The Effect of Storage & Conditioning on Material Performance
Packaging, storage and conditioning directly affect the appearance and performance of plasticized materials. Highly plasticized products such as static cling for instance, can easily suffer when exposed to heat or humidity. A variety of issues can occur which can render affected material difficult to deal with or in dire situations, practically unusable.
Our in-house handling, production, storage and packaging have been designed to eliminate or minimize potential issues. However, as much as temperature cannot be predicted or controlled during transport, there are temperature and storage guidelines we recommend to help preserve the quality of any plasticized material.
STATIC CLING FILMS
Static Cling films are a highly plasticized material with approximately 35-38% plasticizer content. These are hi tack films with superb adhesion to glossy surfaces. Due to the plasticizer content, it is normal to expect plasticizer migration in time or when the material has been subject to adverse conditions.
Static Cling is sensitive to aging. Therefore, our static cling is produced only as ordered and is recommended for immediate use. The recommendations above also apply to static cling with the following additional guidelines:
PACKAGING & PRINT FILMS
Packaging & Print films can also suffer unique problems when improperly stored. Exposure to extreme heat and humidity can cause blocking where sheets over-adhere to each other forming a “block”. While extreme cold can cause the substrate to shatter or crack.
Regardless of the film, correct storage and conditioning practices will yield the best quality and performance for your packaging and/or print job.