Why do FFS bags split after several weeks in storage?

Delayed splitting has different mechanics from splitting during filling. The three most common causes are: environmental stress cracking (ESC) caused by contact between the film and surfactants, detergents or oils under constant stack stress; creep of the film under the load of pallets stacked several layers high; and product dust drawn into the seal area by static electricity, forming micro-channels that open after weeks. Diagnosis starts with the location of the split and a cross-section of the seal, not with increasing film thickness.

An FFS bag (Form-Fill-Seal: forming, filling, sealing) is produced directly on an automated packaging line from flat tubular film fed off a reel. The machine forms the bag, fills it with a measured dose of product and seals it, at outputs of up to 2000 bags per hour. The technology is used for bulk, granulated and powdered products in portions of 15 to 50 kg.

Which industries use FFS bags?

The largest user is the chemical and petrochemical industry (polymer granulates, fertilizers, road salt). FFS bags are also used in agriculture and animal feed production (feed, seed, growing media), in construction (cement, mortars, aggregates) and in the food industry (sugar, salt, flour, milk powder), where the film must carry documented compliance with Regulations 1935/2004 and 10/2011.

Can FFS bags be printed?

Yes. Flexographic printing in up to 10 colors turns an FFS bag into consumer packaging and a brand carrier without degrading the mechanical properties of the film. The condition is selecting inks and varnishes resistant to abrasion in transport, moisture and UV exposure in outdoor storage, which is why print should form part of the same technical specification as the film.

Radosław Koperski: R&D folii wielowarstwowych | Kablonex

Stop Buying FFS Film Off a Price List: An Engineering Approach

Radosław Koperski — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:57:26 +0000

The complaint usually arrives after three weeks. The bags came off the line sealed, passed inspection and survived transport without losses. Now they are lying split open on a pallet at the customer’s site and nobody can say why. The machine? The film? The warehouse? In our experience this scenario almost always ends with the same conclusion: the film was bought from a price list rather than engineered for the application. Below we take FFS technology apart: how it works, how a film for fertilizers differs from a film for cement, and how to recognize a supplier who understands your process.

How FFS works and why it is replacing pre-made bags

FFS bags (Form-Fill-Seal: forming, filling, sealing) are now the standard for packing bulk, granulated and powdered products, typically in portions of 15 to 50 kg. The entire operation happens on a single, fully automated line. Three movements, one cycle:

01 · Form

The machine forms the bag from flat tubular film fed off a reel.

02 · Fill

A measured dose of product enters the bag without operator involvement.

03 · Seal

The top seal closes the bag. Up to 2000 units per hour.

The difference against traditional packing is easy to calculate. Pre-made empty bags have to be purchased, transported, stored and fed manually or semi-automatically. FFS tubular film arrives as a reel, takes up a fraction of the warehouse space and allows packing with minimal operator involvement. On three-shift operation this difference shows up in the unit cost of packaging faster than most companies assume in their calculations.

There is one catch. The entire output of an FFS line hangs on a single material: the film. The wrong tubing stops the line just as reliably as a failed dosing unit. This is why we treat FFS film as a process component that has to be engineered. Off-the-shelf material does not work here.

Four industries, four completely different films

From the outside an FFS bag looks the same in every industry. From the inside these are four different engineering problems.

01 · Chemicals and petrochemicals

The largest user of FFS technology

Polymer granulates (PE, PP, PVC), fertilizers, road salt, household chemicals. Here the decisive factors are seal integrity and moisture barrier: fertilizer that picks up water cakes together and comes back as a complaint.

Risk · Some chemical products react with the film itself. More on this below, as it is one of the most interesting failure mechanisms.

02 · Agriculture, agri-inputs, animal feed

Bags that stand in the sun

Feed for livestock and pets, seed, grain, garden soil, peat, bark mulch. The bags often stand outdoors for an entire season. Without UV stabilization the film goes brittle within a few months. For growing media and bark mulch a micro-perforation pattern is used so the bag breathes without taking in water.

Risk · Every micro-perforation is a potential crack initiator. What matters is the geometry and distribution of the perforation, not its mere presence.

03 · Construction

Where paper loses

Cement, mortars, renders, sand, decorative aggregates, abrasive materials. FFS bags are replacing paper wherever the product has to be fully protected from the weather.

