New Materials: April 2011

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

Laminating adhesive ‘quiets’ PLA

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

PE nucleation agent

Milliken & Co., 864/503-2020.

www.milliken.com

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