Conveying & accumulation

Beauty in the 'mouse' of the beholder

San Francisco-based reflect.com allows cyber shoppers to select closures and container graphics for custom beauty products sold exclusively on its Web site. The unusual concept requires a packaging and shipping strategy to handle individual orders.

June 30, 2000

Industries: Page 733

Conveying & accumulation

Case taper fills tall order

E-Z Mix replaced a manual operation with a first-of-its-kind taping machine that top- and bottom-seals tall cases. Change to longer tape rolls also saves money.

June 30, 2000

Cartoning

Planters picks a packing line

Consumers are clearly fond of single-serve “tubes” of Planters nuts. An automated packaging line helps keep the nationwide pipeline full.

June 30, 2000

Protective/transport packaging

Practice makes perfect

With the help of a low-cost prototype tool, ink-jet printer manufacturer Lexmark was able to successfully test mold fiber cushions as a means of protective packaging. As a result, the company enjoys both cost savings and environmental benefits.

June 30, 2000

Flexible packaging

Super marketing through packaging

Products at the Food Marketing Institute trade show in Chicago illustrate how grocery marketers rely heavily on packaging to add convenience and sales appeal.

June 30, 2000

Flexibles

Irradiated burgers warmly welcomed

Introduced just in time for the grilling season, frozen hamburger patties from Huisken Meats, Chandler, MN, are a hit in the Upper Midwest.

May 31, 2000

Additives, coatings & inks

Cremora's switch to PET

Eagle Family Foods Inc.’s switch in packaging materials in its 1-kg size of Cremora powdered non-dairy creamer was the first move in an across-the-board transition.

May 31, 2000

Additives, coatings & inks

Barex cleared for beverages

On June 8, BP Amoco Chemicals announced its Barex 210 Extrusion Grade Resin has been granted approval by the Food and Drug Administration for its use in producing beverage bottles for a variety of applications.

May 31, 2000

Flexibles

Primate-powered packaging

Delicious Brands, marketers of Frookie® Funky Monkeys® graham crackers, wanted its new packaging to be as fun as its name.

May 31, 2000

Dairy

Case makes waves on shelf

When Blue Diamond Growers needed a clever way to display its four-packs of Almond Breeze™ nondairy beverage for club stores, a handled case of single-faced corrugated from WaveFlute Products (Chino, CA) emerged as an appropriate solution.

May 31, 2000

Flexibles

Novelty packages greet FMI visitors

Retorted trays for Café Express™ from Wornick are launched at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide. In a nearby booth, a 12-oz bottle is topped by an HDPE push/pull closure molded in the likeness of Scooby-Doo™.

May 31, 2000

Controls & Machine Components

PCs penetrating packaging lines

In an exclusive PW survey, nearly half of packagers now report using PC-controlled packaging equipment, with more growth projected. However, commitment to PLCs remains strong.

May 31, 2000

Labels

Dual-ovenable HMRs use logo

The new VersaTray™ identifying logo used by purveyors of HMRs emphasizes the CPET tray's dual-ovenable nature.

May 31, 2000