Ultra Thin 0.10mm Electrolytic Tinplate Strip Roll For Flexible Confectionery Blister Foil Packaging

Ultra thin 0.10mm electrolytic tinplate strip occupies the technical space between conventional rigid tinplate, which normally starts at 0.15mm, and aluminium foil, which ranges from 0.006mm to 0.020mm. It is produced by double reduction cold rolling to a very light gauge and then electroplating a thin, uniform layer of pure tin onto both surfaces. The result is a flexible strip that can be dead folded like foil yet retains the puncture resistance, moisture barrier and magnetic response of steel.

This specification was developed for converters who need a metallised or foil-like appearance but cannot accept the breakage rate, gauge inconsistency and recycling restrictions of thin aluminium. Because the material is ferromagnetic, existing magnetic handling, sorting and metal detection equipment continues to work. Because it is steel, it holds a crease indefinitely and resists the pinholes that appear in foil after repeated flexing. Each coil is slit to the exact width requested, which removes the capital cost, floor space and scrap associated with in-house slitting.

• Foil-Like Dead Fold: At 0.10mm the material can be folded over itself and stays in position without spring-back, replicating the handling behaviour of aluminium foil on existing wrapping and twisting machinery while eliminating the pinhole and tear problems that foil exhibits at comparable gauges.
• Steel Barrier With Magnetic Handling: The low carbon steel core provides an absolute barrier against moisture, oxygen and light, and its ferromagnetic character allows magnetic conveying, stacking and detection equipment to be used on the packaging line without modification.
• Tight Gauge Control: Double reduction rolling followed by electrolytic tinning holds thickness within plus or minus 0.005mm across the full strip width, so that downstream blanking dies and fold lines behave consistently from the first metre of a coil to the last.
• Precision Slit Edges: Rotary slitting with CNC knife positioning produces burr-free edges and width tolerances of plus or minus 0.10mm, enabling direct feeding into high speed blister forming and confectionery wrapping machines with no secondary trimming operation.
• Uniform Thin Tin Layer: A 1.1/1.1 g/m2 electrolytic tin coating is deposited evenly on both faces, giving a clean food-contact surface with consistent solderability and lacquer adhesion even though the coating is deliberately kept thin to preserve flexibility.
• Stable Storage Behaviour: Chromate passivation combined with a controlled DOS oil film prevents white rust and fingerprint staining during long sea voyages, keeping the strip ready for printing or lacquering several months after delivery.

The dominant use is primary packaging where a foldable, printable metal surface is required at very light gauge. Confectionery manufacturers wrap individual chocolate pieces, candies and chewing gum sticks in printed or lacquered 0.10mm strip because it twists cleanly and holds the twist. Pharmaceutical producers use the same material as a blister lidding alternative where an aluminium-free pack is preferred, and producers of premium tea, spices and tobacco use it for inner liners and sachet sleeves.

Secondary applications include decorative ribbons and labels, gaskets and shims in small appliances, battery jacket components, and lightweight shielding parts in electronics. Converters running rotary presses, hot-foil stamping lines and lacquering lines can process the strip directly because the surface is flat, oiled correctly and free of edge burrs. Trial coils of 500kg are available so that a converter can qualify the material on its own equipment before committing to container volumes.

Each coil is wrapped in anti-corrosion VCI film, interleaved with desiccant bags, then sheathed in kraft paper and finally enclosed by galvanised steel sheet with reinforced corner protectors. Coils are stacked eye-to-sky or eye-to-wall according to customer unloading equipment, strapped with PET bands at four points, and loaded into 20ft or 40ft containers on fumigated wooden skids. Sheet bundles are protected by edge boards and plastic strapping so that the surface finish reaches the destination port free of scratches, white rust and transit dents.

The mill operates under an ISO 9001 certified quality system. Every heat number is traceable and each shipment is accompanied by a mill test certificate covering chemical composition, tensile and yield strength, tin coating weight measured by coulometric stripping, and surface roughness. Third-party inspection by SGS, BV or Intertek can be arranged on request before container sealing, and a retained sample from each lot is archived for twelve months for future claim investigation. Any dimensional or coating non-conformity is settled by replacement or price adjustment within the contracted tolerance framework.