Tetra Recart

Paperboard in a new challenging environment – The Tetra Recart development story.

Aug-05, 1 Tetra Pak and canned food

Organic growth outside liquid food 160 bio. packs is produced annually

Food industry knowledge

Application of Tetra Pak core competencies Sealing technology Board and polymer properties Printing technology Package material converting

Aug-05, 2 Canning History

1806 Invention of food canning by Nicolas Appert

1810 Peter Durand patented sealed airtight tin can

First opening instruction (1824):

"Cut round on the top near to the outer edge with a chisel and hammer".

Aug-05, 3 Tetra Recart - a large development project

Ambition to become a major packaging option for producers of canned food

One of Tetra Pak’s most challenging projects • New packaging material • New package • New form and seal machine • Remaining parts based on existing technologies and equipment

Aug-05, 4 Sterilising the food in the package

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Retorting = In-container sterilisation

Aug-05, 5 Challenge No 1 – the retorting process • Package based on paperboard in: • 100 % relative humidity • up to 130 °C • for up to 3 hours...

...and still have • good appearance • high print quality • excellent mechanical properties • extremely good product protection • to fit existing recycling systems

Aug-05, 6 The Paperboard development

Aug-05, 7 Package Integrity

Aug-05, 8 How did we solve it?

Aug-05, 9 Paper Board Challenge

• Moisture resistance at high temperatures

Technical solutions • Unique board quality with special sizing

Aug-05, 10 Polymers Challenge

• To find the polymers that • resists 130 °C • are not brittle at chilled conditions • are extrudable in existing laminator

Technical solutions

• New polymer grades: • Polypropylene based

Aug-05, 11 Printing Quality

Challenge

• Find a retortable ink • Create a good printing surface without using coating material

Technical solutions

• UV-ink • Print on outside polymer • Lacquer to protect the print

Aug-05, 12 Challenge No 2 – Product demands • Package based on paperboard with a shelf life up to 24 months

• Oxygen barrier • Light barrier • Tight to microorganism

Lennart Alkskog, Jun-05, 93

Aug-05, 13 Oxygen barrier

Challenge

• Create an oxygen barrier better than any existing packaging system based on board

Technical solutions

• Polymer reinforced aluminium foil

Aug-05, 14 Product tests

Joint venture with customers MTU - Mobile Test Unit at customer production factories

Aug-05, 15 Packaging material

• Inside polypropylene layer • Aluminium foil • Polypropylene • Paperboard • Outside polypropylene layer • Printing and coat of lacquer

Paperboard= Renewable resource

Aug-05, 16 Tetra Recart = the retortable carton

Volume: ~ 400 ml Particle food Blanks-fed system Laser perforated opening Shelf life up to 2 years Recyclable

Aug-05, 17 Easy to open

Perforation with laser technique The ”depth” could be adjusted The polymer crystallises The heat improves the adhesion between the layers

Aug-05, 18 Aug-05, 19 Thank you for the attention!

Aug-05, 20