PACKAGING FILM HAVING UNIQUE DIRECT FOOD CONTACT IDENTIFIERS

Abstract

Method for producing a packaging film strip for providing a number of individual packaging film parts for packing food or beverages, wherein the packaging film contains for each designated individual packaging film part an area having a printed two-dimensional code as unique packaging or product identifier. The process comprises the steps of providing at least one first substrate film strip (10, 25), applying on one side of said at least one first substrate film strip (10, 25) an artwork printing (20) for each individual packaging film part, depositing a DFC ink area (28) for each individual packaging film part onto the surface of the substrate film strip (10, 12) lying opposite to the artwork printing (20), slitting the packaging film to provide a series of individual packaging film parts running along the longside of the packaging film, ablating the individual DFC ink areas (28) by a computer-controlled laser beam (8) for providing a predetermined and individual code (2, 3, 30) as unique packaging or product identifier, cleaning the surface of the film strip comprising the individual codes (2, 3, 30), and checking the quality of the codes (2, 3, 30).

Claims

1. Method for producing a packaging film strip for providing a number of individual packaging film parts for packing food or beverages, wherein the packaging film contains for each designated individual packaging film part an area having a printed two-dimensional code as unique packaging or product identifier, the process comprising the steps of: a) providing at least one first substrate film strip (10, 25), b) one side of said at least one first substrate film strip (10, 25) is provided with an artwork printing (20) for each individual packaging film part, c) the side of said at least one first substrate film strip (25) comprising the artwork printing (20) is optionally laminated to a second substrate film strip (10) using an adhesive layer (15), or a second substrate film (10) is optionally extruded onto the at least one first substrate film strip, d) the surface of the one first or the second substrate film strip (10, 12) lying opposite to the artwork printing (20) is provided with a direct food contact ink (DFC ink) area (28) for each individual packaging film part, wherein the DFC ink area (28) is designated to be present at an inner layer of each individual packaging film part having direct food contact, e) the packaging film comprising the artwork printing and the DFC ink areas is slitted to provide a series of individual packaging film parts running along the longside of the packaging film, f) ablating the individual DFC ink areas (28) by a computer-controlled laser beam (8) for providing a predetermined and individual code (2, 3, 30) as unique packaging or product identifier, g) cleaning the surface of the film strip comprising the individual codes (2, 3, 30), and h) checking the quality of the codes (2, 3, 30).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the packaging film parts are repetitive film parts having the same repetitive artwork printing (20) and the same repetitive DFC ink area (28), but with different codes (2, 3, 30) in said DFC print areas.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the process is a roll to roll process, wherein in process step (a) the film strip is unrolled from a roll and after process step (h) the film strip is rewinded on a reel.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that the in-line process on printing, slitting, ablating and cleaning is done at a speed of the film strip of between 50 to 350 m/min.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the film strip has a width of between 1000 and 1400 mm.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that a grammage of 1.0 to 1.5 g/m.sup.2 of DFC ink is homogeneously deposited in the DFC ink area for each individual packaging part.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the production of the individual codes (2, 3, 30) is done by ablating program-controlled the DFC ink in the DFC ink area using a laser beam (8) of a CO2 laser having a typical wavelength of 10.6 μm.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the laser ablating process of the DFC ink is done at a moving speed of the laser beam of 1000 to 3000 bits/ms using a laser power of between 6 to 30 W.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that several, in particular 2 to 5, laser heads are arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the film strip.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the cleaning of the surface of the packaging film strip comprising the individual codes (2, 3, 30) is done using a sticky roll.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the substrate film strip is a polymeric monolayer or a metallised polymeric monolayer.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterised in that the film strip consists of a metallised oriented polypropylene.

13. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the film strip has a multilayer structure comprising a first substrate film strip (25) provided with an artwork printing (20) and a second substrate film strip (10), wherein the side of the first substrate film strip (25) comprising the artwork printing (20) is laminated to the second substrate film strip (10) using an intermediate adhesive layer (15), wherein the DFC ink area is applied to the surface of the second substrate film strip (10) lying opposite to the artwork printing (20).

14. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that each individual code is unique and is one selected from a matrix barcode as a Quick Response (QR) code, a Data Matrix (DM) code or an alphanumeric code.

15. Method according to claim 14, characterised in that the code contains alphanumeric texts as dates, indication of ingredients or product use recommendations.

Description

[0044] The invention will now be described by way of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a part of a multilayer structure of a film strip produced according to the invention;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a part of a monolayer structure of a film strip produced according to the invention;

[0047] FIG. 3 shows schematically a perspective view of a part of a film strip during ablation of the DFC ink layer;

[0048] FIG. 4 shows an example of an individual code;

[0049] FIG. 5 shows the workflow for producing a packaging film comprising a monolayer gravure surface DFC ink printing using an off-line ablation process;

[0050] FIG. 6 shows the workflow for producing a packaging film comprising a monolayer gravure surface DFC ink printing using an in-line ablation process;

[0051] FIG. 7 shows the workflow for producing a packaging film comprising a multilayer gravure DFC ink printing with adhesive or extrusion lamination comprising off-line DFC printing and ablation;

