Futureproof – meeting today’s and tomorrow’s packaging challenges
From 24 to 26 September 2024, the European packaging industry will be gathering at the FACHPACK trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany. In Hall 4A, Stand 306, Sappi, a leading manufacturer of packaging papers and boards, will be showcasing its extensive portfolio of new products from the flexible packaging, wet glue label, paperboard and containerboard segments.
The theme of Sappi’s trade fair presentations this year is ‘Futureproof’. With this motto, the company is underscoring its position as a leading global provider of renewable packaging materials. Sappi is a supplier who is well aware of its environmental responsibility and continuously driving the sector forward.
• Flexible Packaging: Guard ICC, Guard OHS and Guard Twist Gloss complement Sappi’s innovative, sustainable functional paper portfolio
• Wet Glue Label: New Parade Label WS label paper, wet-strength and alkali-resistant for returnable bottles, such as beer, mineral water and soft drinks
• Paperboard: Algro Volume pumps up the volume and really delivers on strength, functionality and printability – all in one package
• Containerboard: Fusion Topliner and Fusion Embossed ensure a perfect look on both corrugated and solid board
FACHPACK is a key meeting place for the European packaging industry. As a world-leading supplier of sustainable packaging materials, Sappi will be showcasing its extensive portfolio of outstanding, high-quality products in Hall 4A, Stand 306.
Three new barrier papers for food and non-food applications
Sappi has unrivalled expertise in functional papers for flexible packaging applications. For more than a decade, the company has been producing packaging papers with integrated barriers against oxygen, grease, water vapour, mineral oil, aromas as well as heat-sealing properties to ensure maximum product protection. Thanks to the integrated barriers, no additional coatings or laminations need to be applied – meeting the current demand for alternatives to films and plastics. Sappi is expanding its portfolio of functional papers with the new Guard ICC, Guard OHS and Guard Twist Gloss papers, which will be introduced at FACHPACK.
Guard ICC is a packaging paper with a barrier coating on both sides. It was developed for flexible packaging applications where dimensional stability and protection on both sides are required. Available in a grammage of 110 g/m², Guard ICC is used in the food sector, especially for packaging ice-cream cones. Guard OHS, is a paper with a superb vapour and oxygen barrier: It is tailored to the needs of confectionary packaging with integrated heat-sealing, therefore meeting both heat and cold seal requirements. The product is available in Natural, Silk and Gloss print side versions, and is suitable for flexible packaging applications such as flow wraps, sachets and pouches for the food and non-food sectors. The third paper in the line-up of innovative new products is Guard Twist Gloss: The one-side coated paper with a barrier coating on the reverse side was developed primarily for twist wrap applications in the confectionery industry, such as sticky sweets or chocolate. The new paper has exhibited very good runnability results in top and double twisting.
Sappi will also have its broad portfolio of uncoated and coated products on display, highlighting their excellent conversion properties for flexible packaging applications. At the Fachpack fair, the company will be introducing the new Algro Finess C paper ideally suited for many wrapper applications in the coffee and food sector, such as snacks and confectionery. It excels with its high-quality look, and superior printing and converting properties – and was developed specifically to reduce and prevent unsightly cracks. The company’s wide range of uncoated flexible packaging paper will also be on display: The matt optic and unmatched paper haptics meet the trend towards a more natural look & feel for flexible packaging.
A new wet glue label paper for returnable bottle applications
The wet-glue label paper Parade Label WS is a wet-strength and alkali-resistant paper that guarantees outstanding printing and finishing results thanks to its high-quality surface. The glossy paper is available in grammages ranging from 65 to 80 g/m2. Sappi is also presenting a linen-embossed version for the first time at FACKPACK. In different qualification processes, Parade Label WS demonstrated outstanding labelling performance. The excellent printing and finishing results ensure high shelf impact and brand differentiation.
To ensure that the properties of Parade Label WS are perfectly adapted to industry requirements, Sappi carried out and completed in-depth practical validation trials with selected customers since the end of last year. Following this qualification phase, the paper is now widely available on the market. Parade Label WS is produced at the Gratkorn (Austria) mill where Sappi invested a double-digit million euro amount to expand its label paper business in the long term.
Meeting the highest demands: Algro Volume rounds off the Algro paperboard family
The premium boards from the Algro Design product family, which have been on the market for over 20 years, are coveted for their immaculate look & feel. They are ideal for packaging applications in the luxury fragrance, cosmetic and confectionery sectors. The latest addition to the portfolio is Algro Volume, a premium paperboard with full coated top side, which pumps up the volume and fully delivers on strength, functionality and printability – all in one package.
Available in both sheets and reels, Algro Volume is perfect for premium packaging and demanding graphic applications, such as promotional material, covers, cards, tags and tickets. It supports a variety of finishing techniques, including embossing, varnishing, and foil lamination. Algro Volume is available in grammages ranging between 220 g/m² and 380 g/m² and is produced at the Sappi mill in Maastricht (Netherlands).
Fusion Topliner and Fusion Embossed for use on corrugated and solid board
Sappi’s Fusion portfolio is known for its impressive brightness, whiteness, superior printability and performance consistency. With the addition of the 200 g/m2 to the range, manufacturers can now transfer the product’s distinctive attributes to new applications, such as rigid box covers, sleeves, banderols and many more.
Fusion Embossed, the embossed version of Fusion Topliner, also boasts exceptional brightness, a high degree of whiteness and an elegant-looking, silky surface. It delivers brilliant embossing results, high stability and excellent creasing performance. Fusion Embossed is available in two distinct finishes, Linen and Denim, in grammages of 100 g/m² and 115 g/m². Since the launch of Fusion Topliner 200 g/m² and Fusion Embossed, the two new products have been successfully used by selected customers.
Investing in ‘Futureproof’
Whether in the form of the new barrier coating system at the Alfeld mill (Germany), the large-scale modernisation of the Gratkorn mill (Austria) or the commissioning of a second e-boiler in Maastricht (Netherlands) – Sappi has recently made a series of cutting-edge investments with which the company aims to position itself even more strongly as a reliable, sustainable partner. “We look forward to welcoming visitors to our booth, to updating them on our ever-growing portfolio and to having them experience the products of the future. FACHPACK is an ideal opportunity to engage in inspiring discussions with our customers and peers, and to bring to life exactly what ‘Futureproof’ means to us: Always proving ourselves as a reliable partner to our customers and providing innovations for a sustainable tomorrow,” confirms Michael Bethge, Sales Director Flexible Packaging at Sappi.
