Contract Film Perforation Services

What We Offer

Contract perforation adds breathability to your flexible packaging films. If you have film stock that needs perforating - whether for bakery products, fresh produce, or other applications requiring controlled gas exchange - our perforation service saves you the capital investment in specialist equipment.

We offer two main perforation types:

Hot needle microperforation creates tiny holes for controlled breathability. Available in P1, P8, P30, P160, and P360 patterns - where the number indicates holes per square inch. Lower numbers suit products needing minimal ventilation (pies, pasties), higher numbers for products requiring more airflow (bakery, fresh produce).

Macro punched holes in 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm diameters provide higher ventilation rates for products like grapes, strawberries, and other items needing significant gas exchange.

Looking for finished perforated film rather than contract perforation? See our perforated film products.

Equipment Capabilities

Our perforation lines handle films up to 1500mm wide, with thickness range from 12 to 100 microns.

We offer both full width perforation (holes across the entire web) and strip perforation where holes are concentrated in specific zones. Strip perforation is available in 50mm increments, and we can place multiple strips across the web to match your requirements.

Standard core sizes are 76mm (3”) and 152mm (6”), available for both unwind and rewind.

Microperforation Patterns

Each P-rating indicates the number of holes per square inch:

P1 - Minimal breathability. Suited to pies, pasties, doughnuts, and herbs where you need some gas exchange without rapid moisture loss.

P8 - Light breathability. Works well for iceberg lettuce, pears, and mange tout.

P30 - Moderate breathability. Commonly used for tomatoes and runner beans.

P160 - Higher breathability. The most popular pattern for bakery products - bread, rolls, baguettes. Also suits Brussels sprouts and grapes.

P360 - Maximum breathability in our microperforation range. For products requiring significant gas exchange.

The right pattern depends on your product’s respiration rate and moisture content. If you’re unsure which pattern suits your application, we can advise based on experience with similar products.

Macro Punched Holes

For applications requiring higher ventilation than microperforation can provide, we offer punched holes in 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm diameters.

Punched holes are commonly used for:

• Grapes and strawberries
• Peppers and other vegetables
• Products packed hot that need rapid steam release
• Any application where high gas transmission is required

Materials We Perforate

We have experience perforating most flexible packaging films:

Polypropylene films including BOPP (plain, metallised, pearlised, coated) and CPP.

Polyester films including PET - particularly for ovenable applications where steam venting is required.

Polyethylene films including LDPE and HDPE.

Laminates including multi-layer structures and barrier films.

Specialty films including NatureFlex, biodegradable BOPP, and other sustainable substrates.

Different materials behave differently during perforation - film thickness, composition, and structure all affect the process. Our operators adjust parameters accordingly to ensure clean, consistent holes.

Why Use Contract Perforation?

No capital investment - Perforation equipment is specialist machinery. Contract perforation gives you access without the outlay.

No floor space required - Keep your facility focused on your core operations.

Pattern flexibility - Access to multiple perforation patterns without investing in tooling for each one.

Expertise - We perforate film every day. You benefit from our experience without training your own operators.

Backup capacity - Even if you have your own perforation capability, we can provide overflow capacity during busy periods.

Order Quantities

Minimum order quantity is 250kg. For orders at or near this minimum, a setup charge applies to cover changeover time. For larger or regular orders, this setup cost is absorbed into the run.

If you have ongoing requirements, we can discuss call-off arrangements where you commit to a quantity over time and we schedule production to suit your delivery requirements.

Turnaround Times

Standard lead time is 3-4 weeks from receipt of material. For urgent requirements, rush processing is available - call us to discuss what’s possible.

Lead times depend on current workload and job complexity. Simple full-width perforation is faster than complex multi-strip patterns or materials requiring special handling.

Quality Control

Every job goes through inspection. We check perforation consistency, hole quality, and roll condition before dispatch. If we spot any issues with incoming material - damage, contamination, defects - we’ll let you know before processing.

We maintain clean processing conditions appropriate for food-grade materials. Our facility is BRCGS AA(*) accredited and handles food packaging films daily.

What We Need From You

To quote a perforation job, we need to know:

• Material type and thickness - what film, how many microns
• Roll width - the width we’re starting with
• Perforation pattern - P-rating for microperforation or hole size for punched holes
• Full width or strip - if strip, what width and position across the web
• Quantity - number of rolls or total linear metres (250kg minimum)
• Core size - 76mm or 152mm (or specify if different)
• Rewind direction - if it matters for your application

If you’re sending material to us, include any handling notes - particularly for sensitive materials or films with specific storage requirements.

Getting Started

Send us the details of what you need perforating and we’ll provide a quote - typically within 24 hours. If you’re not sure about specifications or which perforation pattern suits your product, give us a call and we can talk through your requirements.

For ongoing perforation work, we’re happy to set up a supply arrangement that suits your production schedule.