The Watershed Spotlight: Flexible Packaging Division

Last week in our Watershed Spotlight we gave you an insight into Packaging Machinery division and our Case Sealing capabilities. This week we are shining the spotlight on a different aspect of our business and today we will be giving you a brief insight into our Flexible Packaging division.

Since our formation 28 years ago, Watershed Packaging has become one of the prominent suppliers of Flexible Printed Packaging. Producing Flexible Packaging such as Shrink Sleeves, Flexible Packaging, Die Cut Lids, Labels and Printed Tape. We also sell end of line Packaging Machinery. Our core values ​​of quality, service and innovation make Watershed a premium choice for many multinational companies. In the competitive field of Flexible Print and Packaging, no competitor can offer the same array of products alongside such a responsive and entrepreneurial service.

How did Watershed Packaging first start manufacturing and supplying Flexible Printed Packaging?
In 1998 we acquired a Flexographic printing company in Kent. We invested in a state of the art MPS UV Flexo Press for our head office in Leeds. At the time, this converted our site into the most advanced printers in the Label industry – what an achievement! By 2006 and after forming a strong connection with MPS, we decided to purchase another MPS printing press. Watershed now encompasses over 11 Printing Presses across the group and this has given us the capability to print high quality detail on any Film substrate ranging from 20-micron thickness right up to a staggering 650 micron.

What type of Film Packaging do Watershed Packaging offer?
In our Flexible Film division, we manufacture and supply High Barrier Laminates, Strip Laminates, Printed Sachets, Ovenable Films/Food 2 Go and we also offer a Toll Lamination service on-site at our Leeds headquarters.

High Barrier Laminates
We have extensive experience in high barrier, long shelf life laminated Films for direct packing applications, mainly for form-fill-seal applications within the Bakery/Cereal Bar marketplace. This is predominantly oPP//oPP lamination, with a combination of matte, gloss, silver or white, as required. Watershed now have capabilities to offer higher barrier films, combining polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon as laminates due to investment of our new high-speed Laminator. We are now able to offer a more complex applications and requirements, and support customers who are looking for improved shelf-life.

Examples of products where a High Barrier Laminate would be useful for their outer packaging would be cereal bars, protein bars, confectionery, popcorn, wet wipes, and dried nuts. This type of packaging provides a strong barrier to help protect the product inside.

Strip Laminates
Strip Laminate packaging is an economical way to enhance the attractiveness of your product and strengthen your brand image. It is mainly used in the Bakery and Sandwich industry for wrapping sub rolls and baguettes. Typically, the materials used are Kraft paper in conjunction with either a clear oPP or with an anti-fog version, to maintain product visibility in chilled conditions.

The Laminate packaging material consists of a multi-layer film bonded by a solventless adhesive which forms a protective barrier against gas, contaminants, and aromas. In addition, the high-quality paper Laminate gives a premium feel, highlights your product and your chosen design is prominent on the packaging as a continuous print.

At Watershed we can offer short and long runs on this product, giving the end user flexibility on orders. We offer a wide range of stock sizes on strip laminates in our HQ in Leeds. Please enquire for further details.

Ovenable Films/Food 2 Go
Ovenable films are created by combining the correct film substrate with our unique pioneering ovenable inks to ensure the brilliant & safe performance at the high temperatures.

Once we have assessed the food product and the cooking methods and temperatures, we produce printed films to match the application perfectly. These film types are typically produced from recyclable polyester (PET) materials and are used for oven and microwave applications.

We supply ovenable films into the following markets: Sandwich Manufacturers, Bakeries and Food Companies. Watershed has been offering to the market low order quantities, typically 10,000m. Examples of products where Ovenable Film/Food 2 Go would be useful for their outer packaging would be pastries, paninis, croissants, pasties, and chips in a bag.

Printed Sachets
Sachet Packaging is a popular packaging method in the Medical, Pharmaceutical and Household industries, as well as the Food Ingredients market. Typically Foil Sachets are used within these industries to act as a strong barrier of protection for the product.

We produce a wide variety suitable for creams, lotions, powders and handy wipes. All our Sachets are suitable for use with form-fill-seal (FFS) machines.

Watershed have the widest range of stock laminates, including the most popular 12//9//75 and Surlyn-coated paper. For complex designs and ranges of Flexible Laminated Packaging, we have the advantage over other flexible printers and other sachet printing companies due to our new press technologies, short print run capability and low origination costs.

You can choose from many substrates including barrier films and food grade film depending on your requirements. Not sure what you need? We can advise you on your requirements and produce your designs.

Innovation in Print
We are extremely proud to be innovators within the industry of Flexible Print. We have produced packaging on Paper Film that is 100% PLASTIC FREE! As a business we are committed to being a sustainable and environmentally friendly business operating in the Print industry. As a business we want to play a vital role in ensuring we are doing all we can to help the environment.

This week’s blog post is an overview of Watershed Packaging’s Flexible Packaging division. We offer such a variety of products and we hope the Watershed Spotlight can help tell the world who we are and what we do. We hope you enjoyed this weekly spotlight on our Flexible Packaging division! Keep a lookout for our next Watershed spotlight coming to you next week!

Have a good weekend.