Risk · De-aeration of powdered product during filling, and abrasion from sharp-edged aggregate. Cement on a building site does not forgive weak film.

04 · Food industry

Mechanics plus compliance

Sugar, salt, flour, milk powder, bakery ingredients. On top of the mechanical requirements come food contact compliance and often an oxygen barrier.

Risk · Film without documented compliance with Regulations 1935/2004 and 10/2011 is not even in the running.

The conclusion: the question “how much does FFS film cost” is the wrong question. The right one is: what exactly are you packing, how long does it sit, and under what conditions.

Why bags split after three weeks rather than straight away

Back to the scene at the start, because this is the most common and most misleading complaint scenario in FFS. When the split happens tells you more than the split itself:

Splits during filling

A simple diagnosis: the seal is too weak or the film too thin. Visible immediately, on the line, on the first pallet.

Splits after weeks in storage

Entirely different mechanics: the failure develops over time, under constant load. Three mechanisms account for the majority of these cases.

Mechanism 01

Environmental stress cracking (ESC)

Surfactants from fertilizers, detergents from household chemicals and oils from certain animal feeds act on polyethylene like a silent attacker. Film under constant stress from the weight of the stack, combined with contact with such a substance, produces micro-cracks that grow over weeks.

From the outside nothing is visible. Until suddenly everything is.

Mechanism 02

Creep under stack load

The bottom bags on a pallet stacked several layers high are under constant pressure for the whole storage period. Film with insufficient creep resistance slowly flows and splits at the corners and along the seals, where stresses concentrate.

The failure starts at the bottom of the pallet.

Mechanism 03

Static electricity and dust in the seal

Electrostatically charged tubular film pulls product particles into the cross-seal area. That seal passes inspection on the line but contains micro-channels which open up after weeks under stack load. The remedy is often an ionizing bar with dust extraction ahead of the sealing station rather than a change of film.

A mechanism almost nobody considers.

Before we recommend a change of film, we ask for the split bags and examine a cross-section of the seal. The location of the split tells you what failed. Thicker film does not fix a wrong diagnosis.

Flexo printing: the same bag sells and protects

In retail the FFS bag takes on a second function: it is consumer packaging. Pet food, garden soil and decorative aggregates compete in the outdoor yard of a building supply yard exactly as products compete on a shelf, through graphics.

Flexographic printing in up to 10 colors turns the bag into a brand carrier with no compromise on the mechanical properties of the film. The condition: ink and varnish have to withstand what the film withstands, meaning abrasion in transport, moisture and sunlight in outdoor storage. Print that fades after a month in the yard reduces the perceived value of the product before anyone checks what is inside the bag.

TechnologyFlexo, up to 10 colors

SubstrateTubular / semi-tubular / flat film

ResistanceAbrasion, moisture, UV exposure

SpecificationPrint and film as one document

This is why we treat print design as part of the same technical specification as film gauge and formulation. One specification, one supplier, one line of responsibility.

What you actually get working with Kablonex

We are writing this as a manufacturer, so let us be explicit about what stands behind our recommendations.

production lines

25,000t/year

production capacity

colors in flexo printing

site: extrusion, printing, converting

We extrude, print and convert the film at a single site. One company is accountable for the tubing, the print and the way the bag behaves on your line, with no blame shifting between a film supplier and a printing house.

On top of that come our own regranulation operation POD ECO and the Closed Loop program. Production waste returns to the cycle, and for customers who need recycled content in their packaging we can calculate and document it rather than simply declare it. Under PPWR requirements this stops being a reputational topic and becomes a condition of entry to tenders.

Quality at system level: ISO 9001, BRC Packaging Materials, EcoVadis rating. For food applications: films with documented food contact compliance.

And one thing that cannot be written into a certificate: before we send a quotation, we ask questions about your application. What are you packing, how heavy is the portion, how many layers on the pallet, outdoor storage or indoor, which FFS machine, what cycle rate. If a film supplier does not ask these questions, they are quoting you goods rather than a component of your process.

Reality check: 5 questions before your next film order

Did your film specification come out of an analysis of the application, or was it copied from an order placed years ago?
Do you know how many pallet layers your bags withstand in long-term storage, and who calculated it?
Do bags kept outdoors have confirmed UV stabilization for the real exposure period?
At the last complaint, did anyone examine a cross-section of the seal before proposing thicker film?
Does your print withstand the same conditions as the film it is printed on?