[0052] FIG. 8 shows the workflow for producing a packaging film comprising a multilayer gravure DFC ink printing with adhesive or extrusion lamination comprising in-line DFC printing and ablation.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows schematically an exploded view of a part of a multilayer structure 50 of a film strip produced by applying the inventive method. The multilayer structure 50 comprises a substrate film strip 10 made for example of PP or PE that is covered on one side with an adhesive layer 15 onto which an artwork printing 20 is provided that is protected by an outermost polymer layer 25 made for example of PP or PET. The other side of the substrate film strip 10 comprises a QR code 30 made of a DFC ink.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows schematically an exploded view of a part of a monolayer structure 60 of a film strip produced by applying the inventive method. The monolayer structure 60 comprises a substrate film strip made of a metallised OPP film, wherein the metal layer 12 may be evaporated onto the OPP film 14. The one side of the OPP film 14 covered with the metal layer 12 comprises the artwork printing 20. Consequently, the metal layer 12 is deposited on top of the OPP film 14 and is in contact with the artwork printing 20. The free surface of the OPP film 14 lying opposite to the metal layer 12 comprises a QR code 30 made of a DFC ink.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows schematically a perspective view of a part of a film strip during a program-controlled ablation of a part of a DFC ink layer 28 by a laser beam 8. The DFC ink layer 28 is directly deposited onto a surface of a base material 5 comprising at least one substrate film strip and on its side lying opposite to the DFC ink layer 28 the base material 5 comprises an artwork printing layer (not shown).

[0056] FIG. 4 shows an example of an individual code consisting of a QR code 2 and an alphanumeric code 3.

[0057] FIG. 5 shows the workflow for producing continuously a packaging film comprising a monolayer gravure surface DFC ink printing using an off-line ablation process. In a first step 40 a standard artwork surface printing 20 is applied onto one side of the substrate film strip 14 which may comprise a metal layer 12 on the side where the artwork printing is deposited. In a second step 45 the other surface of the substrate film strip lying opposite to the artwork printing 20 is provided with a number of repetitive DFC ink areas. The first and second steps 40, 45 may also be done in a single step, e.g. using a turn bar. In a third process step 52, the film strip comprising the artwork printing 20 and the DFC ink areas is slitted to provide a series of individual packaging film parts running along the longside of the film strip. In a forth process step 55 the individual DFC ink areas are ablated by a computer-controlled laser beam 8 to produce the individual codes 2, 3, 30. In a fifth process step 62 the surface of the film strip comprising the individual codes 2, 3, 30 is cleaned. In a last sixth process step 65 the quality or readability of the codes 2, 3, 30 is checked.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows the workflow for producing continuously a packaging film comprising a monolayer gravure surface DFC ink printing using an in-line ablation process. In a first step 41 a standard artwork surface printing 20 is applied onto one side of the substrate film strip 14 which may comprise a metal layer 12 on the side where the artwork printing 20 is deposited. In a second step 46 the other surface of the substrate film strip 14 lying opposite to the artwork printing 20 is provided with a number of repetitive DFC ink areas. The first and second steps 41, 46 may also be done in a single step, e.g. using a turn bar. In a third step 56 of the continuous roll-to-roll process the individual DFC ink areas are ablated by a computer-controlled laser beam 8 to produce the individual codes 2, 3, 30. In a forth process step 61 the surface of the film strip comprising the individual codes 2, 3, 30 is cleaned. In a fifth process step 66 the quality or readability of the codes 2, 3, 30 is checked. In a sixth process step 51, the film strip comprising the artwork printing 20 and the DFC ink areas is slitted to provide a series of individual packaging film parts running along the longside of the film strip.

[0059] FIG. 7 shows the workflow for producing a packaging film comprising a multilayer gravure DFC ink printing with adhesive or extrusion lamination and comprising off-line DFC printing and ablation processes. In a first step 39 a standard artwork surface printing 20 is applied onto a first polymer film 25 and in a second step 44 said first polymer film 25 on the side comprising the artwork printing 20 is laminated to the second substrate film strip 10 using an intermediate adhesive layer 15, or the second film strip 10 is extruded onto the side of the first substrate film strip 25 having the artwork printing. In a third process step 49 the other surface of the second substrate film strip 10 lying opposite to the artwork printing 20 is provided with a number of repetitive DFC ink areas. In a forth process step 54, the film strip comprising the artwork printing 20 and the DFC ink areas is slitted to provide a series of individual packaging film parts running along the longside of the film strip. In a fifth process step 59, the individual DFC ink areas are ablated by a computer-controlled laser beam 8 to produce the individual codes 2, 3, 30. In a sixth process step 64 the surface of the second film strip 10 comprising the individual codes 2, 3, 30 is cleaned. In a last seventh process step 69 the quality or readability of the codes 2, 3, 30 is checked.

[0060] FIG. 8 shows the workflow for producing a packaging film comprising a multilayer gravure DFC ink printing with adhesive or extrusion lamination and comprising in-line DFC printing and ablation processes. In a first step 38 a standard artwork surface printing 20 is applied onto a first polymer film 25 and in a second step 43 said first polymer film 25 on the side comprising the artwork printing 20 is laminated to the second substrate film strip 10 using an intermediate adhesive layer 15, or the second film strip 10 is extruded onto the side of the first substrate film strip 25 having the artwork printing. In a third process step 48 the other surface of the second substrate film strip 10 lying opposite to the artwork printing 20 is provided with a number of repetitive DFC ink areas. In a forth process step 53, the individual DFC ink areas are ablated by a computer-controlled laser beam 8 to produce the individual codes 2, 3, 30. In a fifth process step 58 the surface of the second film strip 10 comprising the individual codes 2, 3, 30 is cleaned. In a sixth process step 63 the quality or readability of the codes 2, 3, 30 is checked. In a seventh process step 68 the film strip comprising the artwork printing 20 and the DFC ink areas is slitted to provide a series of individual packaging film parts running along the longside of the film strip.