Two piece plastic cup system revolutionizing food packaging

Leading materials supplier to the packaging industry, Spartech, introduces a new two piece cup container system for the food packaging market.

Spartech Corporation, a leading producer of engineered plastic sheet, polymeric compounds, and engineered products, formally introduces a new container system for packaging of food products that combines high-performance plastic technology with the advantages of two-piece convoluted mandrel forming.

The PACKALLOY* Imagine two-piece cup system offers a host of advantages over traditional paper and molded or thermoformed plastic containers, including pre-printing on flat sheets of extruded material for 100 percent coverage; a huge variety of container sizes and shapes; and the freedom to design clear windows for product viewing. Both the PACKALLOY Imagine TPX formula for ambient-temperature foods and the PACKALLOY Imagine TPCI cold-impact formula for packaging of refrigerated and frozen foods utilize new FDA-approved, polypropylene based polymers, with new formulas under development.

Westgate Products of Deerfield, Ill, a manufacturer of consumer packaging, selected PACKALLOY Imagine for its ElixirPrint HZ line of 50 oz. to 130 oz. round two-piece cups, targeting food packaging, concessions and, restaurant applications. Patrick Carroll, President of Westgate Products, said, “Spartech’s material enables us to leverage true four-color offset lithography for spectacular graphics and special effects that our customers value highly as a marketing differentiator. For example, bulk food packagers can use these graphics to make their products stand out in big warehouse stores, and restaurants can create distinctive take out containers. In contrast, traditional injection molding and thermoforming restrict graphic capability to dry offset printing after the piece is produced, which limits quality and creativity.”

New Technology Surpasses Traditional Paper and Plastic Containers, Offering Improved Printing, Variable Size/Shape, High Performance and Design Freedom. Westgate Products Elixir print plastic container fabricated using Spartech Corporation’s PACKALLOY Imagine two piece cup system combines high-performance plastic technology with the advantages of two-piece convoluted mandrel forming packaging. This offers a host of advantages over traditional paper and molded or thermoformed plastic containers, including pre-printing on flat sheets of extruded material for 100-percent coverage using lithographic or flexographic print; the ability to create virtually unlimited size or shape; and the freedom to design clear windows for product viewing. See photo at right.

Carroll is experimenting with special effects and enhancements such as barriers and dry-erase surfaces that can be incorporated into the Spartech packaging material, and see-through windows that can be created by selective printing of clear material. “This technology is extremely versatile and opens the door to new packaging that wasn’t possible using existing processes,” he said.

In addition, PACKALLOY Imagine packaging materials enable Westgate to address the increasing demand for sustainable packaging. “With the Spartech system, we can reduce the thickness of the material by 20 to 30 percent and still produce a container with excellent performance,” Carroll added. “This helps our customers meet sustainability requirements from retailers, and gives us a significant cost advantage.”

Compared to injection-molded or thermoformed plastic containers, PACKALLOY Imagine two-piece cups offer greater design freedom and affordability. Unlike injection-molded and thermoformed cups that must be printed after molding, PACKALLOY Imagine containers are printed before forming, eliminating the white space associated with traditional dry off-set printing. While thermoforming is restricted to tapered containers, the Spartech system enables a variety of shapes and sizes ranging from straight wall to many different taper angles, and from round to oblong, triangular, and other uniquely shaped containers. Finally, unlike traditional plastic containers, the PACKALLOY Imagine packaging technology does not require heavier-gauge material at additional cost to form large items.

“Our PACKALLOY Imagine two-piece cup technology is poised to revolutionize the packaging industry,” explains Jonathan Cage, Spartech’s Packaging Market Manager. “Our solution benefits food, medical and consumer products manufacturers and marketers alike. The PACKALLOY Imagine family of containers enable stunning graphics to be printed over the entire surface of the container.

The following polypropylene based polymer grades below are commercially available:

PACKALLOY Imagine TPX
The moisture protection achieved with PACKALLOY TPX, which can be augmented with barrier laminations, offers the food processor a container that provides extended shelf life for a wide variety of food packaging applications. These include cereal, snacks, cookies, dry mixes and dry pet foods.

PACKALLOY Imagine TPCI
This material provides low-temperature impact resistance (36-in. drop) to -40°F for frozen and refrigerated applications including ice cream, yogurt, whipped toppings, sliced meats, dips and fruit/produce.

Spartech Corporation, with facilities located throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe, is a leading producer of engineered thermoplastic sheet materials, polymeric compounds and concentrates, and engineered product solutions.

* PACKALLOY Imagine is a trademark of Spartech Corporation, Clayton, Missouri, USA.

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