Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Plug assist material

Formplast® 2000 rod and plate from Cadillac Plastic (Troy, MI) is a new thermoplastic composite material that can be used to make thermoforming plug assists.

December 31, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials: Page 111

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Blister-pack thermoform/fill/seal system

The Ministar-VAL from Hoong-A America (LaPalma, CA) is a pneu-matically driven thermoform/fill/seal system designed for pharmaceutical applications. It can produce PVC/aluminum or ampule blister packs at speeds to 40 cycles/min.

December 31, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

No clear 'vision' from FDA on label inspection

Agency hopes to give additional detailed directions to drug manufacturers on the requirements for verifying cut labels and other components.

December 31, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

CR packages: another bone of contention

Among the packaging regulatory battlegrounds between Europeans and Americans is child resistant packaging. It is covered by ISO 8317, which is considerably weaker than the law established here by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

December 31, 1996

Flexibles

Uncanny developments at Campbell Soup

Campbell Soup Co. (Camden, NJ) has an undeserved reputation as a one-product/one-package company. It almost never has been a single product company, and it has always used a variety of packaging forms.

November 30, 1996

Bag/pouch fill/seal (pre-made bags)

Dairy makes markets abroad

German dairy starts up two aseptic thermoform/fill/seal lines that produce yogurt and pudding with a 130-day unrefrigerated shelf life.

November 30, 1996

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Infant formula GMPs could be something to cry about

Potentially irritating packaging requirements from the FDA could give infant formula manufacturers and their packagers a bad case of diaper rash. FDA suggests that written specifications for packaging could lead to a system of packaging guarantees.

November 30, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Kraft's clamshell says 'Manchego'

Kraft Foods de Mexico's new Manchego-style cheese slices are merchandised in a clear hinged clamshell that's thermoformed from a custom resin. Value-added package results in brisk sales.

November 30, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Indenting machine

The new TB 986 tabletop indenting machine from Algene Marking (Garfield, NJ) uses pressure and steel type to indent up to two lines of text into folding cartons or blister cards.

October 31, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

RF welder

Thermex-Thermatron (Bay Shore, NY) has developed a radio frequency welder that uses a combination of PLC control and specific algorithms to allow preprogramming of up to eight settings.

October 31, 1996

Sustainability

Cellular CPET

Shell Chemical (Houston, TX) has announced an advance in cellular CPET. Petlite(TM) II is a new resin that can be thermoformed into containers made to withstand the high-temperature baking conditions of CPET, with the potential for source reduction and cost savings.

October 31, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

RF sealing shuttle

Callanan (Elk Grove Village, IL)will introduce the Calpack RF shuttle table packaging system, a shuttle system equipped with standard blister sealing features for clamshell packages.

October 31, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

In Europe, packaging take-backs are hot

Environmental regulation of packaging has become a hot item outside the U.S. this year. More than 20 countries worldwide now have some form of "producer responsibility" law on the books or in the works.

October 31, 1996