Packaging Solutions. Explore new possibilities with Aurora special effect film

Transcription

1 Packaging Solutions Explore new possibilities with Aurora special effect film We invite you to explore the many moods of Aurora special effect film from subtle to striking and sophisticated to playful. Discover the excitement it can bring to your products. Choices range from distinctive packaging, labels and displays to fanciful gift wrap. Aurora s flexibility allows a wide range of sought after results. It can be combined with various packaging materials. The composition of eye-catching effects offers a great latitude of creativity. With Aurora special effect film you can make the ordinary visually fascinating. Differentiation at point of sales Developers and users of innovative packaging solutions are faced with the many significant technical challenges of effectively bringing a product to the marketplace. Depending on the nature of the product to be packaged, the problems that can be encountered are diverse and, therefore, require a diverse set of solutions. When you think about all the different technologies employed in an extremely effective innovative packaging system, it is amazing that today s high tech packaging requirements can be met in a cost-effective fashion. Yet cost is an extremely important factor due to the very nature of packaging. It is usually only required to get the product to market and, therefore, is often a recyclable or throwaway item with a very finite enduse requirement. Materials must be chosen carefully to allow for adequate but not over-performance. For example, when choosing a colour pigment for a plastic packaging application, the colour will need a certain level of light stability. It is unlikely, however, that the level of colour stability required for a packaging application will be anywhere near as great as that required for an exterior automotive application. Therefore, a formulator who chooses a colour with the correct level of light stability will usually have a cost advantage over someone who uses an automotive grade pigment, which provides more performance than is actually required. Aurora special effect films: High gloss and reflectivity Beautiful film with more of a gold reflectivity Broad range of colours Can be combined with various packaging materials. Areas of application: Packaging Carton laminates Film laminates Sachets

2 2 Packaging solutions Aurora special effect film Another example of the importance of choosing the right material can be illustrated when considering effect materials. On the surface, it often appears that special effect materials are relatively expensive compared to other packaging materials. However, it has been demonstrated in many studies that attracting the consumer s eye is of extreme importance in building brand recognition and increasing market share. Using effect materials such as pearlescent pigments and effect films, combined with standard colours and various printing techniques, all represent important methods employed in building brand equity. Effect materials can also be used in anticounterfeit and brand protection strategies. Holographic films were once commonly employed (and in some cases still are) as an overt means of brand protection. This type of easily visible security device at one time provided a barrier to counterfeiters. Another example of the evolution of security measures is the use of shrink films for tamper evidence. Not so long ago, a piece of shrink film placed over a closure gave a certain level of overt tamper evidence protection. Now, anyone with a piece of oriented polystyrene or PVC and a hair dryer can easily shrink a piece of film over a closure giving the appearance of safety. Since counterfeiters are becoming more advanced, brand owners are now adopting more sophisticated brand protection strategies, often consisting of multi-level covert and overt security measures. These employ various types of special effect pigments and films, taggants and even chemical markers. Since no security strategy can provide 100% guaranteed counterfeit protection, it is important to use a number of different methods to provide barriers to entry for a counterfeiter and make it more difficult for the counterfeiter to be able to duplicate the package exactly. When designing a package, it is very important to choose materials that give adequate performance without over-engineering so that the package remains cost competitive. When choosing special effect materials, try to go for eye-catching, brand building looks using materials that can also be employed to create brand protection, anti-counterfeit and tamperevident functionality. Aurora shrinkfilm Adds functionality to unique and eye catching effects for packaging Shrink label for contour packaging: fastest-growing segment in label industry. Offers 360º graphics and applicable to intricate shapes. Special polymer combination provides high shrink percentage Unique in the world. Patented technology (US, EU, China). Shrink wrap bottles with Aurora special effect film. Consumers are very visual and creatures of habit. They often go down store aisles looking for their familiar brands and don t even notice more than half of the products on the shelves. An average trip to the supermarket can bombard the consumer with 30,000 items fighting for attention. According to research, the products that are noticed have only one sixth of a second to connect with the consumer. One sixth of a second to convince hurried shoppers to take a second look means that the enticement almost must be visual appeal since it is difficult to read anything significant in this time frame! The importance of colour is well known and there are many studies showing preferred packaging colours for specific demographics. One highly effective method to distinguish your product from another is to use various types of special effect materials which can offer an interesting or unique visual aspect to the package. Special effects used in packaging create visual glitz that can catch a consumer s eye and make them want to examine the package more closely. If the consumer actually picks up the package, research has shown that the longer he or she holds it, the greater the chance that they will buy it. Special effect packaging is a powerful communicator that enhances the important interaction between product and shopper. Many different types of special effect materials are in use today including holographic films, special effect pigments, special effect iridescent films, metallic and even lenticular effects. All of these are employed to catch the consumer s eye and thereby increase market share and brand strength/equity. Volumes can be written on each type of these special effect materials. Due to the constraints of this article, just a few words on some of the more important effects are included. Design with unlimited colour palette Aurora special effect film is a dynamic new medium that gives product designers, marketers and manufacturers a whole new array of choices when it comes to developing memorable applications. Choices range from distinctive packaging, labels and displays to fanciful gift wrap and household goods. Aurora s flexibility makes a wide range of sought after results possible from soft, subtle effects achieved by emphasizing muted transmission colours to vibrant, eyecatching effects using intense reflection colours. With Aurora special effect film you can make the ordinary visually fascinating. Lamination to a white background gives a pure reflection colour at the specular angle. Transmission colours appear at other angles as light passing through the film reflects from the white substrate and passes through the film a second time. Lamination to a coloured background retains the reflection colour but changes the transmission colour. Lamination to a black background intensifies the reflection colour because the black substrate absorbs the transmitted light. A wide variety of pigments and dyes can be incorporated to achieve a wide range of optical effects a soft satin look or an intense high gloss finish. Crumpling or embossing the film adds texture, creating facets and add sparkle, brilliance and enhanced multicoloured effects. Overprinting the film with opaque inks or stamped foil makes adjacent areas of the film appear more iridescent by contrast, and by printing with transparent ink, a filtering effect is created that modifies both reflection and transmission colours.

