Packaging Innovations Weekly Wrap - September 15 Named Packaging Day

The Polish Chamber of Packaging (PIO) has named September 15 Packaging Day.

Last year on Packaging Day, in reply to the PIO President's appeal, many companies organised occasional meetings, press conferences and awarded distinguished employees.

The PIO Council awarded companies that achieved best results in production development and professional mobilisation of local communities.

PIO is encouraging the celebration of this year's Packaging Day by taking up actions promoting the knowledge of modern packaging, production processes and usage along with popularisation of distinguished companies and persons in the industry.

FIRST BIODEGRADABLE TUBE PRODUCED

Stanelco BioPlastics and Aisapack have developed a 100 percent biodegradable flexible tube they say is the first of its kind in the industry.

Made from Stanelco's potato and corn starch-based Bioplast resins, Aisapack developed the processing capability to produce the tube on an industrial scale.

The tube is constructed from an extruded sleeve cut-off at the desired length.

The tube is suited to the natural cosmetic, personal care and food sectors.

CIBA TO UNVEIL COLOUR VISUALISATION PACKAGE

Ciba says it will present two new solutions for the handling and management of colours and effects at DRUPA 2008 in Düsseldorf.

The exhibition runs from 29 May to 11 June.

Ciba will demonstrate MyColorViz Creative, an effect visualisation and design software for Adobe Photoshop, which shows printed surfaces in 3D and under true lighting conditions.

MyColorViz Creative effect visualisation and design software accurately shows the final appearance of metallic prints, so brand owners and designers in the packaging and graphic arts industries can design, experiment with and simulate various metallic printing effects onscreen before going to print.

The system allows graphic designers to create various silver effects based on real print process parameters, allowing for regional differences in inks and printing standards.

It also performs five-colour separation, enabling the design to be transferred directly to the printing production process without interfering with the standard user workflow.

MyColorViz Creative is the first soft-proofing software for metallic printing, Ciba says.

LAMINATIONS LAUNCHES UCRATE PACKAGING

Laminated paper products manufacturer Laminations, part of Great Northern Corporation, has introduced UCrate, a cost-effective, sustainable choice for protecting long and narrow products during shipping and handling.

UCrate consists of seamless U-shaped channels that fit snugly together to create a sturdy, environmentally friendly way to ship products such as window blinds and rods, tubing, metal rods/extrusions, fragile instruments and glass products.

The packaging offers substantial beam strength without sacrificing shock absorption capabilities and better impact resistance and scuff protection than corrugated cardboard.

Laminations says the manufacture of UCrate required new custom-designed machinery which allows for quick turnaround of orders and the highest-quality results in maintaining tight variances.

The machinery, which accommodates paper rolls up to 18in wide, creates matching U-shaped channels with a broad range of leg heights and base widths.

Standard lengths extend to 300in but longer lengths also are available.

Standard calliper options range from 0.080in to 0.600in.

End-cap choices include wood, two-fold corrugated and four-fold corrugated.

High-quality print options for adding logos, messages or handling instructions also are available, as are additional custom interior packaging choices to meet precise shipping and protection needs.

By Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh