Skelmersdale’s TrakRap has led a consortium in their successful award of a grant from Innovate UK, to develop a prototype that could change the way aerosols are packaged, improving industry safety.
The consortium, which comprised of another Skelmersdale business, logistics company DHL, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry and the University of Bradford, plan to use the funding to build a prototype stretch wrapping packaging machine.
This will be specifically for use in the aerosol industry, to replace the dangerous high temperatures shrink wrapping currently used, and which carry significant explosion risks.
The grant came from Innovate UK, the government led agency responsible for growing the UK economy by driving scientific and technological innovation.
The proposed prototype eliminates the need for high temperatures entirely by using a 100% recyclable polymer stretch film. The grant was awarded following the successful completion of a proof of concept.
This innovative technology will also reduce the energy used, by more than 90%, it will also reduce the use of plastics by over 60% compared to current shrink wrapping methods, providing financial and environmental benefits to users.