Flexibles

Irish coffee channels freshness

Bewley’s Ltd. in Ireland is the first to preserve freshness with a cost-saving method that eliminates degassing valves and boosts bagging speeds 10%.

March 31, 2004

Beverage: Page 276

Beverage

Boxed wine aims high

Black Box Wines uses inside-the-box thinking to redefine packaging for super-premium wines in the United States.

March 31, 2004

Contract Packaging

Outsourcing to CPs grows

The use of contract packagers expands, according to a survey of 200 representatives of end users. Satisfaction with service has improved.

March 31, 2004

Flexibles

Espoma grows new bag line

New side-gusseted, flat-bottom plastic bags at plant food maker Espoma necessitate a new robotic palletizer, stretch-wrap bundler, and bag sealer.See video

March 31, 2004

Converting equipment

Packaging with universal appeal

Packaging designers around the world are beginning to incorporate the principles of universal design into their mix. Ease of handling by any and all is the key driver.

March 31, 2004

Beverage

Miller pioneers Fridge Packs for beer

Miller Lite and Miller Genuine Draft are the first two beer brands now in the marketplace in the refrigerator-friendly 12-packs called the Fridge Pack (see "Coke canner rolls out ‘fridge-friendly’ pack" in a previous issue of Packaging World).

March 31, 2004

Closures

Grolsch handles new 12-pack for bottles

Driven by U.S. market growth, Dutch brewer Grolsch will be introducing a new 12-pack wraparound carton for its bottles, beginning in April.

March 31, 2004

Closures

Wrap rage: Packages that hurt

First there was road rage, now there’s "wrap rage," a growing discontent with packaging that’s frustrating or even hurts, according to designer Peter Clarke in a recent interview on CBS.

March 31, 2004

Reusable/Returnable

Package-powered candy

Melate Confections, San Diego, CA, offers a sweet wake-up call for consumers: Chargers chocolate-covered coffee confections, packaged in an original tin replica of a size D battery.

March 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Cal Poly's value-added Klear Keg

A clear barrier keg made of PET with EVOH coating is one of several concepts students at Cal Poly have developed.

February 29, 2004

Flexibles

Paperless printing presence

Designed to replace a paperboard carton, the new Costco-brand Kirkland Four Cheese Ravioli pouch is rotogravure-printed to enhance the overall quality and shelf presence of the package.

February 29, 2004

Digital Transformation

OEE saves Kraft millions

Walt Staehle of Kraft Foods presented a compelling overview of that firm’s recent efforts to maximize operating efficiency across all 48 of its plants in North America.

February 29, 2004

Controls & machine components

Compact vision system

The NI CVS-1455 compact vision system from National Instruments is said to deliver nearly twice the processing power and 4 times the storage capacity of the NI CVS-1454 system released in July.

February 29, 2004