Printed tubes The co.'s new print technology offers photo-realistic images printed directly onto tubes for label-quality print without the need to label. The co.'s machinery can manufacture and decorate up to a million tubes/week, available in any color, white or transparent, as well as an extensive range of special effects. The company also offers a complete decoration service that includes flexographic and silkscreen printing, labeling and hot foil blocking, enabling product differentiation with a virtually unlimited combination of effects. Standard screw caps and snap-on dispensing closures are available to suit all sizes of tubes.
M&H Plastics, 540/504-0030.
www.mhplastics.com
Laminating adhesive ‘quiets' PLA
Flextra Quiet water-based laminating adhesive helps reduce noise levels in flexible structures that use polylactic acid (PLA) film and other renewable materials in packaging laminations. The first in what will become a line of products, Flextra Quiet was developed and tested at the co.'s pilot facility on a production-scale Nordmeccanica Super Combi 3000 laminator (photo). The adhesive was engineered to achieve the desired sound reducing properties while still delivering the needed bonding properties. Flextra Quiet cures in 24 to 48 hours, with a slit time of between 8 and 12 hours. Suitable for high-modulus films or renewable-based flexible packaging for snack foods, fresh-cut produce or dry goods, the white adhesive can be used in the following film structures: PLA to PLA, PLA to cellophane, PLA to metalized PLA and PLA to paper.H.B. Fuller Co., 651/236-5900.
www.hbfuller.com
Virtual store shelf The co. has joined with VTales Graphics to create a new software application that allows brand owners and retailers to assess the on-the-shelf and point-of-sale impact of their packaging and displays. The partnership draws on the co.'s expertise in creating hyper-realistic 3D packaging models and VTales' state-of-the art visualization technology. The result is called Esko Store Visualizer. It is a new solution that allows users to place virtual objects in photographed scenes, enabling them to see their designs in an in-store setting and determine how they compare with rival products.
EskoArtwork, 937/454-1721.
www.esko.com
Labels The co. releases its BIOmed Label product line for use in clinical trials, pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines and other healthcare-related material transport. The labels digitally monitor a product's environment during distribution or storage. The small, flat form of the label enables cold chain monitoring in virtually any packaging configuration, including on the pallet, carton and even individual item level, the co. states. There are three digital label types included in the introduction: a simple temperature indicator, a data logger and a wireless model. The Temp Indicator will flash light emitting diodes (LEDs) if a specific temperature range is breached. The Contact Label also features LED alerts, however, temperature readings can be collected, downloaded and graphed for further analysis. The wireless label enables all temperature data to be downloaded to the co.'s wireless reader within 300-ft line of site or 60-ft obstructed.
PakSense, 208/489-9010.
www.paksense.com
Decanter/bottle The Martin Berasategui System is a wine bottle that acts as a decanter without the need for any type of mechanism. A pinch in the bottom of the bottle traps product impurities in the liquid when they sink due to simple gravity. This prevents the sediments from being poured out. The bottle style allows for easy storage and logistics, as well as the ability to prevent the transfer of temperature to the wine, thanks to the innovative design of the bottle. The Martin Berasategui System was awarded an Oscar of l'emballage at the international exhibition of packaging and packaging in Paris: Emballage 2010. The concept is suitable for several products, including fruit wines, liqueurs, juices, olive oils and some beers.
Martin Berasategui System (dist by Estal Packaging), +34 972 821 676.
www.martinberasateguisystem.com
Shrink film Micro-voided PETG-HY film is a pure, light-blocking white opaque substrate. For maximum light shielding, the co. applies two coats of black ink to the reverse side of the film to offer protection from visible and UV light, without precipitating any visible change to the crisp bright white base color on the label front. Decorative, promotional and brand-reinforcing 360-deg color graphics are surface-printed and can be protected with an overprint varnish layer. The lightweight film shrinks up to 76 percent, permitting material downgauging with the potential to reduce material consumption.
Gilbreth Packaging, a Cenveo Co, 800/630-2413.
www.gilbrethusa.com
PE resin Surpass IGs153-A resin is a lightweight, high-purity PE performance resin with organoleptic properties for bottled water and beverage applications that helps molders meet their sustainability objectives through material source reduction and energy savings. Closures made with the resin are fully recyclable and support short-height industry bottle finishes that offer the brand owner up to 40 percent reduction in resin compared to standard closure designs, while maintaining closure performance and package security, the co. states. This material reduction equates to lower energy consumption and a reduction in carbon emissions and costs throughout the supply chain.
NOVA Chemicals, 412/490-4000.
www.novachemicals.com
Cap seal Instead of the traditional four-layer laminate seal comprising PET, foamed PE, aluminum and a seal layer, the co. has developed a laminate seal that replaces the PET and PE with a single layer of PET50. Developed for sauce and condiment producers, the foil acts as an inlay to the screw cap of sauce bottles to ensure pack integrity, tamper evidence and product freshness. Once the bottle is filled, the screw cap is applied and, by induction sealing, the aluminum foil-based liner is sealed to the bottle. The seal provides sufficient isolation to avoid melting of the screw cap and mirrors the purpose of the foam layer, which traditionally also provides rigidity, the co. states.
Vaassen Flexible Packaging, (a Clondalkin Group Co.), 215/440-0570.
www.vfp.nl
PE nucleation agent
Hyperform HPN-20E, a PE nucleation agent, is available globally to enable higher peak crystallization temperatures that can cut cycle times and drive productivity improvements of 10 to 20 percent (depending upon processing and resin design), the co. states. It can also increase oxygen and water vapor barrier performance between 20 to 40 percent, providing the possibility of extended shelf life of perishable contents such as dry foods, dairy products, vitamins and nutraceuticals. This technology is appropriate for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) used in blown film, extrusion blow molding and injection molding, as well as in linear-low-density PE (LLDPE), especially C4 gas phase LLDPE.Milliken & Co., 864/503-2020.
www.milliken.com
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