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January 9, 2008
· Number 26
DESIGN: Iggesund Paperboard Impresses with Diamond Pack Cigarette CartonsIt was an unusual assignment for project manager Patrick Peronace and CAD designer Roger Nützi of the packaging company Amcor Rentsch. The client was Iggesund Paperboard, the maker of Invercote and normally a supplier to Amcor Rentsch.
“Superficially, all paperboard is the same,” comments Philippe Talon, business director, tobacco at Iggesund. “It’s only when you have to do something with it—print on it and shape it into packaging—that the differences start to become apparent.” In this case the test was the extreme construction design developed by AmcorRentsch after some creative sessions with Iggesund.
The design has been named Diamond Pack. It looks like a cigarette box with extremely rounded corners which give the pack an hourglass shape and a visible “waist”. To achieve the extraordinary shape, the designers used considerably more creasing lines compared to a normal rounded corner box on an average carton. Not less than 112 creasing lines were used to create the Diamond Pack’s basic shape.
According to the company, Invercote from Iggesund is a favorite material in the design studio, because it causes a minimum of problems in the process of taking a prototype and making it function well in the production lines. “Many large companies buy Invercote even though there are many alternatives,” Talon says. “That’s because they often do their homework in the form of calculations—they usually know down to the second or third decimal point what a production stoppage costs them.”
Mike Lauper, CEO of Amcor-Rentsch in Switzerland says that this package is well in line with the current market trends for tobacco packaging. “Over the last years, almost all of the companies have been trying to reduce the weight for environmental and cost reasons,” Lauper says. “These days it seems to be more important to give the pack a strong feeling of quality when the customer holds it in his hand. As a result, the board grammage of cigarette packs tends to increase again. The Diamond Pack’s waist makes it easy to hold and gives it a quality feel.” Visit www.iggesund.com.
Dos Equis XX Lager Updates Signature Brand with New Aluminum BottleCCL has produced a new aluminum bottle for the Dos Equis XX brand, becoming the first Mexican-manufactured beer to offer its beverage in this dynamic package. Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, part of the Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V., the leading beverage company in Latin America, is leading the regional industry with the bottle.
The company selected the aluminum bottle for the benefits that extend beyond just piquing consumer interest. Aluminum bottles are unbreakable, are resealable, they cool faster, are made of pure alloy, and are 100% recyclable. Also appealing to Dos Equis was the fact that CCL’s aluminum bottles can be decorated 360 degrees, combining color and design to create an entirely unique way to market XX Lager with a simplified logo.
“The new 12 oz aluminum bottle is an innovative and trendy design in the Mexican beer industry that will increase the brand value of Dos Equis,” said José Manuel Juárez, XX Lager brand manager. “It will reinforce the position of Dos Equis in the super premium market as an original and unique beer that projects status and image.”
Dos Equis worked together with CCL Container to create a synergy between graphics and structure that produced a modern, sleek, and functional package, explained Bernal. Though the packaging has changed, says Bernal, what the Dos Equis signature XX design represents will remain the same. The company is planning a marketing blitz to launch the new Dos Equis 12-oz. bottle that will include TV commercials and OOH/POS ads featuring the logo: “Dos Equis Aluminum Bottle: The Mexican beer that leads the change.” Visit www.cclcontainer.com.
STRUCTURE: The BoxMaker Inc. wins AICC Judges' Choice Award Using Esko ArtiosCADEskoArtwork announces that The BoxMaker Inc., based in Kent, WA, was awarded the Judges' Choice Award – Structural and First Place for Innovative Structural Design at the AICC 13th International Corrugated Packaging Design Conference. The award was given for significant work the company did to create a Radome Shipper custom-corrugated packaging to house a weatherproof enclosure sheltering an antenna. The BoxMaker used Esko ArtiosCAD to import a SolidWorks 3D CAD product file to create the packaging.
The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) represents many of the independent corrugated packaging manufacturers and their suppliers, and is dedicated to strengthening the independent's position in the marketplace. For 26 years, The BoxMaker has been a single-source packaging supplier of corrugated shipping containers, foam materials, point of purchase displays, wholesale packages, retail containers, and custom printed labels.