Problem

You answer “I don’t know” to two or more of the questions above, and the bags split only in storage, when the cost of a complaint is at its highest.

Solution

Send us a bag or a description of the application through the form below this article: product, weight, machine, storage conditions. You can also attach the technical specification.

Result

You receive a diagnosis and a specification for film and print engineered for your process, not a quotation from a price list. We reply the same working day.

Author

Radosław Koperski

Head of Research and Development · R&D Manager

At Kablonex he is responsible for film formulations and structures engineered for specific applications, product development across the NEX lines, and material compliance with PPWR and food contact requirements.

He takes complaints apart in this order: location of the split, cross-section of the seal, process parameters on the customer’s line, and only last the film formulation. The problem is usually found earlier than the end of that list.

Technical questions: ask@kablonex.com.pl · Contact

Artykuł Stop Buying FFS Film Off a Price List: An Engineering Approach pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Frozen fruit producer: no more bag cracking at -25 °C

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:27:13 +0000

A producer of irregularly shaped frozen fruit (Poland and DACH) had bags cracking systematically in deep freezing and during logistics operations in cold storage. A dedicated multilayer formulation with mLLDPE, matched to the product shape and to sealing on the customer’s line, brought zero cracks at temperatures down to -25 and -30 °C.

In brief

Customer: a producer of frozen fruit with irregular geometry, Poland and DACH.
Problem: irregularly shaped fruit tore the characteristic blue bags in deep freezing and during logistics operations in cold storage.
Solution: a dedicated multilayer formulation with metallocenes (mLLDPE) and components that increase flexibility at low temperatures.
Result: zero cracks at temperatures down to -25 and -30 °C, a stable seal in cold conditions, fewer complaints and losses in the cold chain.

01 Customer

Poland and DACH. A producer of frozen fruit with irregular geometry, packed in characteristic blue bags.

02 Challenge

The irregularly shaped fruit systematically tore the packaging: in deep freezing and during logistics operations in cold storage.

An irregular product shape means point stresses, and at -25 °C polyethylene loses its flexibility and cracks instead of deforming.

03 Solution

Formulation: dedicated, multilayer.
Metallocenes: mLLDPE in the formulation.
Low-temperature flexibility: components that increase flexibility at low temperatures.
Fit: matched to the specific product geometry and the sealing parameters on the customer’s line.

04 Results

Cracking: zero cracks at temperatures down to -25 and -30 °C.
Seal: stable in cold conditions.
Cold chain: fewer complaints and losses.

05 What this means for you

If your product has sharp edges or an irregular shape, standard freezer film is working at its limit. The problem is solved by choosing the right low-temperature flexibility, not by adding thickness.

For FMCG and foodPackaging films for FMCG and food

NEX-PACK packaging filmsPE packaging films 20-250 µm

Artykuł Frozen fruit producer: no more bag cracking at -25 °C pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Large Baltic converter: paper-like film instead of a paper, aluminium, PE laminate

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:25:06 +0000

A large laminate converter from the Baltic region, supplying packaging for butter and cheese, wanted to move away from a paper, aluminium, PE laminate without losing the paper look, the grease barrier and the ability to wrap the product into blocks. A single paper-like film with chalk, 55 µm as standard, replaced three laminate layers: no aluminium and no paper.

In brief

Customer: a large laminate converter from the Baltic region, food packaging: butter and cheese.
Problem: removing aluminium from a paper, aluminium, PE laminate while keeping the paper look, the grease barrier and the ability to wrap the product into blocks.
Solution: a PE-based paper-like film with a high share of chalk and a share of bio-based raw materials, 55 µm as standard, adapted to the block-wrapping process.
Result: one film instead of three laminate layers, no aluminium, with the grease barrier and the shape memory for block wrapping retained.

55 µmstandard film thickness

3 → 1three laminate layers replaced by one film

0aluminium layers in the pack

01 Customer

Baltic region. A large laminate converter, food packaging: butter and cheese. The customer had historically specialised in paper plus aluminium plus PE laminates.

02 Challenge

The customer wanted to simplify the pack construction and move away from aluminium, but had to keep everything the laminate provided: the paper look, the grease barrier and the ability to wrap the product into blocks.

Removing aluminium usually means losing the barrier.