3 3 Packaging solutions Aurora special effect film Aurora special effect iridescent film engineered for performance Special effect iridescent film brings iridescence, sheer colour and motion to packaging and labels. It creates eyecatching shine and multi-colour play. Aurora special effect film is engineered so that white light striking the film partially reflects from each layer. Constructive How it works The colour and intensity of reflected light vary with film geometry and optical properties. Microlayer thickness and refractive index control the wavelength of colour reflected. Simply increasing the number of layers in the optical core or the difference in refractive index of the polymers used increases the intensity of the reflected light. Colour at any point in a film is determined by the predominant wavelength of reflected light, expressed as: λ = 2(n1 t1 + n2 t2) / M Where λ is the reflected wavelength for light falling perpendicular to the film, t1 and t2 are the layer thickness of the polymers 1 and 2, n1 and n2 are the refractive indices of polymers 1 and 2, and M is the order of the reflections, e.g. first or second colour. Destructive Interactions between the reflected rays reinforce some wavelengths and dampen others; the net result is that white light is separated into complementary colours. Some are returned to the viewer and others travel completely through the film. Iridescent film can appear on several colour combinations, which refer to the reflected colour patterns. This reflection colour is most intense at the specular angle (i.e., where the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence). Sophisticated structure and optics create multicolour effects Aurora special effect film is produced utilizing proprietary coextrusion technology to generate the requisite number of polymeric streams. The optical core of this complex film structure contains more than 100 microlayers, consisting of a pair of alternating polymers having dissimilar refractive indices. Two outer skin layers surround the optical core. The optical core is responsible for generating the light interference pattern known as iridescence, which is the same effect seen in mother-of-pearl, opals, and peacock feathers. Remarkably, these polymer layers in the optical core are thinner than wavelengths of light. Typical polymers utilized for the core include polyester and PMMA nm 10-5 nm 10-4 nm 10-3 nm 10-2 nm 10-1 nm 1 nm 10 nm 100 nm 10 3 nm = 1µm 10 µm 100 µm 1000 µm = 1 mm 10 mm = 1 cm 10 cm 100 cm = 1 m 10 m 100 m 1000 m = 1 km 10 km 100 km Gamma rays Ultraviolet < 370 nm Violet nm 53 nm range Blue nm 25 nm range Blue Green nm 30 nm range Green nm 55 nm range Yellow nm 50 nm range Orange nm 40 nm range Red nm 125 nm range Infrared > 770 nm Wavelength X-rays Ultraviolet radiation Visible light Infrared radiation Microwaves Radio waves Electron microscope view 9000x Thickness of individual layer: nm A red/green film will appear red when viewed at an angle perpendicular to its surface. As the angle of viewing increases, the film will turn from red to green and then to blue as the wavelengths of light grow shorter. As the angle of viewing increases, the reflected wavelength of light decreases. This phenomenon produces a dynamic colour play that can include the entire visible spectrum as consumers walk past Aurora film-labelled products or as objects are turned when held. When the film is placed against a white background, the transmitted light reflects from the background and passes back through the film. These transmission colours that reflect back through the film appear as muted, pastel shades. The same effect can be observed when film is held between the eye and a light source. The film s outer skin layers are thicker than the layers in the optical core and are thus largely responsible for the mechanical properties of the film. The skin layers can be extruded using one of the optical core polymers or a third polymer can be used to give the film specific properties such as toughness or printability. Typical surface layer polymers include polyester and linear low-density polyethylene. It is the thickness of the optical core that determines the reflection of the colour of the finished film. During the manufacturing process, the total film thickness and the average colour are continuously monitored and controlled. Extremely small variations in the inner core microlayers give the film its multicolour appearance. Standard Aurora films have either 113 or 226 microlayers in the optical core 226-layer films have greater colour density than 113-layer films.

