our customers solve problems, improve efficiency, and save money.

Film Lab Videos

THE ATLANTIC PACKAGING FILM LAB

We’re dedicated to studying and testing the properties of all types of films used in packaging applications. One section of the lab is devoted to stretch film, while the remainder is devoted to the testing of polyethylene film, bags, and sheeting, including shrink wrap. Overall, the Film Lab represents a tremendous source of value and potential for our customers.

The lab is equipped to determine film properties and collect data on film performance to sustainably optimize your unique product’s packaging. Our goal is to find the right material and application process to match a customer’s specific needs.

Our data collection at varied prestretch levels for stretch film properties – such as puncture resistance, load compression, tear propagation, and load containment – allow us to make film recommendations to our customers with the confidence that these will result in optimal performance, improved efficiency, and cost savings.

At Atlantic, we are committed to your success. The work we do in our Packaging Film Lab delivers measurable results for long-term positive outcomes.

FILM LAB INFO SHEET

WHAT WE OFFER

Knowledge, Savings, & Performance

CURRENT MATERIAL ANALYSIS

When our sales personnel, engineers, and technicians first meet with a new customer regarding their film usage, they begin by auditing the current operations and variables: the type of film used, the film application process, the equipment settings, and the condition of the equipment.

The results of this audit are taken to our Film Lab for evaluation. Based on the data gathered during the audit, alternate films are tested in the lab to find opportunities for a more optimal film for the particular application.

Typically, we can present a customer with a proposal for a new film, upgraded or serviced equipment, and new application settings that will improve product protection, reduce overuse of material, and save money. (See our Case Studies Section below for examples).

THE TESTING

Testing in the Film Lab

The goal of our Film Lab is to gather data, utilize the knowledge and experience of our film technicians, analyze the results, and make recommendations that match the best film to a particular application.

Our film testing equipment allows us to optimize your product’s packaging with in-depth analysis, research, testing, and consulting.

Click Here to Download Our Film Lab Info Sheet

FPT-750

Provides a realistic simulation of the stretch film application process and offers a variety of capabilities

Ultimate Stretch: Determines the stress strain behavior of stretch film at a given line velocity by increasing prestretch in increments up until the film’s failure point
Film Consistency: Tests a stretch film’s quality for any gels or defects that may cause premature breakage at any given prestretch level
Wrapper Test & Wrapper Consistency: Measures the stress strain of stretch film using the specific dimensions of a customer’s pallet and the RPM of their equipment
Puncture: Measures the force and energy required to puncture stretch film at a designated prestretch and total stretch level
Relaxation: Measures how the winding force of a given stretch film increases or decreases over time based on total stretch level
Cling: Determines the cling between two layers of stretch film at various levels of prestretch, film tension, and total stretch

Universal Testing Machine

Tests the tensile, peel, coefficient of friction, adhesive strength, and seal strength of packaging materials

Hot Tack & Seal Tester

Measures the hot tack and heat seal properties of films and flexible packaging with a range of pressures, temperatures, dwell times, and peel rates

Digital Microscope

Provides and records high-quality imaging with a magnification of up to 2000x

Thickness Tester

Measures a sheet of material’s thickness up to 40 mils thick

Elmendorf Tear Tester With Spencer Impact Attachment

Calculates a film’s impact, puncture, and level of initiated tear resistance in the material flow direction and perpendicular direction

Dart Drop Test

Measures the impact and puncture resistance of films and other packaging materials

Shrink Oven

Used to determine a film structure’s free shrink or planar dimensional changes by heating the film above its collective melting point and allowing it to cool to room temperature

Film Footage Counter

Measures the footage of film dispensed from a subject roll as it is wrapped around a new core to demonstrate shrinkage due to release of winding tension

Stretch Film Test Cube

Measures film tension, load compression, puncture resistance, puncture propagated tear resistance, and load containment at various prestretch levels

THE RESULTS

The test results from our Film Lab pinpoint film properties as applied to specific conditions. Our material specialists analyze test results to match the best films and the best applications of those films for optimal performance, material reduction, and cost savings.

OUR FILM LAB TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF SETTING UP AN APPLICATION

Film usage is based on the variability of the application. How film is being used, how equipment is set up and monitored – these conditions vary for each film application. We can use our Film Lab to simulate these conditions and come up with the best film at the optimal settings to achieve high performance and minimal waste.

THE PROBLEM

Typically, we find that customers are over applying film. This happens for several reasons. The equipment may be degraded, they may be using non-optimal wrap patterns or application processes, or they are applying the same amount of film to different loads or products of varying weights and dimensions.

THE SOLUTION

At Atlantic, we specialize in providing high-quality, high-performance films that are engineered for maximum load containment and consistency. Because of the testing we perform in the Film Lab, we can illustrate these film properties with data. With our specialized stretch film testing equipment, we participate in the development of new stretch films, working not only with film manufacturers but also with the producers of the resins used to fabricate stretch films.

