Converting equipment

Shaping technology injects market excitement in metal cans

Until a couple of years ago, American packagers using cans seemed satisfied with the straight sidewall profile and functionality of most metal cans. The cans were strong, easy to fill and seam, and offered a number of labeling, case packing and stacking options.

June 30, 1996

Materials: Page 835

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

Film pack launches sub sandwich in Canada

Printed film replaces a manually applied label for Burns Meats' EZee Sub sandwich meat packs, saving 50% in combined material and labor costs.

June 30, 1996

Flexibles

Supplier news: International agreements

A strategic alliance was announced between Robert Bosch in Germany and Elopak a.s. in Norway to launch a new aseptic pouch packaging system for milk and fruit juices.

June 30, 1996

Closures

New News

Critics of the U.S. Food and Drug Administraton (FDA) frequently cite the agency's snail-like pace in approving everything from new drugs and medical devices to food additives (including direct-contact food packaging) and health and nutrient content claims on food labels.

June 30, 1996

Containers

Men's products get masculine look

Sleek aluminum tubes give the Zirh Skin Nutrition line for men an eye-grabbing point of differentiation. The line was launched last March and is available nationwide at retail outlets and mass merchandisers.

June 30, 1996

Converting equipment

Dial captures salon brand imagery

Bottles combining upscale graphics, convenient dispensing and, in at least one instance, post-consumer resin sandwiched between virgin layers, helped Phoenix-based Dial Corp's Consumer Products Group introduce K"y"(TM) Nature's Creative Energy personal care products early this year.

June 30, 1996

Converting equipment

Pampryl is juiced over bottle resin

In May, French fruit juice company Pampryl began selling 11 varieties of aseptically filled juice and nectar within France in a 1-L plastic bottle. The bottle maintains the 12-month unrefrigerated shelf life of its glass predecessor.

June 30, 1996

Closures

Composite canister cuts costs

When a metal can supplier phased out the can sizes used by Beer Nuts, Inc. for its namesake snack, the Bloomington, IL-based snack company turned to composite canisters from Sonoco Products (Hartsville, SC).

June 30, 1996

Secondary Packaging

Easy-open pack for bundles

Bundles of six 2-L water bottles from Perrier/Vittel, Paris, France, get an easy-open feature thanks to a new multilayer shrink film with directional tear resistance.

June 30, 1996

Flexible packaging

From aseptic pouch to aseptic carton

A 500-mL aseptic brick-pack for foodservice customers is helping Tetley® USA, Shelton, CT, cash in on the explosive growth of fruit-flavored iced teas.

June 30, 1996

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Billet thermoforming

The billet forming system from QuesTech Packaging (Newport News, VA) is a scrapless forming system that thermoforms containers in the melt phase. It offers benefits over conventional thermoforming, including uniform distribution of mono- or multi-layer material for consistent wall thicknesses.

May 31, 1996

Containers

Plastic drums for citrus

The N55 is the first nestable plastic drum designed for use in the transport of citrus juices, says manufacturer U.S. Coexcell (Maumee, OH). This 55-gal HDPE drum is conically shaped and has a fully removable plastic cover and metal lockband.

May 31, 1996

Conveying & accumulation

Motorized conveyor pulley

The Sparks/Dura-Drive(TM) 4.5" dia motorized pulley provides a 62% increase in radial load weight for belt conveyor systems, says manufacturer Sparks Belting (Grand Rapids, MI).

May 31, 1996