4 4 Packaging solutions Aurora special effect film Special effect iridescent film is unique because it can also deliver these effects discreetly. For example, it can be used to create today s popular no-label label, but with a twist. While bringing colour and motion to the label, the film s transparency allows manufacturers to showcase products in clear containers or even to showcase the container itself. This is particularly important in today s market, which emphasizes see-through applications. How does this special effect film work? A single sheet of iridescent film can consist of up to 226 microscopically thin layers. Each layer reflects and transmits light independently to create the rainbow or shimmery effect we see. And, as our viewing angle changes, so do the brilliant colours we see. In packaging, iridescence is achieved by laminating the film to labels, paper, plastic bottles or paperboard. The actual colour of the film can be controlled by several techniques. The substrate can be used to determine the colour seen by the consumer. Or, the film itself can be tinted. The film can also be laminated with a colour adhesive or coloured by using transparent inks. All create special effects that dazzle the eye. The films can be used in a number of different ways for packaging and can be shredded for filler or chopped for glitter. Glitter and film can also be used together. Across all product categories, consumers were more apt to be drawn to a package with iridescent film by an average of 14 percent. More than half the consumers in the survey said the products featuring iridescent film were more distinctive and unique than products in existing packaging. In short, innovative, special effect packaging works! Film s flexibility enables many applications Aurora special effect film is extremely flexible in both, mechanical strength and the ability to adapt to many different applications. Some films work well in unsupported applications such as store displays and artificial flowers, while others can be laminated to paper and plastic. Aurora films also can be configured for reflection and transmission colours and colour intensity, heat and solvent resistance, mechanical strength and other properties. Aurora special effect film holds its original colours as long as the individual layer s thickness does not change. In heat processes, the film s heat resistance limitations should be noted to avoid colour changes due to stretching or excessive heat exposure. Aurora special effect film has a number of important mechanical attributes: It is totally compatible with technologies for pressure sensitive labels. It conforms to squeezable, semisqueezable, and rigid containers. Film can be engineered to withstand tearing, moisture, abrasion, and solvents. Film maintains its integrity for the life of the product. It can be readily engineered to navigate the complex curves and unique textures associated with cosmetic packaging in particular. Most important, the film provides an upscale look that captures the consumer s attention. We underwrote an independent survey to evaluate the eyecatching ability of special effect iridescent film in personal care product label designs. The results were: First, labelling enhanced with iridescent film provided powerful shelf impact. Second, it increased purchase intent. And, third, it enhanced brand imagery. Cost Finally a word about cost. Of course cost is an important aspect of any package design. A package is often a recyclable or throw-away item with a limited lifetime requirement and therefore, it is difficult to justify increasing cost unless this can be directly linked to selling more product. In the increasingly competitive store shelf environment, it costs a lot more to go unnoticed than it does to augment or enhance the visual appeal of your package. Due to the increased costs involved in the past, marketers commonly used an in and out strategy. The initial introduction of a new brand comes with special effect packaging. Then, after a period of time often in the range of 2-3 years, the marketer switches to a more conventional material. This approach is still sometimes employed, but there are risks associated with the switch back to more conventional packaging since some consumers may mistakenly get the impression that the product has changed. This can damage recently pledged brand loyalty. Another increasingly important means of addressing the cost concern of these special effect materials is to seek to gain an additional benefit. This is often a form of brand protection or an anti-counterfeit strategy. Many special effect materials are used for overt brand protection. Optically variable pigments and holograms are the most notable initially, but their success, especially holographics can be their downfall. A knock-off of a hologram can now occur almost overnight! Therefore, some of the best strategies employ various special effect materials combining overt and covert elements that offer brand recognition and eye catching shelf appeal as well as anti counterfeiting and brand protection functionality. Aurora special effect film offers an excellent unlimited colour pallet for all your needs.

