Conveying & accumulation

Engineering software quickens product launch

Mary Kay Inc., the Dallas-based global direct-selling manufacturer of skin care and beauty products, is implementing Design-Expert® mathematical software from Stat-Ease (Minneapolis, MN) to help avoid product launch delays and unnecessary rework costs.

December 31, 2000

Filling, Capping & Closing: Page 54

Labels

Over-the-top effort solves TE challenges

Arm & Hammer’s p-s TE label for its new HDPE shaker bottle of baking soda uses two types of adhesives. The duo performs tamper-evidence while it meets regulatory requirements for foods.

December 31, 2000

Flexible packaging

Effervescent tablets go 'Airborne' in tubes

Knight-McDowell Labs’ quest for an alternative to foil packaging for its effervescent tablets led to a rigid, polypropylene injection-molded container.

December 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Aseptic drug filling boasts new type of sterilization

Sterilizing a depyrogenation tunnel by means of vaporized hydrogen peroxide is a first at Organon’s recently installed vial filling line.

December 31, 2000

Filling/capping, dry

Regal solution protects bottles

Chalone Vineyard of Napa, CA, is the first to benefit from a new molded fiber technology called PulpFusion. Regale claims it can reduce costs by 80% and lead time by 90% compared to other molded fiber technologies.

November 30, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Paired vf/f/s equipment 'brews' foodservice packs

By adding two vf/f/s machines, Mother Parker’s Tea & Coffee meets growing sales demand for small bags of ground coffee sold primarily to restaurants and hotels.

November 30, 2000

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

High-slip film improves operations

It’s been nearly seven years since Fritz-Pak Corp. began using water-soluble film for its bags of powdered concrete retarder. Concrete truck operators toss the bags into the mixer to keep the concrete from setting too fast.

October 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Tums packages sealed with a twist

SmithKline Beecham breaks new ground with an oval-shaped, induction-sealed foil membrane beneath a twist-off cap. Benefits include reduced downtime and less scrap.

October 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Suppliers recognize packagers' training needs

In describing their own programs, suppliers acknowledge shortcomings and reflect the criticisms made by their customers. Time allocated for training remains the most pressing need, they agree.

October 31, 2000

Closures

Dueling technologies spell success (sidebar)

ASIS, CC lines illustrated

October 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Dueling technologies spell success

At Japan’s Daiwa Can, one aseptic PET line uses in-line mold/blow/fill. Right beside it, another line blows bottles and sterilizes them in a second operation just before filling.

October 31, 2000

Cartoning

Suiza dairy touts 'squishy' bottle

A soft LDPE bottle and ‘sipper protrusion’ make it easy for kids to hold and drink single-serve milks. Suiza’s Country Fresh dairy introduces two distinct brands of milk in the containers.

October 31, 2000

Tamper-evident machinery

Smuckers Magic Shake

Smucker’s® Magic Shake™ instant milkshake mix has a new trick up its sleeve. Using a custom flip-top PP closure and fluted PP bottle with mix packets inside, the package provides easy mixing and drinking of the beverage.

September 30, 2000