Flexible packaging

Pack gains Annie's approval

Annie’s® Homegrown Inc. in September introduced Microwavable Single Servings Mac & Cheese Meals in a “dual pouch” that holds organically grown macaroni in one pouch and powdered cheese sauce in a second, smaller pouch.

January 31, 2001

Filling, Capping & Closing: Page 55

Conveying & accumulation

New look for oyster packs

Induction-sealing is a key element in Minterbrook’s redesigned oyster package. Shelf life is extended, tamper evidence improved, and costs cut.

January 31, 2001

Cartoning

Building sales through versatility

Tokyo-based cosmetics giant Kosé installs two modular, quick-change bottling lines versatile enough to handle nearly 100 different bottle shapes and sizes.

January 31, 2001

Closures

PET pack added to mayo spread

Bestfoods has added a squeezable, clear PET container to its Hellman’s mayonnaise line, which is packaged in standard glass containers. The new 18-oz Big Squeeze container is topped off with a 0.250”-orificed polypropylene flip-top dispensing closure, pigmented in dark and light blue.

December 31, 2000

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

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