Clondalkin Flexible Packaging, Kirchberg (clondalkingroup.com), the specialist producer of shrink sleeves, die cut lids and lidding foils, launches an ultra-thin shrink sleeve. The Switzerland based company (former Nyco Flexible Packaging) reports breakthrough developments in down gauging their shrink sleeves.

Clondalkin Kirchberg is an independent supplier of shrink sleeves offering different grades of material for different applications. Over the last two years the company has invested heavily in research and development for thinner sleeves.

The company announces it has brought down its OPS sleeves to 40My and PET sleeves to 30My.

“We are very excited that we have completed this development and that we can now offer thin gauge sleeves to the market. We've had an extremely positive response to the sleeves from our customers. The new sleeve helps customers to reduce both unit costs, as well as the environmental impact of their packaging. It is not only the reduction of the material that contributes to achieving this. The application of thinner sleeves also requires less energy to make the sleeve shrink around the container or bottle. In addition, the new OPS has an improved gloss that enhances the graphics on the sleeves,” says Sander Kool, sales and marketing manager at Clondalkin Kirchberg.

Shrink sleeves offer the brand owners the opportunity for high end packaging aesthetics and superior design potential to make their product stand out on the shelf. In a production environment the shrink sleeve needs to have stability and constant shrink behaviour. These two elements have proven difficult to combine when the gauge of the film is being reduced.

Tobias Hirschi, technical product manager at Clondalkin Kirchberg, explains, “These new generation foils provide excellent stability on the sleeve lines, especially on conical yoghurt pots and bottle applications, where the first production runs show that the run ability is second to none. The 40 Micron OPS for instance has the same stability as 50 Micron alternatives. Also the film has no static and the performance of the sleeve machine has improved despite the thinner gauge. Hence this development brings major improvements in the application of the sleeves.”

The thin gauge foils of Clondalkin Kirchberg have been available since the start of 2016.