PPG Packaging Coatings Launches INNOVEL HPS Coatings

PPG Industries’  packaging coatings business has announced that INNOVEL HPS coatings, the next generation of internal protective spray lacquers for the beverage can industry, has been approved for use on aluminum and steel beverage cans.

Major beverage brand owners already recognize Innovel HPS coatings as the lacquer of choice thanks to their enhanced characteristics for flavor neutrality and pack resistance, according to Dave Cole, PPG vice president, packaging coatings.

Innovel HPS internal sprays are water-based acrylic polymer resin coatings designed to meet the evolving regulatory requirements for beverage cans. The pale-gold lacquers for either aluminum or steel beverage cans are the result of a comprehensive development process, extensive testing, pack-testing and industrial scale-up trials.

Groundbreaking Innovel HPS spray coatings have been approved by major brands around the globe. The reliable, consistent coatings conform with North American and European regulations, including the second phase of French regulations concerning BPA (bisphenol A) that will take effect in January 2015.

“Innovel HPS internal spray coatings provide high-performance solutions,” Cole said. “They have excellent pack resistance, fulfilling the critical requirements of beverage brand owners, and they protect against a wide range of beverages including highly acidic drinks such as ciders, energy drinks and carbonated soft drinks. In addition, the coatings have enhanced flavor-neutral properties to accommodate flavor-sensitive products such as water, and their effective pasteurization and retort capabilities make the coatings suitable for a broad range of filling goods such as waters, soda drinks, beers, ciders, coffees, teas and juices.”

Innovel HPS coatings also cover all weight specifications and run efficiently on can makers’ lines, according to Charles Turner, PPG technical director, packaging coatings. He said they have been introduced to beverage can makers’ lines without major modifications, resulting in minimal disruption in converting from conventional epoxy coatings.

PPG’s experienced technical support team backs Innovel HPS coatings, Turner added, constantly working to optimize new manufacturing processes and increase scale to provide can makers with better value and efficiency.

Importantly, the design of Innovel HPS coatings was carried out in Europe and the United States, leveraging PPG’s global research-and-development capabilities. “Development was heavily supported by a cross-functional and very experienced team globally, extended by can-making experts joining the team and with strong links to equipment specialists,” Turner said. “It was PPG’s objective to offer customers and brand owners a high-performance BPA-NI solution compliant with all North American and European regulations.”

Innovel HPS sprays are available now, ready for sustainable supplies thanks to production capacities in all regions, and they are backed by 30 years of experience in manufacturing beverage spray products around the globe. PPG produces Innovel HPS coatings in vessels dedicated to the manufacture of BPA-NI spray, and they have already been used commercially in Europe to coat more than 100 million cans distributed in France, Turner said.

Innovel HPS coatings are a sub-brand of Innovel next-generation coatings for the beverage can industry. PPG’s packaging coatings business supplies customers with a comprehensive range of high-performance products for beverage cans and ends, with a product portfolio that includes basecoats, over-varnishes, bottom rim-coats and inks.

For decades, PPG coatings for beverage easy-open ends have been recognized for their robustness and performance. PPG2466 internal lacquer for Non Post Lube processing has become an industry standard in Europe, Turner said, as a highly-tolerant coating that provides excellent fabricating performance. “With its latest-generation internal coatings, the PPG2489 series, PPG brings additional benefits to customers of conforming with North American and European regulations and being suitable for chrome and chrome-free substrates,” Turner said. “Also, the flexible film gives excellent stamping performance, suitable for new end profiles.”

PPG’s packaging coatings product range also includes next-generation over-varnishes and inks designed for high-quality printing, high transparency and maximum intensity while offering excellent compatibility with a large range of overprint varnishes.