Glossary
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Acrylic Adhesive
The outstanding properties of acrylate adhesives include their long service life, resistance to oxidation, high aging resistance, and high temperature resistance. They are also highly UV-stable. Synthetic resins are added to acrylate adhesives. The main advantage over hot melt adhesives is that acrylate adhesives make less noise when unrolling adhesive tapes.
Additive
Additives are combined with the plastic during film production. They improve the mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties, facilitate processing, and give the products their attractive appearance.
Agriflex
Agriflex is a brand name for agricultural stretch film used for airtight wrapping of silage. Agriflex agricultural stretch film is manufactured using the cast process.
Antistatic Film
The antistatic film prevents or reduces the static charge on the object packaged in it.
Biaxial
Film can be shrunk or stretched lengthwise, crosswise or not at all, if desired. If the film can be shrunk or stretched both lengthwise and crosswise, it is called biaxial.
Big Bags
Big Bags are used as a packaging solution for bulk goods in both the food and non-food sectors. They can also be used for hazardous materials. Big bags are made of 100% polypropylene and can be either uncoated or made from coated polypropylene fabric. The product can be used as required for breathable products or for dusty or fine-flowing materials. Big bags are available in numerous sizes, load capacities, and designs.
Blocked
Film is considered blocked if the surfaces adhere to each other to an undesirable degree. For example, a bag may no longer open as easily as desired. Blocking is the most common cause of complaints in film handling.
Blown Film
In the blown film process, granulate is liquefied in an extruder, and a bubble is created with the help of air. The thickness of the film is determined by the amount of air, the amount of raw material, and the speed at which it is drawn off. The advantage of blown film is its excellent mechanical properties, such as high holding power, elasticity, resilience, and puncture resistance.
Bubble Wrap
See Air Bubble Film.
Butyl Adhesive Tape
Butyl rubber adhesive tape is flame-retardant, cold-sealable, heat-resistant, diffusion-tight, and saltwater-resistant. It is used for the permanent sealing of pipes, heating and fresh air ducts, vapour diffusion-tight insulation of ceilings, and for bonding and welding roof foils. The adhesive tape can be used with an aluminium/PET composite, PETP fleece, or polyethylene film as a carrier. A double-sided butyl rubber adhesive tape can be used, for example, to permanently seal joints and gaps in vehicle construction and apparatus engineering or to prevent cold bridges and moisture migration.
Cast Film
In the production of cast film, the granulate is first liquefied in the extruder, and then a wide slot die distributes the liquid granulate onto a moving, water-cooled roller. This process enables high production speed and excellent transparency. Around 80 per cent of all stretch films are produced as cast film.
Cellophane Film
It is a thin, colourless, and transparent film made of viscose (rayon/chemical fiber) with the typical crackling effect. It is still used today for packaging cigarettes and tobacco products, confectionery, baked goods, cheese, meat products, other food items, and even medicines. Cellophane film is impermeable to liquids but allows water vapour to pass through. Pure cellophane can be composted, disposed of as waste paper, or incinerated.
Coated Film
Films made from various polymer types can be effectively combined with layers of paper, aluminium, or other plastics. This method is primarily used to enhance the strength of food packaging, enable printing, and ensure longer freshness of the contents. Specifically, in the case of laminating film, a layer is bonded to aluminium, paper, or another plastic. A common example of this is the well-known coffee packaging.
Coex
Coex is the abbreviation for co-extrusion, which means that several extruders are used to produce the film. As a result, the film consists of several layers, each with specific properties that can be combined as required. This allows for variations in thickness, weldability, rigidity, protective layers, and optical properties. If a coex film consists of two different materials, it is also called a composite film.
Corona Treatment
The corona treatment enhances the surface properties of films to improve their wettability and the adhesive strength of inks, coatings, and adhesives. It is most effective when applied directly during the extrusion of the film by treating the substrate. This process improves the quality of the film, providing a significant advantage for subsequent printing.
Electrical Adhesive Tape
Electrical adhesive tape is a type of ‘soft PVC tape’ used to seal and insulate electrical cables.
Embossed
The term ‘embossed’ comes from French. Embossed vacuum bags have a special structure that allows air to pass through more easily. The surface features a repeated geometric pattern with raised and recessed areas. This structure forms air channels that help the bag adhere better to vacuum-packed food, extending the shelf life of the food.
EUDR
Die EU-Verordnung (EU) 2023/1115 über die Entwaldungsfreie Lieferkette (EUDR) soll sicherstellen, dass bestimmte Rohstoffe (u. a. Holz und Kautschuk) und daraus hergestellte Produkte nicht zur Entwaldung beitragen. Von Herstellern und Händlern sind gewisse Sorgfaltspflichten einzuhalten.
