NEW MATERIALS July 2011

Aluminum bowls

New Canny aluminum bowls feature an easy, peel-able membrane for a soft and spillage-free opening. The absence of sharp edges removes any risk of injury and makes the bowl suitable for taking the food directly out of the bowl with a spoon or simply with fingers. Designed to package food portions of approximately 100-, 115- or 140-mL, the aluminum bowls target the market of on-the-go and indulgence products where both lightweight and convenience are strongly involved in the buying decision. This is the first wrinkle-free, thin wall aluminum bowl with a fully printable surface, the company states.
Amcor, 847-362-9000.
www.amcor.com

PET sheet

The company's unique PET sheet, DPET, is targeted for clear, rigid thermoformed packaging for the food, dairy and consumer products markets. This PET material features a direct-to-sheet manufacturing process that bypasses several conventional manufacturing steps and produces a product with consistency and clarity. Benefits of the material include a small carbon footprint compared to APET and rPET, maximized downgauging without compromised physical performance and the ability to be run at 10-percent quicker cycle time and at lower temperatures, compared to APET, while still retaining clarity and gloss, the company states.
Octal Petrochemicals, 972-985-4370.

www.octal.com

Lightweight plastic substrate

InCycle plastic substrates, tested and run on the KBA Genius 52 UV press, are available in 28x40-in., 28x20-in., and 48x96-in. sizes, and web rolls. The process to create the substrate takes virgin and recycled PET plastic, extrudes it and, using the company's proprietary Ad-Air technology, creates bubbles in it, which turns it into a lightweight, easily printed substrate with a solid, waterproof skin. The basic plastic substrate brand sheet is made with up to 50-percent post-consumer recycled content.
KBA North America, 800-522-7521.
www.kba.com

Oxygen valve

The Flexis Oxygen Valve permits item-level oxygenation for meat packaging and gives retailers greater control over when packaged meat will bloom for placement in display cases. Retailers using the product to oxygenate meat receive their products in individual trays, each covered with a clear high-barrier lidding film equipped with the two-part valve. The valve's upper layer, which functions as part of the protective lidding film, can be clear or printed. When that layer is peeled away, it reveals a second, permeable layer that permits the entry of oxygen. Packages of meat can be oxygenated one at a time, allowing retailers the flexibility to pick for the display case any number of packages that arrived in a shipment.
Avery Dennison, 440 878-7130.
www.averydennison.com

Hot melt adhesive

Advantra Encore adhesive is a new, custom-designed, proprietary technology platform for quality hot melt performance, the company says. From deep freeze to hot fill, the adhesive can perform across a service temperature range from -20 to 140-deg F. The hot melt adhesive is specifically designed for bonding on a range of challenging substrates including coated stocks and high recycled-content board, the company claims.
H.B. Fuller, 651-236-5900.
www.hbfuller.com

Barrier containers

Collaborating with partner companies Glaroform and Ilsemann, the company said its new multi-barrier packaging could replace glass and metal containers. The product consists of a barrier foil, which is positioned between the injected layers of plastic to allow the package to preserve food over long periods of time, with a shelf life that is comparable to metal tins. The use of plastic eliminates crevice corrosion, which can occur in metal packaging. The inner layer of the packaging is safe for filling products such as meat, vegetables, brine, oil, sauces, coffee and tea. Containers are easy to stack, reclosable and easy to open, the company claims.
Netstal Machinery Inc., 978-772-5100.
www.netstal.com/usa

Lotion pump

Puro lotion pump features a crystal clear actuator and an external pump spring to ensure fragrance and lotions remain pure and untainted. The sleek design is an attractive proposition for branded and private-label personal care products as it can be custom made for brand requirements, the company states. The plated aluminum finish can be extended with an array of metalized colors and finishes, creating visual impact on shelf. Colors can also be matched to brands' exact colors.
Global One-Pak Ltd., +44 870 011 6874.
www.one-pak.co.uk

Holographic technology

HoloCrown holographic foil technology features a technique that allows holographic images to be stamped directly on decorative metal tins, helping brand owners capture consumer attention and minimize the risk of product counterfeiting. The holographic foil technology uses the diffraction of light from the design on the tin to create a three-dimensional image that continuously changes position and color. The holographic foil can be applied to focused areas of the tin to highlight specific parts of the design such as the logo, individual images or shapes in the design. It can be applied to shaped tins of any kind, including round, oval, square, rectangular and octagonal packages.
Crown Holdings Inc., 215-698-5100.
www.crowncork.com

Grease/oil barriers

The company offers a variety of barrier solutions that demonstrate effectiveness in preventing mineral oil residues from migrating from paperboard food packaging into food. Ultramid, a polyamide, has been used to date for applications including oxygen-barrier, robust multilayer packaging systems to keep meat and cheese fresh. It is suitable for use as a barrier coating both for paperboard packaging and as an inner packaging component in bag-in-box systems. The water-based dispersion Epotal A 816 is also suitable for film coating and hence for use as a barrier layer in bag-in-box systems. Finally, Ecovio FS Paper is a biodegradable plastic suitable for manufacturing coatings both for paperboard and biodegradable film packaging systems.

BASF Corp., 973-245-6000.

www.basf.com

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