The awards were divided into seven categories to distinguish companies demonstrating outstanding and innovative developments in the field of plastics technology held in Brussels last month.
Treofan, Best Lightweight Innovation
Among the winners was BOPP specialist, Treofan, who won Best Lightweight Innovation for its ‘PHD 1.9’ ultra-thin capacitor film developed with Borealis.
The main challenge when developing ultra-thin films is combining the extreme mechanical strength demanded by high production speeds with outstanding homogeneous electrical and thermal properties.
Treofan and Borealis worked together to optimize the molecular structure of a capacitor film thinner than 2μm. A 1.9μm film boosts the efficiency of a component by around 30% compared to a conventional 2.4μm film.
As part of the project, improvements were made to the specialized production line at Treofan’s Neunkirchen site, Germany and further enhancements are planned, to produce even thinner and more efficient films.
“Developing ultra-thin capacitor films is the perfect reflection of our innovation strategy, which focuses on including the entire value chain – from raw materials and processing to the end consumer,” said Dr. Yvonne Düpre, head of Innovation, Treofan.
The seven categories were: Best Plastic Design; Material Innovation; Hybrid Product; Best Substitute Product for Enhance sustainability; Best Lightweight Innovation; Best Design for End-of-Life; and New Surfaces for Plastics Parts.
European Plastics Innovation Award winners:
- Best Plastic Design: DSM Engineering Plastics (The Netherlands), High Performance Edging Chassis
- Best Design for End-of-Life: Top Clean Packaging (France), Wine/Champagne Pack
- Material Innovation: Evonik Industries (Germany), VESTAMID NRG
- Hybrid Product: DuPont International Operations (Switzerland), Offshore Mooring Tether Incorporating Wave Protection for Floating Structures
- Best Substitute Product for Enhanced Sustainability: Dow Europe (Switzerland), Flexible Bottle with PacXPERT Packaging Technology
- Best Lightweight Innovation: Treofan/Borealis (Germany/Austria), PHD1.9 – Polypropylene Capacitor Film of 1.9 μm thickness
- New Surfaces for Plastics Parts: Borealis Polyolefine (Austria), Lightweight Primerless Paintable Bumper
Dow Europe (Switzerland)
Other winners included Top Clean Packaging (France), for Best Design for End-of-Life for its Wine/Champagne Pack and Dow Europe (Switzerland) for Best Substitute Product for Enhanced Sustainability for its Flexible Bottle with PacXPERT Packaging Technology.
Top Clean Packaging’s wine/champagne pack allows handling/transport of the packed product and provides protection during transportation and falls. It replaces current bulky packaging and reduces environmental impact.
The pack can be reused in a second life as a shelving system for bottles (wine cellar).
Dow’s flexible and re-closable packaging is for solid or viscous products in the medium volume segment, where typically bottles, jerry cans or canisters are used.
The flexible packaging is an alternative to rigid buckets and canisters in volumes from 2 to 20 liters.
The re-closable spout allows re-closure and the flexible structure allows the evacuation of air before closure and lowers the exposure of the content to oxygen.
According to Patrick Thomas, president, PlasticsEurope and CEO, Covestro, the plastics industry is at the forefront of innovation in Europe. With 1 out of 25 patents coming from the industry, plastics are at the heart of many of today’s technological advances.
“Ongoing investment in innovation is essential if we want to tackle some of the major challenges Europe is facing today,” he added.
The next edition of the European Plastics Innovation Awards will take place Mid 2017 and the call for entries will be sent out towards the end of 2016.