Objective. Create a film that allows gases to pass through and not liquids or solids
Our client, a food film manufacturer, would like to create a new film that only allows gases to pass through, and prevents the passage of solids and liquids. Its objective is to be able to offer a new innovative product. The main requirement is that the microholes generated do not weaken the film below a limit so that it does not lose mechanical properties.
Solution. Design and microperforation of microholes in film
The first step was to know our client’s film to select the laser and optics that would work best with this material. We needed to make a ‘cold’ microperforation to avoid thermal effects on the material.
With the set up defined, we designed the microperforations that we were going to make, in which we varied the distances between holes, the hole diameters and the arrangement of the holes. To know the aesthetic and dimensional quality of the microperforations, we characterized them using optical and confocal microscopy.
After designing the different microperforation patterns, we carried out tests in the laboratory with laser equipment to replicate these designs on different film materials.
After various iterations, we found the plastic film material with which the best dimensional stability could be achieved, which we selected with the client to make the final prototypes.
In the last phase of the project, we developed various prototypes that were tested by the client to check their breathability and mechanical resistance properties.