Thinfilm and Bemis extend partnership for intelligent packaging
Plastics packaging powerhouse Bemis Co. has expanded its partnership agreement with Thinfilm to deliver printed electronics for high-volume applications.
In 2012, the companies announced that it had partnered to create a flexible sensing platform for the packaging market. The new category of packaging will collect and wirelessly communicate sensor information, for use by food, consumer product and healthcare companies. "The Smart Sensor System is perfect for perishable goods, healthcare (vaccines) and any area where it is important that the merchandize has not exceeded a certain temperature," Arnesen said
Bemis' packaging is used for a wide range of products from meat and cheese to medical devices and personal care items. Its customers include food and consumer products companies around the world
In 2012, Thinfilm CEO Davor Sutija said that low cost sensor tags bring several benefits to brand owners, manufacturers and consumers. The sensor tags are able to monitor and store physical and environmental data of the products, and wirelessly communicate this information. "This enables more informed decisions in every step of the lifecycle, from manufacturing to the point when the product is consumed, A 'use by' or 'best before' date is a general guideline, but what if there are troubles in cold chain management? Intelligent packaging helps make better informed decisions."
The sensor tag will measure the output of the component sensor on a regular basis and store a summary of that information in the printed Thinfilm rewritable memory. When a reader is placed in proximity to the tag, the tag will read out the values stored in the memory highlighting, for example, whether a threshold has been exceeded.