The key to DPET's superior characteristics is in the direct-to-sheet manufacturing process itself, which bypasses several "conventional" steps and produces a product with unprecedented consistency and exceptional clarity.Gauge consistency in conventional PET sheeting is in the 3 to 8% range, with 5% as an average. DPET, on the other hand, is manufactured to a caliper tolerance of +/- 1%. Operationally, this outstanding consistency allows thermoformers to specify a thinner sheet and still hit target thicknesses in finished products. It also saves shipping weight, and the uniform roll sizes allow other advantages in packing and shipping the sheeting.
DPET's direct-to-sheet process also results in a material with superior clarity and gloss. Decision-makers, whether food packagers or retailers, know that clarity and gloss both translate into an end user perception of higher quality. DPET surfaces also allow for subsequent printing processes to allow for high-impact display.
DPET can be run at a 10% quicker cycle time, and at temperatures as much as 5 degrees lower than conventional APET, and still retain clarity and gloss. This translates directly into lower electricity and time costs per finished unit.
DPET has excellent flow characteristics, resulting in 3 to 8% more material reaching inside corners of mold profiles. Combine this with its intrinsic viscosity of 0.78, and the implication is that finished containers are tougher, more resistant to cracking, and better able to withstand the rigors of shipping to retailers and end users. Its high intrinsic viscosity also means less scrap and skeletal waste.
What this means is a superb new product that can cut costs by as much as 24% compared to conventional PET sheeting, as Octal has confirmed in laboratory testing.
In addition, as a supplier, Octal is positioned to be a reliable partner: continuing development, ready access to raw materials and international shipping lanes, duty-free import into the United States as a result of its Free Trade Agreement with Oman, a first-class logistics network and guaranteed supply to enable efficient conversion to DPET.
OCTAL’s DPET is the first and only direct-to-sheet polyester sheet in the world. Developed and introduced to the market in 2008, OCTAL’s unique direct-to-sheet process, DPET technology, eliminates five energy intensive stages of the conventional sheet production process (pelletizer, SSP, compactor, dryer and extruder).
