SoftTouch
Flat Die (Sheet & Cast Film)
General Features
Bandera SoftTouch® – Advanced PP Film Extrusion Line
Enhanced Film Performance Compared with Standard PP
Bandera SoftTouch® is an advanced Flat Die extrusion line developed for the production of high-quality rigid and flexible PP films, integrating Cast and Calendering technologies.
Compared with standard PP film production, SoftTouch® provides production technology designed to achieve higher transparency and clarity, lower shrinkage, improved thermoformability, a more precise layer structure and enhanced mechanical properties.
The line can be configured for food and non-food packaging, barrier and non-barrier films, Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) and thermoforming applications.
Integrated Cast & Calendering Technology
The integrated Cast & Calendering technology at the core of SoftTouch® is designed to improve product quality and process control in PP films.
Depending on production requirements, the system can be configured with an in-line film lamination system. This feature enables different film structures to be created, particularly for FFS applications.
Extrusion Coating equipment can also be used to improve the processability of barrier resins and create a precise layer structure within the film.
Key Advantages Compared with Standard PP
The key difference of SoftTouch® technology is that it focuses not only on producing PP film, but also on improving the physical and processing characteristics of the product compared with standard PP.
Higher Transparency and Clarity
SoftTouch® provides process technology designed to achieve lower haze and higher clarity.
This feature offers an advantage particularly in applications where the visual quality of the packaging is important.
More Precise Layer Structure
More precise formation of the layer structure in multilayer PP films enables different functional properties to be combined within the same film.
This structure provides flexibility to meet different requirements such as mechanical properties, barrier properties and thermoforming performance within the same product.
Easier Processing of Barrier Resins
SoftTouch® can be configured with Extrusion Coating technology designed to improve the processability of barrier resins.
This enables different material combinations to be evaluated for barrier PP film applications.
Lower Shrinkage
Low shrinkage provides an advantage particularly in PP film applications where thermoforming and dimensional stability are important.
Sustainable Down-Gauging
SoftTouch® supports down-gauging applications aimed at reducing film thickness in a controlled manner.
Maintaining the target product performance with lower film thicknesses provides an approach aimed at reducing material consumption.
Improved Thermoformability
PP films produced with SoftTouch® can be designed to improve the product properties required for thermoforming applications.
This feature is particularly important for rigid packaging and thermoforming applications.
Enhanced Mechanical Properties
SoftTouch® technology provides process solutions aimed at achieving improved mechanical properties in PP films.
Extrusion Flexibility with HVTSE®
The SoftTouch® line can be configured with Bandera's Highly Vented Twin Screw Extruder – HVTSE® technology.
HVTSE® is an extrusion solution designed to increase process flexibility and enable the processing of different materials.
This technology can also be used for the reprocessing and homogenization of recycled regrind materials.
Energy Efficiency and Production Flexibility
SoftTouch® technologies focus not only on product quality but also on production process efficiency.
Key advantages highlighted by Bandera include:
- Optimized energy consumption
- Rapid color changes
- Rapid recipe changes
- Overall Extrusion Equipment Effectiveness (OEEE®)
- Reprocessing of regrind materials
- Improved material homogenization
These features help increase process flexibility for manufacturers working with different product formulations.
Material Flexibility Beyond PP
Although SoftTouch® was primarily developed for PP film production, Bandera's product description states that the line has a flexible configuration that can also be used for different materials.
Depending on the configuration, production solutions can be evaluated for materials such as:
- PP
- PET
- PLA
- PS
FFS and Thermoforming Applications
SoftTouch® can be configured to meet different film production requirements particularly within the packaging industry.
Form-Fill-Seal (FFS)
Together with the in-line lamination system, films for FFS packaging applications can be produced.
Thermoformed Packaging
Thanks to improved thermoformability and low shrinkage properties, SoftTouch® can be used for thermoformed packaging production.
Food Packaging
It provides solutions for the production of rigid and flexible PP films used in food packaging applications.
Non-Food Packaging
It can be configured for different film structures and product characteristics in non-food packaging applications.
Industrial Packaging
It can be used for the production of PP films and packaging structures for industrial packaging applications.
Barrier and Non-Barrier PP Films
SoftTouch® can be configured for the production of both barrier and non-barrier PP films.
Thanks to Extrusion Coating technology designed to improve the processability of barrier resins and the precise layer structure, different functional layers can be combined within the same film structure.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | SoftTouch® |
|---|---|
| Technology | Flat Die / Cast & Calendering |
| Main Material | PP |
| Product | Rigid and flexible film |
| Film Structure | Barrier or non-barrier |
| Lamination | In-line film lamination |
| Extrusion Coating | Depending on configuration |
| Extruder Technology | HVTSE® |
| Regrind Processing | Depending on configuration |
| FFS | Suitable |
| Thermoforming | Suitable |
| Down-Gauging | Suitable |
| Other Materials | PET, PLA, PS, depending on configuration |
| Applications | Food, non-food and industrial packaging, FFS, thermoforming |
Line width, capacity, film thickness, layer structure, extruder configuration and other process parameters are determined according to the product to be manufactured and customer requirements.
Enhanced PP Film Production with SoftTouch®
Bandera SoftTouch® combines Cast & Calendering technology with HVTSE® extrusion technology, in-line lamination and Extrusion Coating solutions.
Designed to provide higher transparency and clarity, lower shrinkage, improved thermoformability, a precise layer structure and enhanced mechanical properties compared with standard PP film production, SoftTouch® is an advanced Flat Die solution for high-quality PP film production.
Bandera SoftTouch® – High-Quality PP Film Production Technology, Backed by Somplast.
Other Products
SoftTouch
