Semih Asil
Industry Valley
- Thread Author
- #1
📦 Revolution in Flexible Packaging: FAM Ti Boosts Its Power with BOBST
Converters operating in the flexible packaging sector constantly face challenges related to metal adhesion and barrier protection. These issues become even more pronounced when applying aluminum layers to sensitive polyolefin and biopolymer films. Canadian film supplier FAM Ti Inc. has acquired North America's first BOBST EXPERT K5 vacuum metallizer to address this critical problem. This machine, equipped with the special AluBond technology, enables FAM Ti to transition from distribution to specialized barrier film production.
🔬 How Does AluBond Technology Work?
In conventional vacuum metallization, molten aluminum is evaporated onto moving polymer films under high vacuum. However, due to low surface energy and poor boundary layer formation, metal-polymer adhesion can be insufficient. This leads to the aluminum layer peeling off and the degradation of oxygen and moisture barrier properties when films undergo lamination, extrusion coating, or bag converting processes.
The BOBST AluBond process modifies this interface directly in the vacuum chamber. More than just a surface treatment, this process chemically alters the film surface during deposition, creating covalent interactions between nucleated metal atoms and polymer chains. This in-line surface engineering prevents pinhole formation, increases the uniformity of the metal layer on variable film profiles, and ensures consistent metal adhesion on polyolefin substrates and sustainable biopolymers like polylactic acid (PLA).
🌱 FAM Ti's Growth Story and Sustainability Goals
FAM Ti Inc. entered the flexible packaging sector in 2020 as a distributor of BOPP and polyester substrates. In 2023, it expanded its processing infrastructure by investing in slitting machines and moving into a 4,600 square meter facility. An additional expansion in 2025 added another 5,200 square meters, bringing the total operational capacity to 9,800 square meters.
The facility houses six slitting machines and maintains an inventory of over two million pounds of substrates. The integration of the vacuum metallization platform allows for in-house product formulation and substrate research, particularly for the development of metallized PLA formulations suitable for industrial composting properties and recyclable mono-material structures. The company plans to utilize this metallization capacity across North American supply chains and international distribution networks.
⚙️ Superior Process Control and Operational Reliability
The integration of vacuum deposition into direct film processing environments requires continuous tension regulation, controlled thermal transfer over cooling drums, and precise evaporation rate monitoring to prevent thermal deformation of thin films.
Faisal Younis, Manager at FAM Ti, stated that the machine provides process control and reliability across various substrates. While AluBond offers an operational advantage in metal adhesion, the system architecture forms the technical foundation needed to scale in-house production operations.
📊 Technical Superiority and Performance Comparison
- In conventional vacuum metallization, standard corona or plasma treatment typically achieves metal adhesion values of 1.0 to 1.5 N/15mm on untreated polyolefins and may show bond weakening after prolonged atmospheric exposure.
- Industry standards for the BOBST AluBond system demonstrate lamination bond strengths exceeding 2.5 to 3.0 N/15mm on BOPP and up to 4.0 N/15mm on specialized polyolefin films. This effectively eliminates adhesive delamination during standard tape test protocols.
- The BOBST EXPERT K5 platform operates at web speeds up to 1,000 meters per minute on web widths from 1,650 mm to 3,300 mm. It includes high-speed evaporation sources and cryogenic vacuum pumping arrays, which maintain the low operational pressures required for oxygen-sensitive and heat-sensitive web processing.