Extruder
An extruder for film is a machine that presses plastic granulate evenly through a molding opening under high pressure and temperature. There are two different methods for producing PE: the blown film process and the casting process. In the blown film process, the molten mass from the extruder is moulded into a tube through a ring die and then expanded by blowing in air. In the casting process, the molten mass is forced through a wide slot die.
Filament Adhesive Tape
Filament adhesive tape is a special tape made of polypropylene with additional glass fibre reinforcement, typically in the longitudinal direction. It is ideal for bundling, reinforcing, and sealing heavy cardboard boxes, as well as for use as strapping tape.
Flexible Film
It is a composite film made from several types of polymer. Typical polymer compounds for flexible films include, for example, polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE), polypropylene/polyamide (PP/PA), and polypropylene/polyamide/polyethylene (PP/PA/PE). The counterpart of flexible film is rigid film.
Granulate
Plastic granulate is a granular, easily pourable solid used as a base material for film production. It is processed in an extruder.
HDPE
HDPE stands for High-Density Polyethylene. In contrast to LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene), HDPE is a very rigid and hard material, which causes the film to crackle when touched. Due to its higher density, HDPE is also more resilient than LDPE.
Hotmelt Adhesive
Hotmelt adhesives are solid at room temperature and are applied hot to the product being bonded. They form a bond as they cool. This category of adhesives is based on chemical raw materials. However, when used in adhesive tapes, the rolling noise is somewhat louder than that of competing acrylate adhesives.
Impulse Welding
Impulse welding, also known as contact welding, is performed using tong-shaped contact bars. The film is placed between the contact bars, and by closing the tongs, the required heat and pressure are applied. When the heating duration can be set on the welding device, it is referred to as impulse welding.
Laminated film
Like coex film, composite film consists of several layers. However, in composite film, these layers are made of different materials. There are two different methods for producing composite film. Either the film is dry laminated, in which case the film is bonded with adhesive, or the film is extrusion laminated. In extrusion laminating, the composite is applied in liquid form during the extrusion process. It is primarily used in special applications, such as films that need to be slippery on the inside but slip-resistant on the outside. Thickness reduction (and thus cost reduction) compared to conventional materials is possible. Mixtures of different PE raw materials are possible (e.g., LDPE and HDPE). The addition of recycled material can significantly reduce costs.
LDPE
LDPE stands for Low-Density Polyethylene. In contrast to HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), LDPE is a very soft and flexible material. Due to its lower density, LDPE is less resilient than HDPE.
Mailing Bags
Send your parcels and pallets with mailing bags that are clearly visible from the outside. This allows the recipient to recognize and retrieve the shipping documents immediately, even without opening the parcel or pallet. Loss of goods is also minimised as the address on the shipping documents is clearly visible on the package. Small costs with a big impact for your logistics department.
MDPE
MDPE stands for Medium Density Polyethylene. It fills the gap between LDPE and HDPE, combining the properties of both in a single product.
Monaxial Film
A monaxial film can be shrunk or stretched in either the longitudinal or transverse direction. In contrast to biaxial film, the film can only be altered in one direction.
OPA Film
See OPP film. However, instead of a PP film, a PA film is stretched.
Opaque
Opaque is the adjective form of opacity and means cloudy. This measure indicates how opaque a material is, in this case, a film used for packaging.
OPE Film
See OPP film. However, instead of a PP film, a PE film is stretched.
OPP Film
OPP stands for oriented polypropylene film. A polypropylene film is stretched in a longitudinal or transverse direction, or in both directions (biaxial). This allows the thickness and weight per square metre of the film to be defined. Stretching the film can also improve its mechanical properties, increase its transparency, improve its cold resistance, and reduce its gas permeability.
PCR - Post Consumer Recyclate
'Post-consumer recyclate' (PCR) refers to recycled material that consists of waste discarded by consumers after using a product. Examples of this type of waste include used plastic packaging, plastic bottles, and other disposable items that end up in the waste stream after use and are then recovered in the recycling process.
PIR - Post Industrial Recyclate
‘Post-industrial recyclate’ (PIR) refers to material waste generated during industrial production that is subsequently recycled before it reaches consumers or the waste stream. This industrial waste is generated during processes such as cutting, the production of plastic parts, and the processing of other materials such as metal and textiles. Unlike post-consumer recyclate (PCR), which comes from products that have already gone through a life cycle, PIR is generally less contaminated and can be recycled more efficiently.
