Ten years of R+D and trials by SCA Tuscarora in Northampton has culminated in its launch of an expanded foam packaging material which it claims offers 25% better cushioning properties than standard EPS alongside high fusion levels and improved tensile strength.
Designed particularly for reusable packing systems, for applications such as lightweight rigid trays, but also available in ultra-low densities as a one-trip packaging alternative to EPS for fragile goods, SupraCell was originally developed for the electronics industry.
Produced using a different manufacturing process, and tested at SCA Tuscarora’s in-house test centre and independently by PIRA, the material is a lightweight, fully recyclable robust styrenic which SCA claims outperforms EPS in drop tests and has comparable properties to EP, EPE and Arcel at a lower cost.
Leading display systems manufacturer LG Philips Displays has already placed orders for SupraCell trays to transport glass 28in TV screens from its Simonstone factory in the UK to Germany and the Czech Republic.
It wanted to switch from corrugated packaging to a closed loop system using trays manufactured in a similar, “superior quality” material to Asian expanded foam.
The packaging comprises top and bottom trays holding 14 glass screens, each weighing 26kg. Another layer stacked on top gives a pack weight of around 400kg.