Closures

Final score for '96: Productivity gains 41, productivity losses 6

Of 516 responses to the 1997 Packaging Productivity Trends Indicator Survey, more than four in ten (41%) report productivity improvements in 1996, compared to just 6% who say their companies experienced losses in productivity.

February 28, 1997

Spirits/liquors: Page 106

Beverage

Supplier news: International agreements

Kollmorgen Instruments Corp.'s (Waltham, MA) Macbeth Div. merged with the Gretag Color Control Systems Div. of Gretag AG (Regensdorf, Switzerland).

February 28, 1997

Additives, coatings & inks

AquaPenn's 8-oz PET breaks the size barrier

AquaPenn Spring Water Co. has what it believes is the smallest polyethylene terephthalate bottle for a nonalcoholic beverage in the country. Holding just 8 oz of spring water, the Quick Quench bottle was launched in mid-January, targeted primarily at foodservice institutions.

February 28, 1997

Controls & Machine Components

Fieldbus interface

The Profibus process fieldbus interface card from Hardy Instruments (San Diego, CA) is designed for the company's HI 2160RC loss-in-weight rate controller.

January 31, 1997

Containers

Steel drum

Trilla Steel Drum (Chicago, IL) now manufactures a 55-gal steel drum with a reduced diameter, designed to fit more drums more compactly into ISO containers.

January 31, 1997

Sustainability

IBC serves up savings for sauce maker

Pepper Source reduces its packaging and distribution costs with a reusable bulk container that saves in both shipping and receiving, says maker of sauces, marinades and glazes.

January 31, 1997

Containers

Bang the drum carefully

Open-headed fiber drums can't pass U.S. Dept. of Transportation drop tests. NAS recommendations could result in an exemption.

January 31, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

United Distillers bulks up on savings

United Distillers saves $400ꯠ in freight and corrugated costs by purchasing bottles in bulk rather than in reshippers, and by shipping outgoing product in a Bliss-style case rather than the reshipper. New depalletizer, case erectors, case taper and inspection systems boost efficiency on 1.75-L spirits line.

January 31, 1997

Flexibles

Green package keeps greens greener

Better cube and easy disposal or recycling are the main reasons why chemical maker Aquatrols added corrugated bulk containers to its offerings.

January 31, 1997

Closures

Productivity Forum to gather in April

The Packaging Productivity Forum shifts this year from fall to April 28 to 30. Participation in the Trends Indicator survey is up 20% over the last survey.

January 31, 1997

Additives, coatings & inks

Bang the drum carefully (sidebar)

Use of regrind in plastic drums could lower prices

January 31, 1997

Containers

Supplier news: Relocations, expansions

Sonoco Industrial Container (Marietta, GA) opened a plastic drum manufacturing facility in Hazelton, PA.

January 31, 1997

Beverage

PEF'S ANNUAL REPORT

The Packaging Education Forum has launched an "Annual Report on Packaging Education" to inform leading packaging companies about efforts to improve packaging's positive role in society through better education.

January 31, 1997