Kortec developing coinjected, thin-wall food containers

The company does not have a commercial application yet, but is in development on multi-layer polypropylene that can be used for small containers such as tuna, single serve fruits or pet foods. The thin-wall technology includes an evaporative barrier and potentially could save up to 20 percent of resin compared to thermoforming, while also allowing greater design flexibility, said Russell Bennett, vice president sales and marketing, in a June 22 interview at Kortec's NPE2009 exhibit, Booth S18019.

“At the moment, we don't know how far we can take the thinness, but we can do more with this,” Bennett said.

Like the company's earlier developments with multi-layer polypropylene for blow molded containers, the coinjection packages could be hot filled or heat treated, but they will not require a secondary process. That will simplify production for food processors and open other potential business areas for injection molders.

The containers would offer lighter weight than glass or metal packaging, plus good control over the wall thickness and shape, allowing companies to differentiate their products on store shelves compared to thermoformed packaging. In addition, the injection molding process has less wasted material than a thermoformed, multi-layer sheet, he said.

Kortec is working both with food companies and processors to develop the coinjection process, Bennett said.

The coinjection containers would continue to build on plastics' ability to replace glass and metal in packaging, but now in a new format for Kortec. The company, based in Ipswich, Mass., also has been stepping up its production of multi-layer PP bottles with the Gamma-Clear technology developed with Ball Corp. Ball markets the heat treatable containers in North America with Kortec selling it outside North America.

Since its introduction in 2007, the technology has won over new business replacing both metal and glass for containers such as fruit, soup and sauce, producing bottles that are lighter to ship and also less prone to breakage.

“This [material replacement] has been a main area of interest right now,” Bennett said.

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