The project that led to the company's Judges' Choice award was a complex one. The Kathrein Inc., Scala Division, is a leading manufacturer of professional antennae, communications, and broadcasting equipment. The Radome Shipper was developed as packaging to protect a radome—a weatherproof enclosure used to shelter an antenna. The challenge to The BoxMaker was two-fold. First, the Scala Division was adamant that it did not want to use any foam, instead preferring to be earth-friendly and biodegradable. To complicate the assignment, the radome weighs about 70 pounds. To protect the heavy, unusually shaped product by surrounding it solely in corrugated was a difficult task.
At first, The Scala Division sent The BoxMaker an IGES CAD file of the radome that was brought into SolidWorks software, so that designers could eliminate internal components not required for package design. Then, importing the SolidWorks IGES file of the radome 'model' into ArtiosCAD, designers created the package, including corrugated partitions, capturing the curved shape of the product.
Using the 3D Designer tool in ArtiosCAD, designers were able to view the radome as a 'virtual' product along with its packaging, as a 3D model, while all design decisions were automatically interpreted back to a 2D corrugated board. The ArtiosCAD Cross Section and Intersection tools helped The BoxMaker create internal fitments that exactly followed the product's shape. From there, the resulting CAD file of the package was sent to a Kongsberg table to cut a sample. When approved, a die was made from the CAD file and 400 production pieces were created. Visit www.eskoartwork.com.
MATERIAL: WS Packaging Develops Oven-Safe Coupon With Film-Paper-Film ConstructionWS Packaging introduces an exclusive film-paper-film construction that is heat-safe rated to 500° F. WS Packaging has been awarded a patent for the oven-safe construction, which was engineered for producing coupons and labels for food products that are cooked in conventional and microwave ovens.
“Our customer wanted to use a special in-pack promotion as a way to reward consumers who purchased its frozen meals,” explains Ron Hagen, research and development manager with WS Packaging. “But the food products company wanted the coupon affixed to the product itself, not the outside of the unit carton or inserted loose inside the carton.”
WS Packaging worked to design a special construction that would be oven-safe in the event the consumer forgot to remove the promo piece. The prospect of a fire created a potentially severe liability issue for our customer, but they were committed to the in-pack/on-product nature of the promotion.
Since paper burns at 451° F, Hagen had an upper tier benchmark to hit, despite the fact the cooking instructions for the frozen meals called for a temperature of 350° F. “We designed the construction to account for contingencies such as someone increasing the temperature in hopes of shortening the cooking time,” Hagen says. “Or, to account for forgetting about the item and leaving it in the oven too long. In each potential situation, we wanted to be sure to avoid the potential for a fire.” Visit www.wspackaging.com.
COMPONENT: Innovative Molding Introduces New Lockliner Cap Liner SystemThis unique liner is designed to assure the liner stays properly seated within the closure prior to capping and that induction sealing is bonded effectively. Lockliner helps maximize product quality while improving capping and induction sealing equipment reliability.
Traditional round paperboard-backed foil liners are prone to curling when subjected to humid conditions during shipping or warehousing. This curling causes the liners to fall out prior to capping or wrinkle during capping, which adversely affects the efficiencies of the operation and can result in the production downtime. Until now, the alternative was to use tri-tab liners but the large squared-off tabs can distort the eddy currents during induction sealing, which may compromise the integrity of the seal.
The new Lockliner features five protruding extensions specifically designed to hold the liner in place so is doesn't bow, bend, creep, curl or blow-out of the lid during shipping or warehousing. The unique design of these tabs minimizes the disruption of the eddy currents during induction sealing. The Lockliner extensions protrude one-third of the distance of tri-tab extensions and are twice as wide, thereby covering a larger area of the round perimeter. Visit www.innovativemolding.com.
SUSTAINABILITY: Shorewood Introduces New Sustainable POP Display ProductsShorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, introduces the greenchoice™ PDQ Counter Display and the Power Wing Self-Shipper. These two sustainable POP display products are part of Shorewood’s ever-expanding program, greenchoice Environmental Solutions for Packaging and Displays.
The new greenchoice PDQ Countertop Display design has been simplified for easier assembly and to reduce material, which allows for up to a 20% cost savings. This new patent-pending PDQ display contains only three parts: a shipper, a tray, and a back billboard. The display is shipped with the product, and the user removes the display from the shipper ready to be placed on the countertop.
