New Technology Eliminates Panels from Hot-Fill Jars

Graham Packaging has unveiled a panel-free line of hot-fill, wide-mouth jars. According to the company, the new jars are smooth-sided, without noticeable vacuum panels, so not only can labels be easily applied but also the contents can be easily emptied.

"By utilizing proprietary vacuum-absorption technologies, we have been able to integrate vacuum panels into the design of the package in such a way that they're virtually invisible to the untrained eye," said Paul Bailie, vice president of food packaging for Graham Packaging.

Bailie said different panel-free technologies are employed to achieve different designs, so the jars each have a unique appearance. "This is a first for hot-fill jars," he said. "We didn't do just one design, but several vastly different designs, including designs nobody else has attempted. A customer selecting one of these jars can use it to develop a unique shelf presence and build brand equity around the jar itself. In some cases, the jars can emulate the appearance of glass."

The new jars can be produced with one- or two-piece hot-fill wide-mouth closures in 63- and 70-millimeter finish sizes. The designs can be adapted for 82-millimeter closures if and when they become available.

"Depending on the designs and technologies employed, these new jars may have different fill temperatures but should be suitable to most food applications," according to Graham Packaging design engineer Justin Howell.

"In general," he said, "most of these jars can be filled at temperatures between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Jar weights and top loads are similar to typical paneled jars."

Sunil Shah, new product development engineer for jars, said Graham Packaging can manufacture the new jars on any of its 10 jar production lines at eight locations throughout the United States. "Our filling locations cover East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast requirements with north and south locations in all three regions," Shah said.

Source: Graham Packaging

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