Dow Performance Packaging, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, recently announced new technical capabilities for its state-of-the-art Film Application Development Center (FADC), which advances the innovation and development of new packaging applications worldwide. Dow continues to bolster the vast capabilities of the FADC with the recent addition of state-of-the-art equipment, including Hayssen vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) unit, a Multivac Thermoforming Line, a 5-Layer LabTech Coextrusion Blown Film Line and patent-pending testing capabilities such as At-Line Coefficient of Friction (COF) testing machine.

Since opening in 2009, more than 1,500 projects have been completed and more than 100 customers have conducted trials at the facility.

Recognized across the packaging value chain for providing the know-how, technology and resources needed to drive innovation, the expanded FADC is the most recent example of Dow’s commitment to helping develop the packaging of tomorrow. The FADC offers Dow customers the innovative tools and technology to help create new packaging applications, as well as the unique ability to work directly with Dow’s knowledgeable and experienced team of experts to test films and applications in real-time.

“Our goal is to be the go-to innovator for our customers and partners in the packaging industry – a collaborator and trendsetter that can offer the tools and answers to make better packaging,” says Glenn Wright, vusiness VP, Dow Performance Packaging. “The FADC facility exemplifies this philosophy – with the latest in testing and technology to help our customers develop new packaging solutions, without shouldering the burden of taking in-use production facilities offline for development purposes.”

The FADC has fabrication capabilities in blown and cast film, extrusion coating, nonwovens and tape. In addition, rigid applications such as sheet extrusion, injection molding and blow molding are located at the facility as well as state of the art application testing, analytical and polymer characterization capabilities.

The range of options and technical offerings at FADC serves a wide variety of customer needs, including:

--State-of-the-art Hosokawa Alpine 7-layer co-extrusion blown film line that allows on-site development and testing of a wide variety of films;

--Same-day, sample quantities of commercial grade films suitable for printing, laminating and prototype packaging development;

--A new 5-layer Labtech lab scale blown film line ideal for screening a large number of samples for testing;

--A Sensory Science Lab that provides accurate feedback on taste, odor, touch and smell properties to validate any new package;

--Hayssen-Ultima Vertical Form Fill Seal machine and Weighpack CombiScale feeding system that provides fabrication testing of films made at the FADC in actual application use;

--Multivac R530 Thermoformer machine for testing both rigid and flexible thermoformed packaging constructions; and

--Patent-pending coefficient of friction (COF) tester technology that offers customers the tools and understanding to design films that will best serve them in real-world environments.

“The latest equipment in Dow’s FADC offers customers the ability to test their ideas on commercial-scale equipment in a setting conducive to creativity and innovation,” says Greg Bunker, North marketing manager, Flexible Food and Specialty Packaging at Dow. “The FADC offers a variety of excellent tools, materials, and an experienced team on hand ready to assist customers with their most innovative concepts, without having to ask their production staff for time on their equipment.”

The FADC is also fully linked to Dow’s 10 Packaging Centers of Excellence around the world.

The Dow Chemical Company
(281) 966-4239
www.dowplastics.com