The Nordmeccanica Super Combi 2000 laminator (above) (www.nordmeccanica.com) was one of the first pieces of machinery Flexstar Packaging, Inc. (Richmond, BC, Canada) bought after it was founded in April 2005 and has been a staple to the business since. The equipment was installed in February 2006 as part of the company's capital investment plan.

“It was the best installation I'd ever seen,” exclaims Marc Bray, president and chief executive officer of Flexstar. “We were in full production on the fourth day.”

And since then, the converter's Super Combi, Windmoeller & Hoelscher and FMC in-line laminators have enabled Flexstar to pursue products such as barrier laminations, hot-fill and retortable laminations and cold seals, among others. The Super Combi's capabilities with solventless adhesives also help Flexstar with its sustainability goals.

“Previously, all we used was solvent (adhesives, coatings) and now we're 75-percent solventless,” Bray says. “We run twice as fast and do not emit any VOCs.” The system runs at 1,200 fpm with solventless in comparison to the 500 to 650-fpm speed with solvent.

“The market was going solventless, and we go where our customers go,” adds Dale Ince, director of business development for Flexstar. “The Super Combi has significantly increased our business, and we're now more involved with higher technology laminates such as hot fill, microwaveable and retort applications.”

Lidding applications with coating capabilities are also on the table, and the company predicts a fair amount of business coming from the boilable and microwaveable packaging market.

“We expect to see further growth in flexible materials to replace other traditional forms of rigid packaging,” Bray explains. “We also expect more customers to look at Life Cycle Analysis regarding sustainability, which will continue to fuel the overall growth of flexible packaging.”

Flexstar is doing its part sustainability-wise by not only switching most of its laminations to solventless but continuing to investigate other eco avenues. Not all 100-percent sustainable products can meet customers' barrier requirements, Bray explains, and there has been a lack of high-quality, sustainable raw materials that can be sourced with reliability in volume. “If a customer wants to roll out a sustainable product in volume, we need to be able to ensure supply of that raw material consistently.”

Along with continued research and the use of solventless to cut VOC production, Flexstar recently started a plant-wide program that takes 85 percent of the total weight of the plastics that previously went to landfills and recycles it. In addition, the company recycles all waste solvents and inks, while purchasing recycled cores and reusable pallets in the plant.