Exclusive: Lang Laser on India’s monomaterial shift and the pioneer legacy

Lang Laser, a family-owned business based in Nuremberg, Germany, identifies as the pioneer of laser technology in the flexible packaging industry. With more than 1,000 global installations, the company’s history spans over three decades, beginning with a breakthrough in 1994 for a liquid pouch application in Latin America. Lang recalls that in 1994, there was nobody in the market and they started as a laser producer by designing their own CO2 lasers.

The first idea was for a PET-Aluminium-PE pouch for a brand called Naturas. The aluminium layer reflected the beam, making it a safe process to prove that laser scoring allowed for easy tearing without scissors. Today, the company operates a modular, turnkey approach, integrating laser systems into slitting, printing, pouch-making, and lamination machinery across narrow, medium, and wide webs.

The move toward circularity and the subsequent rise of monomaterial laminates has fundamentally changed the necessity of laser scoring. While traditional polyester-based laminates could be torn relatively easily with a simple notch, Machine Direction Oriented (MDO) materials present a technical challenge.

Lang explains that with MDO monomaterial, easy tearing is never possible with just a notch because the user would need a scissor. This is one of the major pushes for laser technology in India. Even with a notch, the film does not follow a straight line, but laser scoring ensures a perfect and predictable opening experience for the consumer.

He says, the transition to monomaterial structures like MDO-PE and MDO-PP is the primary driver for laser technology in India, as these substrates make traditional tear-notches ineffective without laser scoring.

To address the specific requirements of the Indian market, Lang Laser has developed the FlexLas Tiger, a cost-effective laser system designed for scoring lines in the machine direction. Targeted at both slitter manufacturers as an OEM system and end-users, the system is designed to be an accessible entry point for companies looking to adopt laser technology.

The system can operate at speeds up to 700 metres per minute, depending on laser power and the substrate. Crucially, the technology is designed for easy retrofitting. Lang notes that they can install these on machines that are 20 years old or newer and adapt the layout directly to the customer’s needs, whether it is suitable to install on the top or the floor of the machine.

For pouch-making, the company offers the FlexLas Pouch solution. This independent system can be integrated into any pouch machinery, such as Totani, Mamata, or Galaxy, without requiring complex signal exchanges. The system scores from both the top and bottom sides simultaneously after the film is folded, ensuring the scoring lines are perfectly aligned before the side sealing and notch placement. A common concern for converters is whether laser scoring compromises the barrier properties of the film, particularly in structures containing EVOH.

Lang emphasises that precise power regulation is key to maintaining integrity. He states that if they damaged the barrier properties, the laser would make no sense. The company works extensively with the cheese industry in France where any damage to the barrier would be catastrophic. In modern MDO-PP structures, the barrier is often in the inner layers, meaning laser scoring on the outer skin remains on the safe side.

Lang Laser is also expanding into high-speciality applications, such as monomaterial blister packaging for the pharmaceutical industry. As the industry moves away from aluminium-based lidding films to improve recyclability, lasers are used to prepare the top layer so that tablets can be pushed through with the same ease as traditional foil.

Lang explains that they have a solution where the laser prepares the leading film so that the tablet, regardless of size, breaks through exactly like it would with aluminium.

Other applications gaining traction in the Indian market include microperforation to extend the shelf life of fresh produce like salads and fruits, window cutting to allow consumers to see the ingredients inside a pouch, and macroperforation capable of creating one million perforations per second for specific industrial requirements.

Unlike many competitors, Lang Laser develops its software in-house, allowing for customisation based on specific converter requirements, such as database integration for process data. Lang explains that their strategy is that every system is remote-accessible via a VPN channel for preventive maintenance.

They do not reduce costs by removing sensors because sensors are vital for information and allow the company to support the Indian market from its local office with service technicians and spare parts. Lang concludes that while the Indian market was initially focused on basic printing and lamination investments, the door is now open for laser technology as brands prioritise consumer experience and sustainable, monomaterial formats.