03 Solution

Base: a PE-based paper-like film.
Composition: a high share of mineral components (chalk) and a share of bio-based raw materials.
Thickness: adapted to the customer’s block-wrapping process, 55 µm as standard.
Construction: one film instead of three laminate layers, no aluminium and no paper; the high mineral content reduces the amount of polymer in the pack.

04 Results

Before and after
Pack construction	paper, aluminium, PE laminate (three layers) → one paper-like film
Aluminium	aluminium layer → no aluminium, grease barrier retained
Look and block wrapping	paper look and shape memory for block wrapping retained
Thickness	target 55 µm
Polymer in the pack	less, thanks to the high mineral content

05 What this means for you

An aluminium laminate is convenient technically, but it means three materials in one pack. If you pack butter, cheese or fats and want to simplify your pack structure, this is a route that does not require changing your packing machine.

For FMCG and foodPackaging films for FMCG and food

Artykuł Large Baltic converter: paper-like film instead of a paper, aluminium, PE laminate pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Toilet paper manufacturer: from 35 to 28 µm with 35-55% PCR

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:23:55 +0000

A toilet paper and towel manufacturer wanted to reduce the plastic footprint of its packaging and introduce a high share of recycled content without losing runnability on the packing line. A new multi-layer formulation made it possible to go from 35-40 µm to 28 µm with 35% PCR in the standard line and up to 55% PCR in the premium variant, with runnability maintained.

In brief

Customer: a hygiene products manufacturer in Central Europe: toilet paper and towels.
Problem: high PCR and thin film both reduce tear resistance when the pack is carried, which is the critical parameter in this application.
Solution: a new multi-layer formulation with enhanced mechanical properties and NEX PRINT printing, flexo CI in up to 10 colours.
Result: from 35-40 µm to 28 µm, 35% PCR as standard and up to 55% PCR in the premium variant, packing line runnability maintained.

28 µminstead of 35-40 µm

35% PCRin the standard line

up to 55%PCR in the premium variant

10flexo CI print colours

01 Customer

A hygiene products manufacturer in Central Europe: toilet paper and towels. It previously packed using a classic, homogeneous technology optimised for easy opening.

02 Challenge

The goal: a smaller plastic footprint without losing runnability on the packing line and without logistics risk, plus a high recycled content.

The difficulty is that high PCR and thin film impair exactly the parameter that is critical in this application: tear resistance when the pack is carried.

03 Solution

New construction: a new multi-layer formulation with enhanced mechanical properties instead of the homogeneous technology.
Downgauging: from 35-40 µm to 28 µm.
Recycled content: 35% PCR in the standard line and up to 55% PCR in the premium variant, introduced together with the downgauging.
Printing: integration with NEX PRINT, flexo CI in up to 10 colours, for two of the customer’s product lines.

04 Results

Before and after
Film thickness	35-40 µm → 28 µm
Construction	homogeneous → multi-layer with enhanced mechanical properties
PCR content	35% as standard, up to 55% in the premium variant
Packing line runnability	maintained
Printing	up to 10 colours on both product lines

05 What this means for you

55% recycled content in 28 µm films is a level that most of the market does not reach even with thicker constructions. If you have a PCR target written into a contract with a retail chain, this is a benchmark.

FMCGPackaging films for FMCG and food

Artykuł Toilet paper manufacturer: from 35 to 28 µm with 35-55% PCR pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Global furniture chain: a paper sleeve instead of a film sleeve

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:23:32 +0000

A global furniture chain was replacing film logistics sleeves with a glued paper solution, in line with the group’s ESG policy. The condition was full logistics functionality. A glued paper sleeve formed in our own plant replaced the film without any loss of that functionality, and the pack goes into the standard paper recycling stream.

In brief

Customer: a global furniture chain, Poland and Scandinavia.
Problem: replacing film logistics sleeves with glued paper, in line with the group’s ESG policy and consumer expectations, while keeping full logistics functionality.
Solution: a glued paper sleeve formed in our own plant using paper converting technology, adapted to the customer’s logistics process.
Result: film sleeve replaced with a paper one without loss of logistics functionality, and the pack goes into the standard paper recycling stream.

01 Customer

Poland and Scandinavia. A global furniture chain which, in line with the group’s ESG policy and consumer expectations, was replacing traditional film logistics sleeves with a glued paper solution.

02 Challenge

The condition: the paper sleeve must keep full logistics functionality.

