Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Now beverage cans will open wide-- really, really wide

Suddenly, it seems, U.S. brewers are looking to change one of the most popular and endearing features of their cans--the easy-opening features. Last month (See PW, August '96, page 8), we reported on the conversion by Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI, from its standard, easy-opening stay-on tab (SOT) end to a large opening end (LOE) developed for Miller by Reynolds Metals Co.

August 31, 1996

Industries: Page 869

Conveying & accumulation

Robotics automate portion packing

Robotic packing cell case-packs delicate portion cups at speeds of 500 cups/min. Integrated system incorporates a stand-alone case erector and automatic tier sheet placer.

August 31, 1996

Conveying & accumulation

X-ray provides total inspection

A metal detector at the end of each packaging line may be fairly typical for any type of food packaging operation. Herr's tried that route a few years ago, only to experience many false rejects.

August 31, 1996

Conveying & accumulation

Sugar producer sweetens bundling methods

When Savannah Foods switched from a paper bundler to a shrink film bundler for 4- and 5-lb retail bags, downtime was reduced sharply. Costs are down, too.

August 31, 1996

Sustainability

Packagers gain price cuts for recycled materials

Buyers of recycled plastics are seeing easing of prices, except for HDPE. Recycled paper prices have precipitously dropped as European economies stagnate.

August 31, 1996

Palletizing/depalletizing

Load 'roping' helps Callery Judge quality

Florida fruit grower produces top quality pallet loads that reflect its computerized state-of-the-art packinghouse technology.

August 31, 1996

Conveying & accumulation

Skin packs serve up Swift's pork chops

A multilayer film coextrusion combined with vacuum skin packaging machines help Swift gain a stronger presence in supermarkets with newer varieties of marinated pork chops.

August 31, 1996

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: Appointments, promotions

Quantum Chemical Co. (Cincinnati, OH): Dale H. Spiess, group vp, polyolefins and specialty polymers; Bruce E. Jakusik, regional sales mgr., PE; Russell W.

August 31, 1996

Prepared Foods

Frozen produce marking proposal

The U.S. Customs Service has again proposed that country-of-origin must be marked on the front panel of frozen produce packages. A similar front-panel marking rule by the agency was declared null and void in 1994 by the Court of International Trade.

August 31, 1996

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: International agreements

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (Glenview, IL) has offered to buy Azon Ltd. (Melbourne, Australia), a maker of industrial packaging and garden products.

August 31, 1996

Beverage

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Anchor Glass Container Corp. (Tampa, FL) is to be the sole glass supplier to The Stroh Brewery Co. (Detroit, MI) in an exclusive 15-yr agreement.

August 31, 1996

Flexibles

Resin marketers announce metallocene ventures

The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, MI) and BP Chemicals (Cleveland, OH) last month announced an alliance to develop and make available for licensing a combination of BP's Innovene+ gas-phase polyethylene process and Dow's Insite(TM) catalyst technology.

August 31, 1996

Flexibles

Toothpaste in a pouch

Thanks to their minimal environmental impact compared to rigid containers, flexible pouches have made steady inroads in one product category after another.

August 31, 1996