BOPP film trends; Some technology implications

Abstract

Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) is an extremely versatile film that has demonstrated enormous growth in commercial usage over the approximately 40 years since its first introduction. A combination of material, web handling and process technology developments has continued to expand the range of film structures that can be produced. This has enabled polypropylene to cost effectively replace competing materials in many applications. Other than those companies with a pure low-cost producer strategy, BOPP manufacturers must introduce new products and extend their product ranges in order to maintain or increase their competitive positions. As new markets are identified, product line extensions commonly involve the introduction of new technology (eg for the development of very thick films). At the same time as diversifying the product range, even those suppliers with a differentiated product strategy must identify ways to contain or reduce manufacturing costs, while also increasing manufacturing flexibility.

In order to continue to accomplish these conflicting goals, further developments are needed in web handling and film making technologies. Specifically our ability to quickly, easily and accurately model equipment performance and film-equipment interactions must be extended. The range of requirements is broadened as film manufactures produce more complex film structures and strive to increase overall equipment performance (line speeds, uptime, waste reduction etc) across a diversifying product range, and customers process BOPP using many more downstream technologies (metallizing, printing, sheeting, guillotining etc).

The objective of this paper is to further illustrate these issues and to describe some of the progress made while also indicating priority areas for further work.