Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Gauging demand for calendered plastics

Consistent sheet thickness and economics make calendered plastics appealing to thermoformers. How are plastics calendered? What are the current developments in calendering? Packaging World takes a look.

May 31, 1997

Rigid: Page 298

Sustainability

Headache disposal, too

When environmental legislation began to affect customers, Wacker Silicones switched to a durable industrial bulk container that eliminates customer hassles.

May 31, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

Bottling water for millions

Tak Fat now supplies pure bottled drinking water to eight million consumers in China's Guangzhou area. The next target is the total Guangdong province of 69 million, and then on to the rest of the country. Integrated 5-gal line delivers 400 bph.

May 31, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

Pucks combat pack proliferation at Chesebrough-Pond's

Body wash filling line is outfitted with a puck handling system for bottles that increases throughput by 25% while virtually eliminating container size changeover.

May 31, 1997

Protective/transport packaging

PEN polymers lure beverage marketers

Superior thermal properties, chemical resistance, and high barrier to oxygen transmission have made PEN and other naphthalate-based materials irresistable for a hot-filled isotonic drink and for citrus juices.

May 31, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

Bottle drinks from the stream of technology

American Beverage Marketers warm-fills its Finest Call cocktail mixes into new PET bottles, then injects liquid nitrogen. The LN2 prevents bottle paneling and helps to extend shelf life. The PET bottle replaces PP, providing greater clarity and appeal for the product's introduction to the retail market.

May 31, 1997

Closures

Ocean Spray restages drink concentrates in wide-mouth PET bottles

Around our way, clear, hot-filled plastic bottles of Ocean Spray shelf-stable juice drink concentrates began showing up on supermarket shelves in late March.

May 31, 1997

Flexibles

Temperature-sensitive film for fresh produce

Apio Inc. Value Added Group of Guadalupe, CA, is among the first companies to use a new technology for fresh-cut produce packaging. Developed by Landec (Menlo Park, CA), the Intellipac(TM) technology is based on an unusual "side chain crystallizable" polymer having an internal "temperature switch." At elevated temperatures, when respiring produce needs more oxygen, the polymer becomes more permeable, allowing the necessary oxygen in.

May 31, 1997

Containers

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Caraustar Industries, Inc. (Austell, GA) and Paccess (Portland, OR) formed an equally owned joint venture to manufacture and sell paperboard tubes and cores in the Northwest U.S.

May 31, 1997

Converting equipment

Applications news

Delaware-based Greif Bros. will expand its blow-molded industrial plastic container business from 55-gal drums to 275-gal intermediate bulk containers. By the third quarter of this year, it will take delivery on a blow molding machine made by Rikutec in Alternkirchen, Germany.

May 31, 1997

Filling/capping, dry

Auger filler

Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery's (Sturtevant, WI) new 2000L auger filler meets economy auger filling applications while offering the precision control of a direct-drive system.

April 30, 1997

Controls & Machine Components

Bulk bag seminar

The B.A.G. Corp. (Dallas, TX) is sponsoring a free flexible intermediate bulk container seminar June 23-25 in Dallas, TX. Some topics covered are: UN and DOT regulations, buyers beware, static issues, filling and discharging, safety, and reconditioning.

April 30, 1997

Containers

Glass bottle

The 375-mL Tuscan is a new glass bottle from Caliber Packaging (Cerritos, CA) designed for wine and pourable foods. It has a 28-mm bar top finish and can be packed into 12-pack reshipper cartons, or into bulk layers upon special request.

April 30, 1997