THE BENEFITS

Our films are designed to be the thinnest films on the market with superior load containment capabilities. This allows us to offer our customers significant savings in terms of costs through providing secure load containment (less damage or failure), production improvements (reduced roll changeovers), and a positive environmental impact (less plastic in landfills).

FOLLOW-UP

We recognize that our work in the Film Lab and our work to get our customers set up with the right films and the right equipment are not “one and done” projects.

Our team focuses heavily on training all shift operators on the proper equipment settings and operating procedures for stretch wrapping machines, shrink equipment, and flexible packaging applicators. We also have the ability to track stretch film application consistency through the installation of our own patented MUST Stretch Wrap Monitoring System to measure stretch film usage against benchmark standards. If there are variations from the benchmarks, operators are alerted immediately.

In addition to training and monitoring, Atlantic has a team of over 30 technicians available throughout our service area to perform preventative maintenance for long-term optimal performance, to troubleshoot any issues, and to help ensure that packaging operations are set up to handle growth and fluctuations in production. (See more on our Technical Service program.)

JOHN COOK

Our Packaging Research Lab is dedicated to longtime Atlantic Polymer Chemist John Cook. John set up our lab and was instrumental to developing our Flexible Packaging Research Program.

During his time with Dow Chemical in the 1970’s, John led a product development team that introduced Dowlex polyethylene for both molding and film applications, including the resin used to produce the first LLDPE based, high-performance stretch wrap, Mobilwrap X.

His work at Mobil Chemical in the 1980’s contributed to the development of cast LDPE for food packaging and blown and cast LLDPE for flexible and industrial films including stretch wrap.

Throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s, John helped develop industry leading stretch films for Linear Films (now AEP) and Pliant Corporation, later acquired by Berry Plastics. A number of leading stretch films were developed under his direction, including ADW and ADU at Linear and R122, R410, folded edge Stratos cast handwrap, and Stratos machine films at Pliant. John also worked in the development of trash can liners, coextruded food packaging films, laminations, and PVC flow wrapper films.

John’s knowledge and experience has impacted so many of us at Atlantic. He has guided and educated the next generation of material specialists in testing and researching films and flexible packaging to assist our customers in optimizing their packaging for performance, material reduction, and cost savings.

CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDY #1 – DOWNGAUGING

A customer wrapping heavy unit loads (~2,000 lbs) had a history of struggling with load failure and product damage. They were using an 80 gauge stretch film under the assumption that a heavy gauge film would provide better containment in response to the damage and heavy weight of their pallets of products.

Through our extensive studies of films and their behavioral dynamics during application, we have learned that in most cases heavier films are more likely to lead to load shifts during transit. This is primarily due to heavier films having a higher corresponding ultimate stretch potential, which leads to not enough strain and stretching during application by stretch wrappers.

We have used our learnings and testing abilities in the Film Lab to design high-performance stretch film that has an ultimate stretch level more closely paired with the capability of most wrappers in the field. Because of this development, we were able to demonstrate to the customer that a lower gauged, high-performance stretch film can provide more containment per revolution when compared to the heavier film being used.

From Film Lab to Packaging Solution Center, a wrap pattern was developed that provided 30% more containment with 25% less film weight.

CASE STUDY #2 – PCR SHRINK FILM

Clear shrink bundling film is a common material utilized to bundle multiple items for manufacturing and retail environments. In many cases customers never even see this clear shrink film. As we look for opportunities to use post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin – clear shrink film stands out as an obvious application.

With the test equipment in our Film Lab, we were able to show a customer a 1.75 mil clear shrink with 40% PCR that matched the performance of their 2.5 mil clear 100% virgin resin shrink film.

We used our lab equipment to measure puncture, tear, tensile, coefficient of friction, and free shrink for a full mechanical attribute profile of the shrink films.

From Film Lab to Packaging Solution Center, we used our Douglas Shrink Bundler to apply the PCR shrink film around the customer’s products, stacked and wrapped to thir specifications. When tested side-by-side with the virgin shrink film they utilized, we were able to prove no performance loss, and in some instances performance gained, in moving from virgin to PCR resin material.

In one visit to the Packaging Solution Center you can validate material properties, application conditions, and dynamic responses in transit.

THE AUDIT

When our sales personnel, engineers, and technicians first meet with a new customer regarding their stretch film usage, they begin by auditing the current operations to evaluate their stretch wrapping operations, including the load properties and variables, the type of film used, the wrap pattern, film application, the equipment settings, and the condition of the equipment.

The results of this audit are taken to our Film Lab for evaluation. Based on the data gathered during the audit, alternate films are tested in the lab to find opportunities for a more optimal film for the particular application.

Typically, we can present a customer with a proposal for a new film, upgraded or serviced equipment, and new application settings that can save significant amounts of money and put out a better performing wrapped pallet that avoids load failure (see our Case Studies below).