But a recent switch in water-soluble bag material has brought a big improvement to the Dallas-based company’s operation. The new material, from Chris Craft (Gary, IN), is more machinable on the vertical form/fill/seal equipment used to package Fritz-Pak’s product.
“It’s much more machine-friendly, especially in humid weather, when the material we used previously would tend to stretch and get hung up on the equipment,” says Fritz-Pak president Gabriel Ojeda.
The 2-mil material now in use, Chris Craft’s M7031, incorporates what its maker calls “a small quantity of inert fillers.” This limits the film’s extensibility, which caused it to jam on Fritz-Pak’s bag-making machines, and it gives the film the high-slip characteristics that make it so machinable.
Available in a variety of bag sizes, from 1 oz to 7 lb, Fritz-Pak’s concrete retarder is sold through distributors who call on ready-mix suppliers.