Nordmeccanica strengthens flexible packaging development in North America

Nordmeccanica has opened its North American Innovation Hub in Hauppauge, New York, creating a dedicated environment where converters, brand owners and material suppliers can evaluate sustainable flexible packaging technologies under industrial operating conditions.

The facility is intended to move packaging development beyond laboratory-scale testing by allowing customers to assess materials, adhesives and lamination structures directly on production equipment.

Live demonstrations focus on recyclable structures

The company officially showcased the hub during a technical event on 2 September 2026 together with Henkel, Windmöller & Hölscher and other industry partners.

Live production demonstrations included paper and metallised PET laminates as well as mono-material polyethylene structures based on MDOPE and LDPE, reflecting growing demand for packaging that can combine barrier and converting performance with improved recyclability.

Solvent-free lamination supports lower-impact production

Solventless adhesive technologies formed an important part of the demonstrations. These systems can reduce solvent emissions and eliminate some of the drying requirements associated with conventional solvent-based lamination.

For flexible packaging converters, lower-energy curing and reduced solvent handling can create operational benefits while helping companies respond to increasingly demanding environmental and regulatory objectives.

Mono-PE structures target design for recycling

Mono-material polyethylene packaging is becoming a major development area as brands seek alternatives to traditional multilayer structures combining incompatible polymers.

Using MDOPE for stiffness and printability together with LDPE sealing layers can allow converters to retain important functional characteristics while keeping the overall structure within a polyethylene-based recycling stream.

Paper-based laminates remain part of the development mix

Nordmeccanica is also using the hub to explore paper-based flexible packaging, including structures where fibre is combined with thin functional layers to deliver barrier or decorative performance.

The challenge is to ensure that coatings, adhesives and additional films do not undermine the recyclability of the complete pack, making industrial trials increasingly important before new structures move into commercial production.

Henkel brings adhesive development expertise

Henkel is working with Nordmeccanica as a strategic technology partner, contributing adhesive and coating expertise for recyclable and lower-impact flexible packaging.

The partnership allows new chemistries to be evaluated directly on lamination equipment, shortening the distance between material development and industrial validation.

W&H adds printing and film-processing perspective

Windmöller & Hölscher also participated in the technical programme, bringing expertise in film extrusion, printing and converting.

Combining machinery suppliers, adhesive specialists and converters within the same development environment can help ensure that packaging structures are evaluated as complete systems rather than as isolated material components.

Retort and multilayer applications remain technically demanding

The Innovation Hub will also support development work around solventless retort packaging, multilayer lamination and coating technologies.

These applications require packaging to withstand heat, moisture and demanding shelf-life conditions, making material simplification more difficult than in less demanding flexible formats.

Local testing can accelerate commercialisation

North American converters have traditionally relied on supplier laboratories or overseas facilities when testing some advanced lamination technologies.

Providing demonstration and application-development capabilities locally can reduce development times, allow customers to evaluate materials using their own specifications and lower the risk associated with adopting new structures.

Innovation hubs become part of packaging machinery strategy

Machinery manufacturers are increasingly creating technical centres where customers can validate new packaging concepts before committing to full-scale investment.

For Nordmeccanica, the Hauppauge hub extends this model into one of its most important markets and strengthens the company’s role beyond equipment supply, positioning it as a development partner for converters navigating recyclability, PPWR-driven design changes and evolving material requirements.

Flexible packaging transition requires joint development

The facility reflects a wider recognition that no single supplier can solve the recyclability challenges facing flexible packaging. Films, inks, coatings, adhesives and converting processes must all work together if simplified structures are to perform reliably at industrial scale.

By bringing these elements together in a dedicated North American testing environment, Nordmeccanica is aiming to accelerate the transition from promising material concepts to commercially viable recyclable packaging.