The greenchoice Power Wing Shelf-Shipper is a patented shipping carton and product display all-in-one unit. When the display arrives in the store, the front panel is torn off along the perforation and the display is ready to hang, with product already loaded. Using 40% less corrugate than previous Power Wing options, the self-shipper is more lightweight. And because it is one piece, there are no additional components to assemble and no master shipper required. The collapsible PDQ tray design reduces the shipping cube, thereby lowering shipping costs and the carbon emissions expelled by vehicles that can now carry more shippers in fewer trips.
“Driven by retailer requirements, primarily Wal-Mart’s Sustainable Packaging Initiative, we at Shorewood are all focused on sustainability,” said Michael Williams, vice president and national sales manager for Shorewood Display. “Not only do the greenchoice solutions meet retailers’ needs, they also save material and money for customers. We’re reducing freight costs, material costs, and waste, allowing for greater efficiency both at the beginning and the end of the display’s lifecycle.” Visit www.shorewoodpackaging.com.
Seaquist Closures Introduces New Pour Spout with Environmental BenefitsThe Ultra Pour Spout by Seaquist Closures is the first in its category to bring aesthetic and environmental benefits to both food companies and consumers. The Ultra Pour Spout offers several aesthetically unique features, including soft, round edges and the exclusive Torque-Max™ rib pattern on the outer wall.
Other features include a lower profile design helps lower costs while keeping in stride with market trends, ergonomic finger recess, and drain hole options for hot fill applications. The new pour spout line is an example of the company’s most recent environmental sustainability efforts. According to Seaquist, the Ultra ranks among the industry’s lightest part weight in its category.
The recent change in part design has enabled Seaquist Closures to reduce the closure size which in turn helps manufacturers reduce package size. This means less waste and greater efficiencies—both of which are good for the environment. Seaquist Closures offers a complete range of design, engineering and manufacturing services for closures in the food, beverage, personal care and household markets. The Ultra is currently available in 33-400 and 38-400 sizes. Visit www.seaquistclosures.com.
Univenture to Launch Eco-Friendly UniKeep HiDef Media Disc CaseUniventure Inc. is an award-winning inventor and manufacturer of a wide array of eco-friendly packaging, document storage, and direct mail products. The company will debut its 100% recyclable UniKeep HiDef Media DiscT Case offering compact multiple disc packaging and storage at CES 2008 in Las Vegas.
"There is an increasing demand for environmentally responsible packaging alternatives for CDs, DVDs, software, games, and consumer electronics,” says Ross Youngs, CEO and founder of Univenture. “Our unique manufacturing technologies to convert plastic film made from sustainable or biodegradable resources positions us to provide our customers with green solutions for even the toughest packaging challenges."
The UniKeep HiDef Media Disc Case creates high-definition packaging that offers marketable packaging and compact storage for multiple discs. Each case is made from durable polypropylene and holds up to six discs in interchangeable Safety-sleeve® pages. The durable design provides for an optimum lifespan of both the case and the contents.
Security and protection is very important to safeguard the package's contents. The HiDef Media Disc Case is enclosed and features latches for added protection. Tamper-evident seals may also be included. The Safety-sleeve pages are designed to cushion and protect the discs, with no hubs allowing for compact design and user-friendly storage. The HiDef Media Disc Case comes in a variety of vibrant colors and additional colors can be custom manufactured. Visit www.univenture.com.
TOOLBOX SPONSOR OF THE WEEK: Sponsor of the Week — AET FilmsAET Films is North America's leading developer and only independent global supplier of oriented polypropylene (OPP) films. AET's clear, white, metallized and holographic films are multi-functional webs for packaging and industrial applications. Among other properties, they are utilized as decorative print surfaces, to enhance barrier properties, to add strength and protect ingredients, and for sealability. Whatever the needs of your package, AET’s portfolio likely contains a film designed and optimized for a similar application.
AET Films, 15 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720
Ph: 800-688-2044
Email: info@aetinc.com
Web: www.aetfilms.com.
If you missed the 2007 Package Design Toolbox, check up on the participants here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Glass Packaging Institute Calls for Entries for the 18th Clear Choice AwardsThe Clear Choice Awards is a great chance to receive industry-wide recognition as a leader in the world of glass packaging design. All 2008 Clear Choice Awards winners will receive industry-wide recognition, brand-building media coverage, and a one-of-a-kind Clear Choice Award.
