Aseptic screw cap opens easier, manufacturer claims
a beverage carton is coated and filled, its manufacturer claims.
SIG Combibloc said its new packaging technology allows beverage makers to make it easier to open their products. The company hopes CombiSwift, a three-part screw cap, meets the increasing consumer demand for convenience products.
The three-part screw cap is applied to an overcoated hole, a procedure that allows to open the screw cap easily, SIG stated in a press release.
First, precise holes are punched into a carton before it is coated with aluminium or polyethylene in the packaging plant. Once the cartons have been filled at the customer's plant, combiSwift is applied to the overcoated hole.
CombiSwift consists of a flange with an integrated cutting ring and a cap. The cap has an interior diameter of 18 mm. It is being marketed as a flat closure system for liquid milk products as well as for fruit juices and other non-carbonated drinks.
"A single twist is all it takes for the cutting ring to cut through the extremely thin aluminium and polyethylene layers easily and precisely," SIG stated. "This handling is a decisive advantage for consumers. Comprehensive handling tests and consumer studies have confirmed the easy and convenient opening procedure resulting from the fact that the carton layer is already punched and only the thin aluminium and polyethylene layers need to be punched through."
The clean pouring hole of the opening mechanism provides for even pouring, SIG stated. CombiSwift is equipped with tamper evidence feature that reveals at first glance whether the original closing of the packaging is intact or not. To re-close, the cap is screwed on again, ensuring tightness.
Companies already using closures from SIG Combibloc can use the existing systems for the application of combiSwift after a low-cost modification, SIG stated.
From 12,000 to 15,000 packs per hour can be produced depending on the type of packaging machine being used.
"With a total height of 12.6 mm and a weight of 2.7 grams, combiSwift is particularly flat and light," SIG stated. "This means that the carton packs equipped with the new closure system save space when placed on pallets and shelves."
Milchwerke Thueringen, a subsidiary of the Humana Milchunion group, is about to use combiSwift for its Osterland brand of milks, SIG reported..
"We were convinced above all by the technology the new combiSwift closure system is based on," stated Rolf Janshen, Humana's managing director. "After the filling process, the closures are placed precisely on the overcoated holes - this way, the aseptic safety of the system is not impaired at all."
