What is a flexible packaging material is?

A laminate, or in other words, a combination of layers of plastic film,  polymers, metal foil and paper, The layer are specifically chosen depending on the products to be packed and then bonded together using sophisticated.

Thus we have laminates that can be designed to package everything from foodstuffs to surgical equipment and protect them from environmental and physical harm.

A more cost efficient method of reproducing the protective properties of tins, can and jars has thus been found. The secret however lies in the concept of tailor made laminate. Like tailor made clothes, each products requires a laminate that's specially designed to suit it.

Consider the typical wrapper for a bar of chocolate. It has a high quality polymer film surface for good printing characteristics. The polymer also forms a barrier that keep out moisture and odorous gases, which a chocolate tends to a absorb.

Beneath, the polymer layer is reinforced by a layer of metal foil such as aluminum foil that completes the barrier against moisture and oxygen which attack the fat content of thechocolate.

Finally, the inner -most layer is a special grade of polyethylene (PE) that is in direct contact with the chocolate and has excellent sealing properties.

All these layers are bonded together by a completely odourless adhesive - once again because chocolate tends to absorb odour. Thus each laminate is product specific.

And the laminate that's idea to make a chocolate wrapper would be quite unsuitable for a bar of soap.

But the business of flexible packaging has to go beyond identifying product specific laminates: and Consider aspects like structural design of the pack, laminate-machine compatibility and selection of the right adhesives, solvents, printing inks and resins. A lackadaisical approach to these aspects could critically affect product shelf life and consequently affect consumer safety. A successful Flexible Packaging Materials thus has to go through several stringent tests before it is used commercially.