Compared to available SBC/PS blends, the new film material is said to offer better shrinkage behavior, with films made of the new material able to reach final shrinkage values of up to 80%. The higher the shrinkage percentage, the more flexibility brand owners have in terms of package shape; even odd shapes can be properly labeled.

“Our customer, Sutter, which so far had shrink-wrapped its bottles with a PET shrink film, is now introducing our film made of Styrolux HS 70. This eliminates the so-called "smile effect" – folding, for example, at the neck of the bottle – that up to now had been encountered at the transition from large radii to small radii in objects having a complex geometry,” explains Marco Ruspa, technical manager at Axial. In addition, the new material yields about 30% more film per kilogram than does PVC or PET, and unlike PET it does not require any pre-drying. —[email protected]