Exhibitor personnel increased too: from 4깧 in '95 to 8꾭 this year. One of the more interesting packages spotted at the show is an innovative stand-up pouch for BrainForest(TM) flavored spring water. It's marketed to children by Northbrook, IL-based The Children's Beverage Group (TCBG). ACMA/GD's (Richmond, VA) Volpak Model S-240DF horizontal form/fill/seal machine was used by a contract packager in Canada to produce the product. ACMA/ GD confirms that TCBG will become the first to use these machines in the U.S. when it purchases three Volpaks next year. Pouches are made of a two-ply lamination. An outer layer of 48-ga polyester is reverse-printed by gravure in eight colors by Danisco Flexible Schpach AG (Burgdorf, Switzerland). The polyester is laminated to 4-mil low-density polyethylene that permits heat sealing. The 8.45-oz gusseted pouch also contains a straw. This eliminates the need to poke a straw through the pouch to drink the water. TCBG refers to this as its Rip it sip it(TM) straw-in-the-pouch, no-spill drinking system. An applicating device on the ACMA machine inserts the straw into the pouch. A small seal is made in one top corner that cleverly holds the straw in place and keeps it from shifting during filling, distribution, and consumption. A notch allows consumers to open just this section of the pouch, and the straw pops slightly upward to allow sipping. Pouches are filled at up to 120/min, thanks in part to a side-sealing process that reduces dwelltime. Since May, paperboard six-packs have been sold in selected retail outlets in the Midwest and Southeast for $1.99.
