News Items - International Association of Packaging Research Institutes
| Norner invests in new pilot-plant equipment Norner in Norway has been investing in “state-of-the-art” equipment as part of its pilot infrastructure for blown and cast film and sheet, announcing in October the installation of a 7-layer cast/blown film extruder and a compounding line.  The extruder, from Collin Lab and Pilot Solutions in Germany, will run pilot trials with a range of materials, including barrier film structures, and was chosen because of its reliability and flexibility, says Norner. Films can also be run on machine-direction orientation (MDO) in order to investigate MDO barrier options. “Our target is to offer better services with a focus on circularity and recyclability,” says Asbjørn Noraberg, manager of the Application Pilot Centre at Norner. “With the new line, we can produce prototype films with even higher performance to support mono-material developments.” The line means that Norner can run trials, for example, on PE or PP films with an EVOH barrier layer. “It allows us to make experiments with any PE or PP on the market, and thereby tailor the performance with respect to sealing, toughness and stiffness,” market manager Ole Jan Myhre tells IAPRI. As well as blown and cast films, the line can produce cast sheet up to 550mm wide. Sheet for thermoforming can be produced in thicknesses up to 2mm. The 7-layer extruder represents the largest single investment in equipment made by Norner, says the polymer R&D provider.  The compounder, or twin-screw extruder, supplied by Coperion, Germany, joins three other compounding lines in Norner’s newly-opened Polymer Exploration Centre. The Coperion ZS18 MEGALab can run in three different length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios: 60, 40 and 20. As Myhre points out, the highest of these L/D ratios is ideal for running nanomaterials and other challenging modifications. “Another relevant topic is the modification of bioplastics,” he adds. “These materials are seldom a stand-alone solution, and need to be modified and reformulated including compatibilisers.” Published: 10/28/22 |