The European Aluminium Foil Association’s Alufoil Trophy 2008 winners were displayed at interpack 2008 and at the media centre as well where we actually got a look at them. The winners are across a range of applications – health and beauty, fish, hot drinks, pet food, anti-smoking aids, medical and industrial applications.
Beauty in a purse
Alcan Packaging Pharma Europe won an Alufoil Trophy for the stand-up and recloseable Beauty Purse used by Quies for its Quies Flash Frais soothing eye masks. Claimed to be the first portable stand-up pack for health and personal care, the Beauty Purse combines aesthetic appeal, and simplicity of use.
The front and rear of the gusseted pack are manufactured from BOPP 30µ/alufoil 12µ/LDPE 75µ; and the gussets from PET 12µ/alufoil 12µ/LDPE 75µ. The pack is reverse printing in 4-colour rotogravure and is enhanced by alufoil’s natural aesthetic value. The Beauty Purse is a dispensing system invented and developed by the French company 3G.
Purring with delight
Alcan Packaging Zutphen won with its eye-catching organic shape alufoil tray with easy-open lid for Sheba Essence from Mars Petcare Europe. Designed in close co-operation with Mars, the 130µ PP laminated aluminium tray features all over printing in 7- colour rotogravure. The 360o printing is flashy and clear, providing excellent on-shelf differentiation.
Ultrasonic convenience
Alupak and Alcan Packaging (Rorschach and Singen) joint development of the PeeliCan is being used for all kinds of fish fillets and seafood driving alufoil packaging into a new market and replacing the ring pull lids traditionally used for fish packs.
The multi- coloured rotogravure printed container is made from stove lacquered/ alufoil 130µ/PP and the multi- colour lidding foil from a laminate of PET/alufoil 50µ/peelable PP layer.
This new filling/sealing technology and packaging system were developed jointly by Alupak (final pack concept), Alcan Packaging (packaging material) and Waldner (filling/sealing machine).
Hot chocolate on tap!
Constantia Teich’s portion pack for Chocomel Hot from Friesland Foods Western Europe creates a convenient dispensing cup-shaped pack for a hot chocolate drink for use in the popular Senseo pad machines. The packs consist of a cup with a top and a bottom foil-based die cut lidding material. The top lid is a high sophisticated double layer lid. The end user peels off the aluminium foil and sets free a plastic lid which has exactly sized and positioned holes.
Providing aroma-barrier, long shelf life and heat resistance for sealing, the duplex structure was critical to the packs development. To ensure all these criteria were met: the top lid is manufactured from Print (UV Flexo)/Print primer/alufoil 50µ/separation and protective lacquer/lock-film; and the Bottom Lid: 60µ alufoil/lock-film.
Winning combination
Novartis Consumer Health won an Alufoil Trophy for its user-friendly Nicotinell L-Pack for an anti-smoking aid.
The L-Pack is manufactured from PVC: Flexo print on the outer side/pre-lacquer/alufoil 20µ/heat-seal lacquer/transparent PVC/PVdC (250µ/23µ). The blister is attached to the carton so that it self unfolds when the L-Pack is opened and returns to the folded position when closed.
Explosive development
Hydro Aluminium’s winning entry for ProTechT Solutions’ Certinite, a passive explosion and fire protection system, proves how successful aluminium foil is across any number of market uses. Certinite prevents explosions and reduces the risk of fire by up to 80 per cent compared with a fuel tank without Certinite. It is manufactured using plain alufoil with characteristics that allow it to be stretched and formed on dedicated machines to produce a “net like” structure. The resulting 50-80µ material is then shaped into rolls, cylinders, cubes and bricks by special roll machines or presses to create tailor-made solutions for different applications. The mesh is designed to achieve optimaI flame resistance and minimal volume displacement when placed in gas or fuel tanks and “confined spaces” to prevent explosion and fire.
Uncompromising sterility
Protective Packaging’s laminated foil pouch with two compartments for AGMA Healthcare’s Sterile Zyceine Wipes containing a sporicidal disinfectant is designed for use in sterile environments in the healthcare sector. The AGMA multipart chemical system allows a potent sporicide (essential to destroy pathogens) to be generated in small, useful quantities at point of use. The two compartments are essential to keep the incompatible products apart before they combine at point of use. The compartments maintain the individual integrity of the two essential reagents during packing, gamma-ray sterilisation, delivery and storage. At point of use, the vulnerable seal is rupture and the reagents and wipes mixed together. The pack comprises PET, alufoil and PE.
