Which packaging materials can be used with CMB machinery?

Consumable packaging materials used to protect certain products during storage or transport can be of many types. However, there are certain contextual elements that may condition what these packaging materials should look like.

For example, international packaging standards aim at sustainability, resource efficiency and SDG compliance. In this sense, all existing guidelines are moving in the same direction, namely to choose materials that can be recycled after use or materials that can be made from recycled materials.

Another contextual element that conditions the packaging materials used is that a large number of products that are manufactured are exported to other countries to be marketed there.

This huge percentage of exports means that many products have to be packaged to withstand long overland or even sea journeys in optimum conditions. 

Therefore, any packaging machine for medium and large products that wants to opt for the use of sustainable packaging materials must take into account compliance with existing guidelines and also the optimum quality it must offer in order to protect what is being packaged.

CMB Barberán’s experience in the packaging machinery sector for wood and wooden furniture and other materials has shown us that one of the main fears that manufacturers have when choosing sustainable packaging materials is that they are sufficiently resistant to protect their products properly.

Wood is a very sensitive and delicate material that must be protected from all external agents that can damage it during the transport or storage process.

“Will this material protect the product from humidity? Will this material ensure that the packaging is perfectly sealed and that the product is completely isolated from the outside? Will this material be able to cover the product, adapting to its shape, as if it were a second skin?

These are just some of the many questions our customers ask us when we explain that CMB’s packaging machinery for medium and large products only uses fully recyclable packaging materials.

At CMB we classify the packaging solutions we offer our customers into two main types: cold packaging machines and packaging machines that work by applying heat.

It is not possible to use the same packaging materials in both types, as packaging that requires the application of heat needs to use materials that are able to withstand high temperatures and shrink wrap optimally without losing properties in order to guarantee optimal packaging.

In the case of the cold packaging machinery we manufacture at CMB, the packaging materials used are always stretch polyethylene film combined with basic polyethylene film, polyethylene bubble film, polyethylene foam film and, only when very necessary, cardboard.

Depending on whether a single layer of protection or more than one layer is required, these packaging materials are combined to achieve the desired result.

For example, if a wooden product is to be packed for storage, a single layer of polyethylene stretch film is probably sufficient.

On the other hand, if the product in question is to be moved by road transport, a double layer of protection may be required, which is achieved by applying a first layer of bubble film and a second layer of stretch film, among many other possible combinations.

When it comes to packaging with the application of heat, packaging materials that are used for either a single layer or the outer layer of the packaging must be shrinkable.

This means that they are a type of packaging materials that when heat is applied to them are able to shrink and coat the product inside as if it were a layer of skin.

During the manufacturing process, these materials can be oriented in different directions and percentages depending on the characteristics of the product to be packaged and to achieve the most suitable final shrinkage for the product they protect.

In the case of CMB packaging machines with heat application, the packaging material used is polyethylene shrink film. As with cold packs, if more than one layer of protection is required, polyethylene bubble film or cardboard is used, always on the inner layers.

As you can see, at CMB we are firmly committed to sustainability when it comes to choosing the packaging materials used in our machines. If you would like more information on this subject, we invite you to contact us by filling in the form below.