Laser perforating for packaging films

Telford, Shropshire, UK - TCL Packaging, a UK-based provider of printed flexible packaging films, has developed a turnkey system in collaboration with Rofin-Baasel UK for high-speed laser micro-perforation and scribing of its printed packaging films.

The system has three scanning heads each with Rofin two-axis technology, said to make it capable of perforations down to 0.1 mm in size and in any pattern. Lasers operate along and across the web to facilitate fast, complex and highly flexible designs of microperforations.

"This creates films that maximize shelf-life for an increasing variety of fresh food products, each with unique storage conditions," the company says.

The same system also scribes packaging films through just one layer of laminated films, which is said to be good for tear off strips, offers, and separate sections, while protecting the integrity of the contents. Scribing also facilitates easy opening for consumer convenience.

"This new high-tech laser equipment will enable TCL to provide a much wider range of packaging solutions from one system. This will improve flexibility and turnaround and increase our capacity by around 200%," said TCL managing director Mike Golding.

The new system will be integrated into existing slitting equipment at TCL Packaging’s Telford factory early in 2014.

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