Tetra Pak presents…its cheapest ever screw-cap carton

04-Sep-2012 - Last updated on 10-Sep-2012 at 09:27 GMT

Related tags Ultra-high-temperature processing

Tetra Pak is launching a new carton for juices, milk, nectars still drinks and wine with an innovative ‘pull ring’ from March 2013, and hailed the lowest-cost screw cap carton it has ever produced.

The new Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 Mid LightCap 24 delivers increased functionality – with increased space for branding and product promotion – and optmised pouring performance, the firm said.

Seda Solmaz, product manager, Tetra Brik Aseptic Baseline and Midline said: “In an increasingly competitive market, our customers value having the choice and the flexibility to meet the changing demands of consumers in different markets while keeping efficiency up and costs down.”

Ring pull adds extra security

Using its existing Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 carton as a foundation, Tetra Pak said its new carton featured a two-step opening with barrier protection for products including oxygen sensitive drinks.

But where Tetra Pak’s TDA/8 Flex filling machine can only output up to 6,000 Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 base packages with perforation (pictured below) the new carton is designed for use with the Tetra Pak A/3 Flex, which allows an output of up to 8,000 packages.

A pull ring under the cap also provides greater security for consumers, since it shows clearly when the package has been previously opened.

The LightCap closure used (pictured below right) was initially announced by Tetra Pak in February 2011, uses the minimal amount of plastic to lower costs and is particularly suited to larger-sized openings.

Tetra Pak claims an industry-first use of pre-laminated (PLH) and direct-injection molding technologies that allows the base of the closure neck to be molded as flat as possible to the underside of the packaging material to the widest possible opening for better pouring performance.

Fonterra affiliate approves

Pallet efficiency was ensured by the ability – also a feature of Tetra Brik Aseptic 1000 – to stack six layers on a pallet, allowing customers to distribute the same number of liters per pallet.

Fernando Koch, a UHT plant manager at Fonterra dairy group producer Soprole (the company is a major Chilean dairy concern, 50% owned by Fonterra) said his firm had achieved better pallet utilization by trialing the Aseptic 1000 Mid LightCap 24 (filled by an A3/Flex).

Koch said: “It enables more efficient distribution as the package takes up less space for transportation, which has allowed us to achieve six layers on a pallet rather than five achieved with our previous package.”

“We are now able to use vertical space more efficiently in our warehouse while also reducing waste due to less damage,” he added.