5 5 Packaging solutions Aurora special effect film Standard Aurora special effect film* applications guidelines Formulation / Applications Unsupported film for store and window displays, and other non-critical applications such as short rolls, sheeting, shred or Easter Grass, filler, tissue stuffin and overwrap. Do not use for lamination. Designed for lamination to conventional polyethylene film for shopping bags and flexible packaging. Also used for ribbon, bows and non-critical laminated cloth applications. A heat-resistance film used in adhesive-laminated, unprinted applications. Principal use is for slit, decorative thread. Also used for doll clothes, garland, ribbons and bows. A possible lower-cost alternative to 8181 in laminated applications where some loss of heat and solvent resistance can be accepted. Also used as an unsupported film for displays and wrapping where clarity and stiffness are desired. Used for general purpose laminations to paper and plastic has been laminated to paper and paperboard for packaging cartons, greeting cards, menus, display signs, wall-covering, labels and decals has been laminated to PVC for handbags, belts, wall-covering, shower curtains, tinsel, garland and lampshades can also replace 8511 in most applications is a 230-layer version for applications where a thicker, stiffer film is desired for unsupported applications or for more intense transmission colours. Used primarily for glitter is used in general purpose decorations, PVS, plastisols (balls, flooring) and Christmas items: snow, ornaments, tree decorations and skirts. Used for glitter where solvent resistance is required, such as in Nail Enamel formulations is formulated to be free of heavy metals such as Antimony, to be compliant with most cosmetic regulations. Similar to 8601 with higher surface gloss for superior optical effects. Outstanding clarity. Special combination of polymers with a PBT skin. Used to maximize refractive index difference. Intense peak reflection: 30 %+ Aurora standard. Specifically designed to produce shrink label sleeves. With up to 65 % shrinkage, this film can be used to produce unique and striking color effects to almost any shaped bottle. General characteristics Lowest cost special effect film. Softer hand due to polyethylene content. Excellent toughness. Fair scuff and mar resistance. Fair heat and chemical resistance. Soft film with good toughness. Polyethylene surface treated on one side. Slightly hazy. Good heat resistance. Excellent solvent resistance. Polyester surface limits printability. Good clarity and see-through. Good gloss. Good heat and solvent resistance. Excellent clarity and stiffness. Polyester surface limits printability. Good printability. Good delamination and mar resistance. Fair to good chemical and heat resistance. Can be heat laminated to PVC offers greater stiffness in the unsupported state. 226 layers provide more intense colour effect compared to standard films. Formulated to facilitate cutting into fine particles. 226 layers provide more intense colour effect, similar to is adhesive laminated to oriented polypropylene designed for use in highly reflective ribbons and bows has low haze and a glossy surface (DiamondFire ) is characterized by it very high color intensity. Used for Sequins or other applications such as higher quality packaging for cosmetic goods. PETG skins for excellent printabillity. Can be sealed by the same method as standard PETG shrink films. * User should always test film to determine suitability for its particular application.

6 BTC Speciality Chemical Distribution GmbH Cologne Germany BASF and BTC pooling our expertise. BTC Speciality Chemical Distribution belongs to the world s leading chemical group, BASF The Chemical Company. BTC is BASF s European sales organization for speciality chemical distribution. The company s seven regional subsidiaries supply customers from numerous industry sectors all over Europe with about 4,000 high-quality chemicals and specialities. Our strengths lie in our knowledge of the industry, based on many years of experience, and our proximity to our customers. Together with them, we develop tailor-made solutions, making sure that they benefit from a single contact person and one-stop service. They also profit from the unique advantages of the BASF Verbund in terms of logistics and product availability and from the individual service provided by our local contacts. Success through partnership Take the lead with BTC speciality chemicals. Contact details Dirk Kinzel Phone +49 (0) Fax +49 (0) Mobile +49 (0) dirk.kinzel@btc-europe.com