Coatings are used to provide product and packaging protection and enhancements in countless ways.

By Tom Polischuk

On the horizon

With developments that are well past the drawing-table stage, coating technologies will surely continue to enhance packaging functionality. Their use in surface printing applications is growing for virtually every application, says Shah.

“More and more specialty coatings are being used in providing barrier and government compliance to food,” he observes. “Some of the lamination applications are being replaced with EB coatings. It provides cost reduction as well as just-in-time delivery. Smart coatings are being formulated for anti-counterfeit measures.”