Protective/transport packaging

All fit for shipping

Gym equipment manufacturer Allfitness switches from kraft paper to LDPE-based foam for shipping its products to retailers worldwide. Benefits include fewer returns and an enhanced perceived value.

January 31, 1996

Other Packaged Goods: Page 322

Flexibles

LPK makes packaging predictions

Package design firm Libby Perszyk Kathman (Cincinnati, OH) has probed its crystal ball to make public its "Packaging Predictions for 1996." "As baby boomers age, items we used to hide, like adult incontinence products, laxatives and dental adhesives, will be out in the open and packaging will be bolder to reflect this new, open attitude driven by the Woodstock generation turning 50," says Jerry Kathman, vp of client services.

January 31, 1996

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Exxon Chemical Co. (Houston, TX) completed the acquisition of AlliedSignal Inc.'s (Morristown, NJ) interest in the HDPE business of Paxon Polymer Co., L.P.

January 31, 1996

Filling/capping, dry

High-speed capper

PMC Industries' (Hackensack, NJ) new high-speed capper applies pump caps at speeds to 300/min. A programmable controller governs machine operations, including the flow of caps from the sorter and automatic shutdown in case of overloads at transfer points.

December 31, 1995

Meat/Poultry/Seafood

USDA keeps on trucking with HACCP

USDA is ready to issue a joint proposal with FDA on warehousing and distribution of packaged foods. New safety requirements could affect packaging.

December 31, 1995

Converting equipment

Glidden's paint testers pass with flying colors

High-density polyethylene test containers let homeowners test a color before plunging into the purchase of a gallon of paint.

December 31, 1995

Conveying & accumulation

Deodorant sticks chill big time in small space

Tom's of Maine doubles its production of stick deodorants by adding an in-line chiller that uses liquid nitrogen to rapidly cool the hot-filled product.

December 31, 1995

Flexible packaging

Sewing up a new line

A versatile thermoformer lets this pharmaceutical manufacturer package its sutures in an easy-peel package that hospitals like.

December 31, 1995

Flexible packaging

New Year's promise: Internet packaging data

Imagine this. You get a sample of a stand-up pouch used to market salad dressings in Australian food stores. Marketing is pushing to introduce such a product/package ASAP.

December 31, 1995

Flexibles

Desiccant works sight unseen

Syntron Bioresearch eliminates a packaging step by switching from a desiccant pouch to a tablet embedded right inside its product, a medical test kit for pregnancy.

December 31, 1995

Beverage

Wire stopper cap makes a comeback

Retro packaging strikes again. St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch is the latest player in the retro game, reaching all the way back to the late 1800s for old-time appeal.

December 31, 1995

Converting equipment

Toy-in-package meets new markets

The venerable Sesame Street® characters have weathered storms of purple dinosaurs and Indian princesses to remain solid favorites among children. But when Minnetonka Brands introduced new Sesame Street Tearless Shampoo, the firm still had to design packaging to make the product stand out from the competition.

December 31, 1995

Converting equipment

Mary Kay bottles body care products

Customized extrusion/blow-molded bottles are providing marketing appeal and consumer convenience for personal care products sold by Dallas-based Mary Kay Cosmetics.

December 31, 1995