Polyamide (PA)
PA stands for polyamide. Polyamide is a synthetic thermoplastic produced by the polycondensation of organic acids with amines. The properties of polyamide film include high water absorption, excellent odour and grease resistance, very good resistance to organic chemicals, and very good heat and cold resistance.
Polyethylene (PE)
PE stands for polyethylene and is a thermoplastic that belongs to the group of polyolefins. Depending on the density of the compound, a distinction is made between LD-PE and HD-PE. In addition to the production of films (PE films, composite films, shrink films), PE is also used to make bottles, bottle boxes, barrels, canisters, tins, trays, etc.
Polypropylene (PP)
PP stands for polypropylene and is a thermoplastic with a semi-crystalline molecular structure. Like polyethylene, PP belongs to the group of polyolefins. In the packaging sector, PP is used for the production of films, transport boxes, packaging tapes, cups, and bottles.
PPWR - Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
PPWR stands for Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and is the new European regulation for packaging and packaging waste. It aims to standardize packaging regulations across the EU, reduce waste volumes, promote recycling, and establish a circular economy for packaging. The regulation has been in force since January 2025 and will be binding in all member states from August 12, 2026.
PVC
PVC, which belongs to the thermoplastic polymers, is mainly divided into two groups: soft PVC, which has certain plasticisers added, and rigid PVC (without plasticisers). Both have an amorphous molecular structure. Depending on the production method and the additives used, different types of PVC are produced, each with distinct properties.
Regenerated Film
The regenerated film consists of recycled PE granulate and usually contains colour inclusions. It changes colour when red or green granulate is used, for example, but this does not affect its technical properties. The film is mainly used as a cover film or for dust protection.
Rigid Film
Rigid film is a composite film made from several types of polymer. Typical polymer compounds for rigid films are, for example, polystyrene/polyethylene (PS/PE). The counterpart to rigid film is flexible film.
Running Metre
Unlike the square metre, the running metre of the film roll refers only to the length of the film roll. Therefore, the length of the film roll is the same as the running metre length of the roll.
Silage
Silage is a high-quality green fodder for farm animals that is fermented and preserved. It is particularly suitable for cattle, as they can digest the structural carbohydrates through their rumen. Silage is also suitable for preserving renewable raw materials or as an energy source for biogas plants. Our silage film guarantees the high quality of your silage.
SLC Sacks
SLC stands for Small Load Carrier. These are plastic boxes for which special sacks have been made to line them. We are talking here about side gusseted sacks.
Square Metre
In the packaging industry, plastic film is often sold by the square metre. It is calculated as follows: length in metres × width in metres = square metres.
Stretching
During stretching, a film is stretched in a longitudinal or transverse direction, or in both directions (biaxial). This process defines the thickness and weight per square metre of the film. Stretching the film can also improve its mechanical properties, increase its transparency, enhance its cold resistance, and reduce its gas permeability. In the packaging industry, stretching is referred to as orientating. Depending on the plastic, this results in the designations OPE, OPP, and OPA.
Stipples
Stipples, also known as gel particles or ‘fish eyes,’ are isolated impurities in the film web that negatively affect the film's properties. Stippling also significantly increases the risk of the film web tearing.
Translucent Films
Translucent films allow light to pass through to a certain extent, but this should not be confused with transparency. The higher the light transmission, the more translucent the film becomes. Translucency is closely related to opacity: the more opaque a film is, the less translucent it is.
Transparent
The transparency of a film indicates how transparent the film is.
UV-Stabilised Film
UV stands for ultraviolet. A UV-stabilised film is one that is resistant to solar radiation. By adding certain additives during the production process, the film becomes UV-stabilised for a longer or shorter period, depending on the quantity of additives. However, no film is UV-resistant indefinitely.
Vapour Barrier Film
Vapour barrier film is made of polyethylene and is applied to the warm side of a building component to prevent water vapour diffusion. Its purpose is to stop excessive moisture penetration into the insulation layer by limiting water vapour diffusion.
VCI Film
VCI stands for Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor. VCI film was developed to protect high-quality multi-metal parts, accessories, and components from corrosion. This product is manufactured with a proprietary corrosion inhibitor, blended with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) during the extrusion process. Properties: corrosion protection, active rust protection, and recyclability.
Y-Type Shrink Hood
In contrast to the standard shrink hood, the Y-type shrink hood is primarily characterized by significantly less crescent formation during shrinking. Additionally, the Y-type shrink hood can be produced in much larger dimensions than the standard shrink hood.