Paper does not forgive what film does: it does not stretch, it has a fibre direction and it needs a glued seam.

03 Solution

Construction: a glued paper sleeve adapted to the customer’s logistics process.
Production: formed in our own plant using paper converting technology.
Raw material: paper from certified sources.
Recycling: adhesive and construction optimised for recycling in the standard paper stream.

04 Results

Film sleeve replaced with paper: without loss of logistics functionality.
ESG: full compliance with the customer’s ESG policy.
Recycling: the pack goes into the standard paper recycling stream.

05 What this means for you

Moving from film to paper is not a change of material, but four decisions at once: printing, forming, gluing and working with your line. That is where these projects break. With us, all four are under one roof.

For the furniture industryPackaging for furniture and wood processing

NEX-PAPER: paper sleeveskablonex.pl/en/products/nex-paper/

Artykuł Global furniture chain: a paper sleeve instead of a film sleeve pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

British abrasives manufacturer: a narrow FFS bag with 30% PCR and water-based ink printing

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:18:07 +0000

A British abrasives manufacturer needed an FFS bag with 30% PCR, a width outside the standard specification of production lines and a smaller CO₂ footprint for the whole package. The 5-layer NEX-BAG FFS HQ construction delivered a bag outside the typical width specification, with 30% PCR and full strength for an abrasive product, and flexo CI printing with water-based inks on the Kablonex line significantly reduced the CO₂ footprint compared with solvent-based printing.

In brief

Customer: an abrasives manufacturer in the United Kingdom.
Problem: the British minimum 30% PCR requirement, a bag of non-standard width and a lower CO₂ footprint for the package, with one of the most aggressive loads for film.
Solution: a 5-layer NEX-BAG FFS HQ construction with 30% PCR and flexo CI printing with water-based inks.
Result: compliance with the British requirement, a format matched to the customer’s existing line, a significant reduction in CO₂ footprint compared with solvent-based printing.

01 Customer

An abrasives manufacturer in the United Kingdom. It packs an abrasive product in FFS bags on its own line, for which it needed a bag with a width outside the standard specification.

02 Challenge

The British market introduced a standard of at least 30% PCR in film packaging for chemicals and abrasive materials. In addition, the customer needed a bag with a width outside the standard specification of production lines and a reduction in the CO₂ footprint of the whole package.

Abrasive material is also one of the most aggressive loads for film.

03 Solution

Construction: the 5-layer NEX-BAG FFS HQ made it possible to produce a bag outside the typical width specification.
Recycled content: 30% PCR with full strength for an abrasive product.
Printing: flexo CI with water-based inks, on the Kablonex line.

04 Results

30% PCR: compliance with the British requirement.
Format: a bag outside the market standard, matched to the customer’s existing line.
CO₂ footprint: a significant reduction in CO₂ footprint compared with solvent-based printing.

05 What this means for you

If a supplier has told you that your format is “outside the specification”, ask us about it. A non-standard width is usually not a technological limitation, but an organisational one.

NEX-BAG bags and filmsFFS films and industrial bags, 20-250 µm

Artykuł British abrasives manufacturer: a narrow FFS bag with 30% PCR and water-based ink printing pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

National leader in construction chemicals: from 130 to 120 µm and zero moisture complaints

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:16:50 +0000

A construction chemicals manufacturer wanted to use less film in its FFS bags, even though its mortars sit for months in DIY and builders’ stores and any moisture means a complaint and disposal. We went down from 130 to 120 µm with NEX-BAG FFS HQ and a proprietary technology for managing the venting chambers. The result: zero complaints due to product moisture.

In brief

Customer: a construction chemicals manufacturer in Poland: mortars, adhesives, skim coats.
Problem: saving film in FFS bags conflicted with the moisture barrier needed for months of storage in stores.
Solution: NEX-BAG FFS HQ 120 µm instead of 130 µm, a 5-layer construction with mLLDPE and a proprietary technology for managing the venting chambers.
Result: 130 → 120 µm, zero complaints due to product moisture, FFS line machine settings unchanged.

120 µminstead of 130 µm

8%less film thickness

5layers in the mLLDPE construction

01 Customer

A construction chemicals manufacturer in Poland: mortars, adhesives, skim coats. It packs in FFS bags, and the product goes to DIY and builders’ stores, where it sits for months.

