Duraflex packaging
Product information
Duraflex is a highly strong material produced from 3 layers of polypropylene film. The thermoformed core, distinguished by a repetitive pattern of cells, is enclosed between two flat solid layers. All layers are combined and sealed during in-line extrusion, therefor they do not contain any glue or additional bounding agents.
The sandwich-type structure gives the material equal resistance over the entire surface and provides outstanding protection and shock absorption features. The inner cells size can vary depending on the thickness of the material which is available between 3-30 mm. These rigid polypropylene aircell boards offer an excellent ratio between the material’s high strength and its low weight, making it suitable for designing a large variety of handling and transport packaging.
Material density, of up to 6000 g/m2, recommends Duraflex for the highest stability and durability demands in transport and handling of products and small equipment. Duraflex can be optionally treated with different additives to achieve flame retardant or electrically conductive properties, as well as UV-rays resistance. Furthermore, it has a good thermal resistance and is unaffected by moisture and most chemicals.
Comparison to other materials that are used in packaging
Duraflex material offers an extended life to the designed packaging, which obviouly makes it a great alternative to one-way solutions. Due to the empty cells core, it is more cost-effective than compact plastic sheets becouse it requires less material in its construction. At the same time, it is lighter than the solid panels with the same thickness, which enables an easier handling and important weight reduction of the entire packaging unit.
Corrugated plastic sheets need to be bended – for packaging purposes – only perpendicularly to the channel direction. If they are bended along the channel direction, the final packaging might be less stable or lasting. Duraflex offers maximum resistance to the final packaging, no matter in which direction it is being bended.
Compared to corrugated carton boards, our 3-layer polypropylene panels are much stronger and stable and this advantage stands out even more when the products need to be stacked. Duraflex packaging can take up really high loads without compromising the safety of the inner packed goods or the one of the users. In certain applications, it is the desirable alternative when the products need to be protected from moisture or contamination with harmful substances. Moreover, its surface offers the possibility to stick a wide variety of identification or warning labels that can easily be removed or replaced upon use.
Compared to wooden versions, Duraflex packaging imposes no shipping restrictions and no special maintenance. At the same time, it weights less than the crates and containers produced from wood. In contrast to the metal packaging, which are heavy and noisy, Duraflex can be easy and silently used in any application and it offers, in addition, corrosion and rust resistance.
Converting possibilities
Trends in industrial packaging are rapidly changing under the influence of continously developping technologies that allow companies to improve their manufacturing and converting processes. Our close connection to the news on the market allows us to identify the most relevant materials and equipment for our customers needs and constraints.
Our knowledge and experience in packaging manufacturing and plastic processing are key elements in evaluating each specific application and finding the optimum solution. Duraflex is a top-quality material choice for designing reuseable custom-made packaging. In some applications it can be useful as unconverted or slighty-converted sheets but most often we transform it into finished packaging.
These air bubble polypropylene boards can be precisely and easily processed by cutting, bending, welding and milling. Their smooth surfaces enable us to print them with your logo or a lot more of other information. Different in-line laminating options with technical films will bring at your service anti-splip or foam padded finishings which are suitable for parts with sensitive surfaces.
The standard color palette – grey, blue and black – can be extended with on-demand colors to suit the most diverse preferances in terms of visual appearance and brand promotion.
Light and strong at the same time, Duraflex is recommanded for returnable packaging that can be used up to several years without loosing their technical and easthetic features. Our packing long-lasting solutions are particularly made for dedicated products and applications and include a wide range of sleeves for collapsible pallet containers, boxes, intermediate layers and dividers. These items can be completely customised in terms of material thickness and density as well as in terms of packaging design and dimensions.
The sleeves – engineered for plastic pallet & lid packaging systems like Collibox – will optimize the handling and transport operations for a large variety of goods. The pallet sleeves are available in the form of a single foldable piece or in multiple parts according to our clients requirements. The one-piece sleeves can be produced with different configurations such as M and Z folding while the sleeves made from parts are available, for example, in C or U versions with access on short or long sides. All sleeves allow our customers to achieve considerable volume savings at return transport. Open or closed edges at the bottom and top, together with optional return collars and closing and locking systems, further prove the flexibility of this sleeve-packaging system and the countless customizing possibilities that we can offer your.
Duraflex crates and trays ensure a strong and lasting storage and transport solution for those items that are bulky or very long, such as pipes and profiles. Depending on the requirements of the product and its use, we can provide them with handles, screws, stacking frames and corners, as well as velcro fixing systems and label holders.
The intermediate layers and inserts divide the large containers and pallet boxes into individual spaces to acomodate the items that are fragile or need to be prevented from touching each other. These multi-way compartment solutions additionaly protect the goods from damages, dust and contamination. Easily mountable and demountable, they save important space when they are not in use.
Applications
Due to its robust and lightweight structure, Duraflex returnable packaging cand be used in every stage of the supply chain, from manufacturing to storage and transit. We highly recommend it for round loops and frequent trips between factories, assembly sites, distribution or repair centers. The material is equally suitable for bulky and heavy parts and components as well as for fragile goods.
Duraflex can be transformed in almost any form and design, a feature wich makes it one of the most cost-effective resources for customised industrial packaging. For the strict demands in sectors such as automotive and aviation, Duraflex packaging offers high stability and impact stregth, as well as optimum stacking ability and vibration resistance during transport. For sensitive parts, we can design a wide range of Duraflex partitions and even maximize the goods protection with foam padding or inserts.
Sustainable packaging
Plastic is widely seen as the most un-friendly material for the environment and rightly so if we look at its global presence in relation to its resistance over time. The non-biodegradable material seems to last forever on this planet and there are no signs of ever controlling the huge amount of plastic waste that is being released in the environment.
However, durable plastic packaging – such as the ones we make from Duraflex – can be reused for many years in continuous cycles without losing their quality or integrity. Compared to manufacturing new packaging, reusing them avoids further extraction of resources and reduces the energy consuption as well as the waste discharge.
Due to the schock absorbing features, Duraflex packaging protects the goods from damaging during handling, storage and transport and thus prevent money loss and waste increase. Its lightweight structure reduces the used fuel quantity and CO2 emissions while foldable versions of the empty packaging generate further savings by decreasing the needed transport space at return. Due to the advanced customisation degree, Duraflex packaging are manufactured to tigthly suit the inner goods dimmensions and their stacking requirements and thus optimize the volume of the truck.
Plastic is technically recyclable but, in the form of compounds, it can become much too difficult or expensive to recycle. Yet our air cell polypropylene boards are made from a single polymer (Polypropylene) which makes it 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life. Reintroducing it into the production circuit offers us the possibility to minimise the overall impact on the environment and to contribute to a more sustainability supply chain.