Liquim® – new liquid-proof anti-slip paper
NEW: Liquim® – new liquid-proof anti-slip paper replaces corrugated cardboard and PE base sheets
After four years of development, Palcut A/S are introducing a liquid-proof, anti-slip paper with unique properties, targeted at industries which use fully automatic palletising. Many manufacturers have problems with the formation of condensation on palletised goods or with moisture seeping up through the bottom of the pallet. This can result in damaged goods and unstable pallets.
“Liquim is revolutionary because it is a friction paper which is liquid-proof. It cannot dissolve, and it ensures that pallets will not collapse in the warehouse, during transport or in the shop, whereas corrugated cardboard can become degraded and make pallets unstable,” says Lars Østergård Jonasen, Product Manager at Palcut A/S.
Liquim is also environmentally friendly, as it is made from FSC®-certified recycled paper and can reduce paper usage by up to 40% by replacing the interlayers in corrugated cardboard.
“It is a real Russian doll. Liquim is liquid-proof, is high friction and environmentally friendly. It’s three things at once. We are proud to be launching a sustainable total solution which can reduce the consumption of packaging materials and has been designed for fully automatic palletising lines,” continues Lars Østergaard Jonasen.
Superior coating repels liquids
The secret behind Liquim is a patented coating which provides extremely high friction and simultaneously protects against moisture, condensation and liquid leaks. The coating repels water, oil and other liquids. According to the COBB test, which measures how much water the paper absorbs in 60 seconds, the result is excellent: Only 3 grammes of water are absorbed per square metre of the paper, compared to 45 grammes for corrugated cardboard.
Liquim has two limit values for friction – that is, when the goods start to slip. These are 50 and 75 degrees respectively when goods have been loaded on the paper for some time. For corrugated cardboard, which is not deformed, the values are between 25 and 35 degrees.
Up to 40% reduced paper consumption
The test also shows that the friction of Liquim is released gradually. This is an advantage when goods such as bottles need to be ‘pushed into place’ after a robot has placed them on the pallet and the friction paper. When they are in place, Liquim binds them effectively to the surface.
Liquim is FSC-Recycled-certified, which means that only FSC Recycled paper is used. There is also three kinds of friction paper – 150, 220 and 300 grammes, and it is only delivered in rolls of up to 3000 metres.
The delivery in rolls is because Liquim is part of a complete solution including a Palcut machine which cuts the paper to the proper size and can be fully integrated into producers’ palletising lines.
“Liquim replaces interlayers of cardboard and can reduce paper consumption by up to 40%, while creating a much more stable pallet structure,” says Lars Østergaard Jonasen.
PE-base sheets are now redundant
In the field of chemical products and foodstuffs such as sugar and flour, moisture can penetrate from below, through the pallet base and into the goods. Here, Liquim replaces other base sheets made from polyethylene (PE), reducing the environmental impact. Compared to Palcut’s own PE liner, Liquim protects against liquids and moisture equally well but with twice the friction, which stabilises the pallet regardless of whether goods are packed in cardboard boxes or big bags.
“We have great expectations for industries where there are problems with moisture, including the food and ingredients industry, which today uses PE-based base sheets. Liquim stops moisture rising up through the bottom,” says Lars Østergaard Jonasen.
Thoroughly tested, approved and ready for sale
Palcut also have high expectations when it comes to selling to producers of drinking water and to the food industry, which until now have not had interlayers which cannot be dissolved by water and condensation and which also block the penetration of moisture.
“Liquim is a giant step forward in friction paper. It has been thoroughly tested by independent institutions and by a major manufacturer which found that it could reduce the use of interlayers by more than a third. So we have a foundation for our high expectations,” concludes Rudi Pedersen, Managing Director at Palcut A/S.