The award recognizes the contribution glass packaging makes to the image, marketability, sustainability, and success of food, beverage, and cosmetic products. Visit www.gpi.org for more information on the Awards' rules and regulations, or fill out an online submission form here. There is no fee to enter, but all entries must be postmarked by Friday, March 14, 2008. Winners will be announced in Las Vegas on Monday, May 5, 2008 during the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Show 2008.
AIMCAL Launches New Converting School with 19 Sessions in 2008The Converting School has been launched by the Association of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL) to provide productivity-enhancing educational opportunities for members of the converting industry. The year-long series of courses on various converting topics expands on the popular AIMCAL Summer School program the association has run for the past decade.
Six courses on critical converting topics will be held in 2008: Coating Solution Process Technology, Extrusion Coating, Web Coating and Drying, Web Handling and Converting, Web Processing for Barrier, and Winding: Machines, Mechanics and Measurements. Multiple sessions of each course are scheduled and will take place at various locations in the U.S., Europe, and India. Classes begin in March 2008 in Jacksonville, FL, and are scheduled monthly (except for July) for the remainder of the year.
Course content combines theory with real-world problem solving and is tailored to the individual students present in each class. “The focus of these classes is productivity enhancement,” says Craig Sheppard, executive director of AIMCAL. “Students also will take home ideas for profit-boosting strategies related to process optimization and waste reduction, as well as higher, more consistent product quality and new product development.”
Potential students include engineers and other experienced converting professionals such as lead operators, foremen, and maintenance, quality assurance, sales, and customer service personnel. Courses are taught by recognized leading technical experts including Dr. David Roisum of Finishing Technologies Inc. and AIMCAL Technical Consultants Dr. Edward Cohen and Dr. Eldridge Mount III. Program details and registration information is available on the new Converting School website at www.convertingschool.com.
Sun Chemical Names Rudi Lenz Chief Executive Officer and PresidentSun Chemical, the world’s leading manufacturer of printing inks and organic pigments, appointed Rudi Lenz as its CEO and president, effective January 1, 2008. Dr. Koji Oe, President of Dainippon Ink and Chemicals of Japan, Sun Chemical’s parent company, made the announcement on behalf of the Sun Chemical Board of Directors.
Lenz assumes leadership of Sun Chemical after serving as senior vice president and CFO and Sun Chemical Board member since 2002. Lenz succeeds Dr. David Hill, who announced his retirement in late 2007.
“Mr. Lenz assumes the CEO and president role at an important time for Sun Chemical, and I have every confidence that he will lead Sun to even greater success despite very challenging times in the industry globally,” Dr. Oe said. Before joining Sun Chemical in 2002, Lenz served as president and CEO of Fairchild Aircraft Incorporated, a division of Fairchild Dornier Corporation of San Antonio, TX.
“My number one focus will be on ensuring that Sun Chemical’s global resources are working for our customers,” Lenz said. “We became the world leader in inks and color pigments by delivering the highest quality products with consistency and reliability and by providing innovative solutions to the challenges our customers face. That same commitment continues today and will drive our growth in the future.” Visit www.sunchemical.com.
Crown Holdings Announces New President of Its Americas DivisionCrown Holdings announced that Raymond L. McGowan Jr. has been selected to replace Frank J. Mechura as president of its Americas Division. McGowan will report to John W. Conway, Crown's Chairman and CEO, and will be based in Philadelphia. Mechura has informed the Company of his decision to retire as of January 31, 2008.
“Frank’s leadership over the last six years has expanded cash flow and profitability throughout the Americas Division,” Conway comments. “Further, his strong leadership skills and integrity have resulted in improved operating efficiencies and quality throughout our Americas operations. He is leaving us with a much stronger business and we wish him well. We are fortunate to have someone of Ray’s talent and experience to lead our Americas Division. His knowledge of manufacturing operations and customer service will serve the Company and the Americas Division well.”
McGowan is being promoted from his current position as President of North American Packaging. Prior to that, he served as President of Crown’s North American Food Packaging business. Prior to joining Crown, he was group v.p. of global consumer products at Sonoco Products Company. Visit www.crowncork.com.
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COMPASS is an online software tool for packaging designers and engineers to compare the environmental impacts of their package designs.