Flexibles

Steel producers target canned foods

Feeling profitable and optimistic, steel producers work to expand demand in containers by new promotional education campaign aimed at consumers.

June 30, 1995

Materials: Page 859

Flexibles

Pouch machine

Korab Eng.'s (Los Angeles, CA) new pouch machine fills liquid and viscous products at ambient temperatures to 210°F. The Korab® D-18 produces four-side sealed pouches with most types of heat-sealable films in sizes from 1"x 1" to 6" x 9".

June 30, 1995

Sustainability

Amsoil labels quart line a success

As sales of its synthetic oil soared, Amsoil found prelabeled bottles too costly to buy and store. A labeler that applies labels in-line to the HDPE bottles saves $50ꯠ a year, frees space for finished goods and virtually eliminates skewed labels.

June 30, 1995

Flexible packaging

Physician samples

Over-the-counter physician samples from Ivers-Lee (West Caldwell, NJ) contain product samples and information, as well as retail coupons. Existing blisters or customized strip pouches are crimped to the booklet.

June 30, 1995

Coding, Printing & Labeling

High-temp label stock

ScotchMark(TM) 3921 is a high temperature label stock for thermal transfer printing from 3M (St. Paul, MN). Made of 3-mil cast acrylic, it can handle operating temperatures to 450°F, flash temperatures to 550°F, immersion in solvents, abrasion cycling, flagging on contoured surfaces, as well as extended exposure to weather or UV light.

June 30, 1995

Protective/transport packaging

Air bubble cushioning

Astro-Cell® PE air bubble cushioning products from Astro-Valcour (Glen Falls, NY) contain a minimum 15% of post-consumer recycled plastics by weight, says the company.

June 30, 1995

Sustainability

Cartridge pack wins award by shrinking

Redesigned package for Hewlett-Packard's DeskJet ink-jet print cartridge has only one fewer component than its predecessor, but it's trimmed 35% of the weight.

June 30, 1995

Secondary Packaging

Cartoning and sizing software

Pack and Stack(TM) version 3.0 software from Advanced Logistics Systems (Roche Harbor, WA) is designed to help configure bulk or cartoned products in shipping cases, and cases on pallet loads, to maximize space use.

June 30, 1995

Labels

Smart labels fight counterfeiters and provide product assurance

The problem: In California earlier this year, a number of alert young mothers noticed something disturbingly different about the powdered infant formula they were giving their babies.

June 30, 1995

Protective/transport packaging

Metallocene polyolefin foam

Metallocene polyolefin foams from Sentinel Products (Hyannis, MA) combine the ease of fabrication and processing of crosslinked PE foams with the enhanced physical properties of elastomeric foams for a low-cost alternative for void-fill packaging of laptop computers and other electronic products.

June 30, 1995

Coding, Printing & Labeling

FTC considers changes to environmental guidelines

Packagers differ about whether to make label guidelines more specific or not. Changes in the SPI resin code language are still uncertain.

June 30, 1995

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Static dissipative film

American Mirrex (New Castle, DE) has introduced Mirrex 7002, a clear, static-dissipative vinyl film for use in thermoforming ESD trays, clamshells and blisters.

June 30, 1995

Flexible packaging

Pork rinds pop up in new market

Microwave susceptor technology creates a new market for two pork rind producers, as family-owned Grandad's and food exporter Alamilla and Associates try their hands at microwavable pork rinds.

June 30, 1995