02 Challenge

The manufacturer wanted to optimise film consumption in its FFS bags. Yet any moisture in the mortar means a complaint and disposal.

Thinner film usually means a weaker barrier, so saving material was at odds with product safety.

03 Solution

Film: NEX-BAG FFS HQ 120 µm instead of 130 µm.
Venting: a proprietary technology for managing the venting chambers, which eliminates moisture ingress during filling and storage.
Construction: 5 layers with mLLDPE kept full strength despite the reduced thickness.

04 Results

Before and after
Film thickness	130 µm → 120 µm, savings on a scale of millions of bags a year
Moisture complaints	zero complaints due to product moisture
FFS line machine settings	unchanged

05 What this means for you

At volumes counted in millions of bags, 8% of thickness is a line you can see in the annual materials budget. But the key was not the thickness, it was venting the bag. If your product absorbs moisture, start the conversation there, not with microns.

Construction and construction chemicalsFilms and bags for construction and construction chemicals

NEX-BAG bags and filmsFFS films and industrial bags, 20-250 µm

Artykuł National leader in construction chemicals: from 130 to 120 µm and zero moisture complaints pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Sterile pharmaceuticals manufacturer: no more bag side splits during multipacking

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 11:15:02 +0000

A manufacturer of sterile pharmaceuticals, including eye drops, packs its finished product in a bag-in-bag-in-bag system, and the sides of the bag were splitting during multipacking and transport between process stages. A dedicated NEX-BAG FARM formulation with increased film flexibility and softness, produced under a controlled pharma regime, eliminated the side splits.

In brief

Customer: a manufacturer of sterile pharmaceuticals in Poland, including eye drops.
Problem: bag sides splitting during multipacking and transport between process stages, with zero tolerance for microbiological contamination.
Solution: a dedicated NEX-BAG FARM formulation with increased film flexibility and softness, produced under a controlled pharma regime.
Result: bag side splits eliminated and stable, documented quality batch after batch.

01 Customer

A manufacturer of sterile pharmaceuticals in Poland, including eye drops. The finished product is packed in a multi-layer bag system: bag in a bag in a bag, with zero tolerance for microbiological contamination.

02 Challenge

The sides of the bag were splitting during multipacking and transport between process stages. In pharma, a split does not mean a complaint; it means the whole batch loses its sterility.

03 Solution

Formulation: a dedicated NEX-BAG FARM formulation with increased film flexibility and softness.
Production regime: a controlled pharma regime, meaning hair covers, documentation per batch and full repeatability.
Quality: along the way, we closed out the customer’s historical quality issues with their previous supplier.

04 Results

Splits: bag side splits eliminated.
Quality: stable, documented quality batch after batch.
Relationship: a strategic partnership instead of a tender-based relationship.

05 What this means for you

In GMP applications, film is part of the quality system, not a purchasing line item. If your supplier does not keep documentation per batch, in an audit it is you who answers for their process.

NEX-BAG bags and filmsFFS films and industrial bags, 20-250 µm

Artykuł Sterile pharmaceuticals manufacturer: no more bag side splits during multipacking pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Beverage producer: premium multipack, 10-colour print and film downgauged to approx. 33 µm

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:54:22 +0000

An international beverage and juice producer wanted three things at once: better-looking multipacks, printing in 10 colours instead of 8 and further downgauging of the film. The NEX-SHRINK HR formulation combined with NEX PRINT printing delivered shrinkage without distortion in the windows, 10 colours on the premium line and a film of approx. 33 µm on selected beverage lines.

In brief

Customer: an international beverage and juice producer, Poland and Benelux.
Problem: visible shrink distortion in the pack windows, printing to be extended from 8 to 10 colours for the premium line and film thickness to be reduced further across the main portfolio.
Solution: high-gloss NEX-SHRINK HR with controlled shrinkage, NEX PRINT printing (flexo CI, 10 colours) designed to allow for shrinkage, downgauging to approx. 33 µm.
Result: a consistent look for multipacks on the shelf without distortion in the windows, 10 colours on the premium line, fewer rejects on the packing line and lower material consumption per pack.

8 → 10print colours on the premium line

approx. 33 µmfilm on selected beverage lines

01 Customer

An international beverage and juice producer operating in Poland and the Benelux countries. PET bottles reach the shelf in multipacks wrapped in shrink film.

