Packs and Closures

Two packaging firms are claiming an industry first by jointly developing technology to automatically erect and seal PET and PVC cartons.

1st Packaging in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, the supplier of transparent cartons, boxes and tubes in PVC, PET and PP, has worked with machinery manufacturer Jacob White (Packaging) in Dartford, Kent, for the past 12 months to develop a machine capable of erecting and sealing plastic cartons.

Clive Hawkins, sales director at 1st Packaging, said: “Machine-erectable transparent PVC and PET cartons have been the goal of manufacturers in the UK and Europe for many years. This has often been considered non-viable by other machine manufacturers, but we’ve now solved the problem.”

Hawkins said the incentive to persevere with the development came from a customer that supplies a supermarket with a product that needs to be packed in a clear plastic box.

“We put the PVC or PET material through a special process just before cutting and creasing, which helps with the carton’s folding characteristics on the machine. I can’t go into too much detail but it works,” he said.

The cartons, in a maximum size of 355x250x100mm and a minimum of 108x45x25mm, are erected on a Jacob White NSX3 semi-automatic or NSX6 automatic machine at speeds of 20-60 cartons per minute. They are then sealed with a special hotmelt adhesive that dries clear.

Existing Jacob White machines can be adapted on-site, in order to run both card and plastic cartons, subject to application.

Hawkins said the PVC or PET cartons were suitable for high-value FMCG products such as food, drink, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.