Packaging
Exopack honored by FPA for Technical Achievement
Wednesday 18. March 2009 - Exopack, an established leader in the development and manufacture of a variety of paper and plastic flexible packaging solutions, has been awarded a Silver Achievement Award for Technical Innovation from the Flexible Packaging Association for the Diamond Crystal Jiffy Melt bag they recently developed for Cargill Salt.
The Diamond Crystal Jiffy Melt bag incorporates a patent-pending air-evacuation valve from Avery Dennison, which allows for the escape of entrapped air. This provides ease with filling, bag stacking and palletizing large format bags. The valve system eliminates the need for perforations and reduces the possibility of direct water contact compromising the contents of the package.
Avery Dennison and Exopack worked closely together on this project to ensure its success. The Avery Dennison air evacuation label was specially engineered to provide certainty that the contents within the package were not compromised in the event of direct water contact with the bag. Exopack perfected the application of the venting label valve technology, which required precise registered hole punch and pressure sensitive label application equipment in order to properly register the label with existing print copy on the bag.
Exopack also added high-end graphics and UV coatings, as well as a reinforced die-cut handle, to enhance the packages consumer-appeal and allow for protection if stored outdoors.
“The final result of this collaboration between Exopack and Avery Dennison is a technically superior package for filling and palletizing, with nearly transparent disruption of the graphic appeal necessary for retail store commercialization,” said Rod Reeves, Exopacks technical lead for the project.
“We have been working with Exopack since 2006. They have been a terrific group to work with, both energetic and innovative. The Icemelter bag project was a great example of our teams working together to address an unmet customer need,” added Bill Hartman, Director of Business Development for Avery Dennison, Industrial and Automotive Products Division.
In a statement from Cargill, the development team, “did an outstanding job on a project designed to help us better support our growing blended ice melter business. The team worked with Cargill to identify all factors that affected bag durability, graphics quality and storage longevity. Then, they came forward with lamination and valve technology that helped us to significantly increase the shelf life of our bag, as well as offer full color on a package that proved to be much more consumer friendly at the shelf.”
“The Cargill team continues to value our Exopack partners for their creativity, technical acumen and dedication to our business,” said Cargill Spokesperson Kari Goldsmith.