Starlinger has been developing packaging solutions based on woven plastic fabrics in close collaboration with its customers. These solutions are designed for fully automatic production on the lines of the Austrian machinery manufacturer.

One of the most popular solutions created by Starlinger is the AD*STAR block-bottom valve sack, which combines the advantages of a paper sack with those of woven plastic fabric. Starlinger offers three new sack types: AD*STAR *easy, IC*STAR *liner, and AD*STAR *ultra. New features open up even more diverse areas of application.

With its patented easy-open feature, the AD*STAR *easy allows for quick and easy emptying without the use of mechanical tools. To open the sack, a strip that is welded to the bottom patch is simply pulled off. This means that woven plastic sacks are now catching up with paper sacks in this regard, and greatly facilitate the daily work of end consumers. The new easy-open feature is available on the Starlinger sack conversion line ad*starKON HX, which is equipped with intelligent features such as iMOVE, iSHAPE, and iPATCH, as well as a dual stacking unit. The line covers a broad format range, from a sack capacity of 5 to 100 l.

IC*STAR *liner Welding instead of sewing: This is the concept behind the IC*STAR, which emerged in 2016 from a cooperation between Starlinger and Statec Binder. IC stands for “innovative closing,” which emphasizes that the woven bag is closed by welding instead of sewing and thereby sealed in a completely tight way. This concept allows for material savings in production and turns broken needles, stitch holes, and traces of oil on the sack fabric into a thing of the past. During the production process, this new sack type is lined fully automatically with a polyethylene film that offers maximum product protection for sensitive applications such as the packaging of food and hygroscopic products (e.g. commercial fertilizers). The fabric for the IC*STAR *liner is produced on a Starlinger circular loom, the FX 6.0 L, which has been specially adapted for this purpose.

With only 62 grams, the AD*STAR *ultra is the lightweight among woven bags made of polypropylene fabric. Less weight means material savings in the manufacturing process, and despite its low weight, the AD*STAR *ultra is robust. With dry bulk goods such as cement, the so-called tensile energy absorption (TEA) plays an important role because under load, as during sack filling or a fall from a large height, the packaging is subjected to considerable forces. This is where the interaction of strength and elongation of woven plastic fabrics comes in: Starlinger tapes show a high elongation that is retained over the entire process chain. In combination with the high strength of the tapes, this results in a higher TEA than comparable products and thus in an optimal performance under stress.

Starlinger & Co. Ges.m.b.H., Vienna, Austria +43 1 59955-0 www.starlinger.com

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