Dow and Nordmeccanica to accelerate flexible packaging development through innovation and business partnership

Adhesives specialist Dow and Nordmeccanica, which develops coating, laminating and metallizing machinery, see enormous potential to advance the flexible packaging industry by combining adhesive development with machine pioneering that target new technologies for faster commercialization to market.

‘This formal development agreement reflects another milestone in Dow’s strong commitment to the adhesives industry, coupled with the strong participation in the flexible packaging market through our polyethylene and specialty resin offerings,’ stated Greg Bunker, global business director of the Dow Adhesives for Packaging, Textiles and Hygiene business unit. ‘It truly builds on Dow’s tradition of collaboration across the industry to accelerate innovation to market, taking advantage of Dow's back integration in polyurethane, acrylics and polyethylene.’

Vincenzo Cerciello, Nordmeccanica technical manager, added: ‘We truly believe in the power of these two companies to drive innovation. Technology these days is in fact so advanced that innovation is the result of the combined efforts of multiple players. With this strong collaboration we will continue to fuel the growth of the flexible packaging industry that touches almost everyone's life on the planet. This industry is also one of the most significant to drive sustainable packaging development, with the most efficient material usage, as well as reducing food waste along the global food supply chain.’

New developments can be expected from the joint collaboration through Dow’s Pack Studios in Mozzate, Italy, an innovation and technology training center that offers a large collaboration space and hosts an industry-scale Nordmeccanica Super Combi 3000 laminator line. This allows international customers to test, prototype and bring forward innovation in packaging lamination without interrupting their own commercial production. The collaboration agreement between Dow and Nordmeccanica will also enable similar capabilities added to other Pack Studios locations around the world. Pack Studios provide customers with an opportunity to leverage Dow’s expertise, broad product portfolio, and product and application testing capabilities to accelerate the development of new products. Pack Studios also connect customers with Dow’s global network of capabilities, and enable collaboration across the value chain, from resins and lamination, to packaging design, converting and prototyping.

Dow and Nordmeccanica are already working on joint projects in order to bring several new technologies to market in 2016. The first will be presented at drupa 2016, where both companies are exhibiting.

Read more about developments in coating and laminating in L&L issue 2, 2016

Read a comprehensive preview of label and package printing technology to see at drupa 2016 in L&L issue 2, 2016