Conference report | caps & closures
The critical role of innovative design in improving the performance, appeal and functionality of closures was a key theme at the third Plastic Closure Innovations conference. Chris Smith reports
Cap makers open to innovation
Attendees at the third Plastic Closure Innovations conference , which took place in Berlin in June, heard from brand owners and closure developers how closure design is being used to reinforce premium brands, enable new functionality, and to open up new market opportunities. Belgian mineral water company Spadel went against
the trend with its decision to develop a custom closure for its premium Wattwiller brand. Group Packaging Manager Philippe Henon said consolidation in the closure industry and standardisation of designs has, over the years, restricted brand owner choice while the focus on lightweighting has led to disappointment for some consumers. “For years we have seen less and less models of
closures on the market and we have been progressively forced to switch from specifi c caps to standard ones,” he said. “And in lightweighting, the main driver has been price and not functionality, so we got complaints from customers.”
Seizing the opportunity So, when the opportunity came in 2014 to update its 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 litre Wattwiller packaging, the company decided to standardise the neck fi nish – it had been using a bespoke design – but develop a custom easy-opening closure. “Our closure solution – we call it ‘The Flower’ – is a high closure with tamper evidence.” The new HDPE design was developed by Procap. Henon said achieving the optimum compromise
www.injectionworld.com
between functionality and weight required seven prototypes, while six pilot versions were developed to optimise injection moulding performance, problem-free fi tting and re-fi tting (early designs could be easily cross-threaded), and ease of opening. The fi nal design weighs 2.55g. While this is heavier than the previous closure, he said the implementation of the PCO1881 neck fi nish has resulted in an overall pack weight reduction.
A risky decision Henon said opting for a custom closure in the mineral water sector was a risky decision for a brand the size of Wattwiller (it has an annual production volume of around 41m litres), but one that is paying off. He said sales are growing ahead of market rates and customer feedback has been very positive. “We are convinced we made the right choice,” he said. “The cap is liked by more than 85% of consumers, it is perceived as easy to open, ergonomic, practical and comfortable and fi ts well with the Wattwiller brand.” Functionality is a prime closure requirement for Kao
Group, owner of a portfolio of global beauty care brands including Goldwell, Guhl, John Frieda and Molton Brown. In a joint presentation, Kao Germany Senior Manager Packaging Development Sebastian Kraus and Senior Packaging Development Engineer Daniel Nebe explained some of the areas where it was yet to fi nd satisfactory solutions. The company’s Eluman range of salon haircare
July/August 2015 | INJECTION WORLD 21 Main image:
Spadel’s switch from a
conventional to custom easy-open
closure has paid off with consumers
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58