Kortec Introduces New One-Piece Multi-Layer Barrier Technology for Plastic Caps and Closures
Share:
Technology will be introduced at Plastics Caps and Closures Conference in Brussels, November 5-6
Ipswich, MA (October 30, 2009) . . . Kortec Inc. has developed its multi-layer barrier packaging technology to produce one-piece caps and closures. This new technology creates caps and closures that better preserve product freshness in foods and beverages and are less expensive to produce than traditional two-piece closures.
Known for its multi-layer technology for producing PET containers for beverage products such as fruit juices, carbonated soft drinks, tea and beer, as well as OPP containers for retorted/hot fill foods, Kortec has successfully applied its same technology to production of one-piece, multi-layer caps and closures. Benefits of this technology include:
-product freshness - entire packages (containers and closures) can now be produced with proven multi-layer barrier technology
-cost savings - the barrier caps and closures are produced in a single molding operation
-single source - Kortec provides the know-how and technology for producing the entire package
"This is an exciting development," said Russell Bennett, Kortec Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "We now can produce an entire container, including the closure, with our multi-layer technology. This allows for the production of beverage and food containers that will stay fresh for much longer time periods on store shelves."
Bennett explained that while multi-layer beverage and food containers have always offered better product freshness and longer shelf life than monolayer containers, the integrity of the caps and closures used to close the containers are of utmost importance. "Barrier caps and closures are usually produced of two or more pieces, typically the plastic cap and a seal," he said. "What we have developed allows production of a one-piece cap that has the same or better performance."
As a result, cost savings are significant since the entire multi-layer cap is produced in one injection molded cycle, with no secondary operation necessary. In addition, the Kortec technology allows molding of the multi-layer cap with the same cycle time as a monolayer closure.
Bennett will present a paper on this new technology at the Plastics Caps & Closures Conference in Brussels, November 5-6. The conference is being held at the Marriott Hotel in Brussels and is sponsored by Crain Communications.
About Kortec
More than a co-injection machine or component supplier, Kortec is a "Total Solution" provider. The company partners with clients to provide customized, turnkey systems for each specific application. After initial consultations with the customer to determine the best container solution for their product, Kortec engineers and technicians build, assemble and optimize an entire molding cell at the customer's facility. Kortec manages the entire project, including customer training and continued technical support.
Kortec's three-layer technology combines PET or PP with the latest barrier and oxygen scavenging resins. Such barrier multi-layer containers offer far superior gas barrier performance over a monolayer container, thus providing superior shelf life of the product. Typical applications that benefit from this process are beverages such as natural fruit juices, tea, carbonated soft drinks, and beer, as well as retorted/hot filled foods such as fish, tomato-based sauces, fruits, vegetables and pet food.
Kortec is the world's largest supplier of turnkey co-injection systems to the plastics and packaging industries. The company's systems are used throughout the world to produce high-barrier multi-layer containers featuring three-layer construction that optimizes clarity and strength while maximizing the shelf life of the end-use products.