02 Challenge

The customer combined three requirements at once. They wanted to raise the visual standard of the packs, because shrink distortion was visible in the windows. For the premium line they needed printing in 10 colours instead of 8. Across the main portfolio they wanted to keep reducing film thickness.

In parallel, they wanted to launch a line with PCR content.

03 Solution

Formulation: high-gloss NEX-SHRINK HR with controlled shrinkage, matched to the pack geometry.
Printing: integration with NEX PRINT, flexo CI in 10 colours.
Design that allows for shrinkage: artwork designed so that it lands on the windows after shrinking.
Downgauging: further reduction of film thickness to approx. 33 µm on selected beverage lines.

04 Results

Appearance: a consistent premium look for multipacks on the retail shelf, without distortion in the windows.
Printing: 10 colours on the premium line.
Packing line: fewer rejects.
Material: lower consumption per pack with approx. 33 µm film.
PCR: a path to a variant with recycled content launched in parallel for juices.

Sealer infeed: the film wraps the PET pack; this is where the position of the artwork relative to the windows is decided.

Tunnel exit: even shrinkage without distortion in the windows, the pack is ready for the pallet.

05 What this means for you

Shrink aesthetics, the number of colours and film thickness usually pull in different directions. They can be reconciled, but only when the film, the print and the artwork come from one supplier and are calculated for a single geometry of your pack.

NEX-SHRINKPE shrink film 20-250 µm

Artykuł Beverage producer: premium multipack, 10-colour print and film downgauged to approx. 33 µm pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.

Pellet producer: one HQ 90 µm hood instead of two 120 µm hoods, over 60% less film per pallet

Radosław Koperski — Fri, 22 May 2026 06:39:31 +0000

A wood pellet producer exporting to southern Europe wrapped every pallet twice in a 120 µm stretch hood and still received complaints about faded print on the bags. A single NEX-HOOD HQ 90 µm hood with a UV absorber and UV stabiliser replaced the two: over 60% less film per pallet and a packing cycle twice as short.

In brief

Customer: a Polish wood pellet producer exporting to Italy, Spain and further south in Europe.
Problem: two hoods of 120 µm each (240 µm of film per pallet), yet print on the bags still faded under UV, packaging cost was high and the packing cycle was long.
Solution: a single NEX-HOOD HQ 90 µm hood, a 5-layer variant with a UV absorber and a UV stabiliser.
Result: over 60% less film per pallet (240 → 90 µm), a packing cycle twice as short and an end to complaints about faded print from customers in Italy and Spain.

90 µmfrom 240 µm · film per pallet

over 60%less film per pallet*

2×shorter packing cycle

1 hoodinstead of two of 120 µm

01 Customer

A Polish wood pellet producer. Bagged pellets travel on pallets for export to Italy, Spain and further south in Europe.

02 Challenge

Every pallet was wrapped twice in a 120 µm stretch hood, a total of 240 µm of film per pallet. The reason: the long export route to southern Europe. Pallets stood outdoors, were reloaded many times and were exposed to strong sunlight.

Despite the double wrapping, complaints came in about print on the bags fading under UV. On top of that came a high packaging cost per pallet and a long packing cycle.

03 Solution

One hood instead of two: NEX-HOOD HQ 90 µm replaced double wrapping with a 120 µm hood.
5-layer variant: a film with increased mechanical strength.
UV absorber: protects the bags inside the pallet.
UV stabiliser: extends the service life of the film itself during outdoor storage.

04 Results

Before and after
Film per pallet	2 × 120 µm (240 µm) → 1 × 90 µm, over 60% less film*
Packing cycle	twice as short, one hood instead of two
Complaints about faded print	no more complaints from customers in Italy and Spain
Pallet stability	maintained despite the reduced thickness
Material footprint	lower, reported under PPWR

05 What this means for you

If you wrap pallets twice because a single hood does not survive transport or sunlight, the problem is usually not the thickness but the formulation. A well-designed 90 µm film does more than two 120 µm films and costs less on every one of your pallets.

NEX-HOODStretch hood film 45-150 µm

*Reduction calculated from the total film thickness per pallet: 240 µm (two hoods of 120 µm) versus 90 µm, i.e. 62.5%. The case study is anonymised.

Artykuł Pellet producer: one HQ 90 µm hood instead of two 120 µm hoods, over 60% less film per pallet pochodzi z serwisu Kablonex.