Oxipack and IMA Ilapak on the future of packaging integrity

Packaging materials are not what they were five years ago. Mono-material films are replacing multi-layer laminates, structures are getting thinner, and sealing has become less forgiving. At the same time, sustainability and traceability requirements are intensifying.

For manufacturers, that combination creates a new kind of pressure. Hermetic sealing is no longer just a mechanical outcome of heat and pressure. It is becoming a variable that must be measured and controlled in real time.

No single supplier sees that entire picture alone. That reality sits behind the growing partnership between Oxipack and IMA Ilapak.

Material change is reshaping machine expectations

IMA Ilapak has long been focused on flow wrapping and flexible packaging systems. As materials evolve toward recyclable monoPP, monoPE, and other simplified structures, machine behaviour becomes more sensitive. Sealing temperatures, dwell times, pressure control, and film handling all operate within tighter tolerances.

In this environment, hermetic integrity must be verified.

IMA Ilapak’s work with film suppliers and its OpenLab testing approach reflect this shift. Materials are evaluated and sealing behaviour is studied before formats reach full commercial scale. That front-end understanding is becoming increasingly important as sustainable materials introduce new variability.

But even the most optimised sealing process requires confirmation. That is where leak detection moves from a secondary check to a central control point.

From qualitative checks to quantitative assurance

Traditionally, leak detection in many packaging environments has relied on qualitative methods such as bubble testing. These approaches can identify gross failures, but they are subjective and destructive. They generate little usable data and offer limited visibility into marginal seal performance.

Vacuum decay offers a different approach. By measuring pressure changes inside a controlled chamber, it provides quantitative insight into hermetic integrity without damaging the pack. Instead of asking whether a pack appears to leak, manufacturers can define an acceptable leak threshold and measure against it consistently.

This distinction matters more as sealing windows tighten. When materials are thinner and more recyclable, small deviations in sealing parameters can translate into micro-leaks that are not immediately visible. Quantitative measurement allows those deviations to be detected earlier and linked back to process settings.

Connecting machine data and integrity data

The collaboration between IMA Ilapak and Oxipack is not about replacing one another’s systems. It is about aligning perspectives.

Flow wrapping machinery defines how a seal is created. Vacuum decay testing defines how that seal performs. When both sets of data are considered together, manufacturers gain a clearer understanding of process capability and can evaluate machine adjustments against measurable hermeticity results rather than visual inspection alone. It reduces guesswork and shortens the feedback loop between sealing performance and integrity validation.

For customers using equipment from both companies, this alignment helps move leak detection from an end-of-line inspection tool to part of a broader process control strategy.
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Preparing for regulatory and sustainability pressures

The shift toward recyclable materials is not optional. Regulations such as the PPWR framework in Europe, alongside retailer commitments and consumer expectations, are accelerating change.

However, sustainable materials often come with narrower process margins and behave differently under heat or pressure. Manufacturers must balance environmental targets with product protection.

In this context, collaboration across the packaging chain becomes more than a commercial arrangement. It becomes a risk-management strategy.

By combining IMA Ilapak’s expertise in sealing performance with Oxipack’s quantitative vacuum decay measurement, customers can approach new material introductions with greater confidence. Seal integrity can be validated against defined limits, and data can be documented to support traceability and audit requirements.

A broader signal for the industry

What this collaboration signals is a broader shift in how packaging technology providers operate.

Leak detection can no longer sit in isolation. Nor can packaging machinery operate without considering downstream integrity verification. As production lines become more automated and data-driven, systems must exchange information and support unified quality strategies.

Manufacturers are increasingly seeking suppliers willing to cooperate across boundaries rather than to defend them. That does not dilute expertise. It strengthens it.

For Oxipack, working alongside IMA Ilapak reflects the industry's direction. Hermetic integrity is influenced by material science, machine design, process control, and verification technology. Addressing it effectively requires input from all four.

As packaging materials continue to evolve, so too must the way integrity is measured and managed. Quantitative vacuum decay and machine-led optimisation are most effective when applied together.

The collaboration between Oxipack and IMA Ilapak represents that shift. Not a marketing exercise, but a response to increasingly complex packaging challenges.