SubscribePlastic is without doubt the economical packaging material for modern hygienic applications... applications that abound in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and fine chemical industries.
From bottles and closures to cases, trays and even pallets, plastic is certainly the material of choice wherever cleanliness and sanitisation are primary considerations.
To be considered 'hygienic', packaging must necessarily meet the following performance criteria:
- It must be fibre and dust free to prevent contamination
- It has to be easily cleaned and sanitised and must not rot or corrode
- It must non porous and not harbour microbial growth
- It must be non-toxic and chemically inert
It also helps if the packaging material is water and moisture resistant, light-weight and economical.
For primary packaging such as bottles and jars, lids and closures, these performance criteria have always been considered essential but in recent years there has been an increasing realisation that secondary and tertiary packaging should also be 'hygienic'.
Kaysersberg Plastics is a leading specialist manufacturer of plastic packaging solutions. Part of DS Smith Plastics, a fast growing division of DS Smith PLC, Kaysersberg Plastics produces a wide range of lightweight, economical, durable, plastic packaging solutions for a wide variety of clean, hygienic applications. These secondary and tertiary packaging solutions include sheet materials, converted sheet materials (boxes, cases, trays and fittings), unit load containers, and even pallets; all manufactured from hygienic plastic materials.
Fibre free plastic packaging from Kaysersberg Plastics
Sheet Materials
Kaysersberg Plastics manufactures the Akylux®and Correx ®ranges of twin-wall, light weight, 'corrugated', polypropylene sheet materials that are easily converted into trays, boxes, cases, fittings, layer pads etc.
The materials are inherently fibre and dust free, so have no potential to contaminate end product. They have good energy absorbing properties for optimum product protection and are both durable and moisture resistant making them ideal materials for both single and multi-trip packaging applications. They are also available in a multitude of attractive colours and provide an ideal surface for printing.
Sheet materials are hygienic, can be printed and are available in a range of attractive colours.
Correx and Akylux are chemically inert and most grades are safe for contact with food. Extensive testing has shown that they can be sterilised easily by gamma radiation, gas treatment (ETO etc) and heat treatment (20 min @ 120°C, 10 min @ 134°C) making them suitable for clean-room use.
These versatile sheet materials are extruded from virgin polymer and are 100% recyclable at the end of their useful life. They can be converted easily using conventional machinery and can be sawn, die cut, laser cut, water-jet cut, creased, welded, heat sealed, drilled and stapled.
Akyplen(r) is a solid, fine, flexible polypropylene sheet material, suitable for use as hygienic layer pads and ideal for the manufacture of cartons, and sleeves. It is also available in a range of colours and offers attractive print possibilities.
Converted Sheet Materials
No one has greater expertise in the conversion of these sheet materials into hygienic bespoke packaging than Kaysersberg Plastics. The Company produces a wide range of made-to measure solutions for such organizations as Kimberly Clark, Glaxo SKB and Wyeth Medical, to name but a few.
Hair care system enjoys the hygienic features of Akylux®
The Company manufactures a wide array of boxes, cases, trays, lids and fittings for both single and multi-trip applications. Delivered flat for easy manual or automated assembly, these packs meet all the criteria for hygienic packaging.
One major application is for inbound tray packaging of glass and plastic bottles, tubes and phials, items that need a higher level of hygienic protection than palletisation and wrapping could provide. These Akylux and Correx trays are dust and fibre free and therefore have no potential to contaminate the primary packaging.
hygienic trays and lids for pharmaceutical bottles and phials
Caps and closures that were once bagged and boxed can also benefit from being packed in fibre free material when they are destined for 'clean' applications.
Where multi-use is a consideration, containers and trays manufactured from Akylux andCorrex are far more durable than their fibreboard counterparts, as well as being water resistant and fibre free.
Returnable packaging solutions can also be hygienic.
As long term returnable packaging they are also far more economical to produce than injection moulded alternatives. Standard injection moulded boxes and trays inevitably require a degree of compromise and seldom fit the product efficiently whereas bespoke injection moulded containers carry a high tooling cost penalty that needs to be amortised over a large volume. Akyluxand Correx boxes provide a more economical and efficient, hygienic alternative.
Liquids packaging... bag-inbox system using moisture proof Akylux outer
Unit Load Containers
A hygienic alternative to palletisation and wrapping is Uni-Pak(r), an all-plastic, unit load container that comprises a twin sheet, thermoformed pallet base and lid and a plastic sleeve that is secured to the base and lid by a slide lock mechanism.
It provides optimum protection and when used as part if an integrated packaging solution the Uni-Pak can be designed to accommodate hygienic trays and cases and incorporate ergonomic features such as flaps, removable sides and hinged lids for improved user acceptance.
Plastic Pallets
Recent years have seen a marked increase in the use of plastic pallets in hygienic applications. By their nature, plastic pallets are easier to clean than their wooden counterparts.
Wood pallets absorb moisture and thereby have the potential to harbour microbial growth... Plastic pallets do not. Wood pallets also produce chips and splinters which can contaminate other packaging as a major drinks manufacturer found out to its cost... Plastic pallets don't.
Plastic pallets have been used in 'clean areas' for many years but more recently, many pharmaceutical, fine chemical and cosmetics manufacturers have seen the benefit of using this hygienic option for in-bound loops for raw materials and packaging. This saves the cost of re-palletising from wood to plastic to take materials into clean areas.
Some manufacturers have also changed to plastic pallets for out-bound loops but in these instances the total product image, increased cost effectiveness and the outstanding protection the plastic pallet provides have tended to be the major drivers.
Kaysersberg Plastics manufactures several ranges of plastic pallets, used in such applications.
Duro-Pallet® and HyRack®
The Duro-Pallet looks much like a conventional pallet, with flat deck and nine legs or posts. TheDuro-Pallet is available in 800 x 1200mm and 1000 x 1200mm variants with a 3-runner or full perimeter base. It has an extensive range of lip and deck options, is reasonably easy to clean and provides a far higher level of hygiene than its wooden counterparts.
Duro-Pallet(r) & HyRack(r) provide hygienic solutions
For those requiring a pallet that is easier to clean and therefore meets higher hygiene standards, the company has developedHyRack. This 1000 x 1200mm pallet is based on the flow-through design that has become the accepted standard for sanitary applications in the US.
Conventional injection / hot plate welded pallets, reputed to provide high hygiene performance, have an inherent hygiene design weakness which is not at first obvious. Because of the method of manufacture these pallets have voids within the pallet, typically within the posts and in some instances within the body of the pallet itself. Should the pallet become punctured by an errant tine of a fork lift truck or other rough handling, then hygiene is immediately compromised. Water, and potentially micro-organisms can collect in the void during washing operations.
HyRack has no voids that can be punctured and therefore no potential to compromise hygiene standards by harbouring microbial growth. Fluids, dirt and grime simply flow through and drain away easily during the washing process and bugs simply have nowhere to hide. All the surfaces are visible and easily cleaned and sanitised, either in an automated system or by pressure washing.
HyRack's flow-through design makes it easy to wash
Kaysersberg Plastics
Where hygiene is a major manufacturing consideration then plastic packaging offers many potential advantages and few organizations know more about bespoke plastic packaging than Kaysersberg Plastics... designing, manufacturing and delivering hygienic packaging solutions to your door.
Kaysersberg Plastics... the name for hygienic packaging in Europe
Contact :
Marketing Department
Isabelle Roy-Mangin or Sophie Héry
Tel : 00 33 (0) 3.89.78.38.68
Fax : 00 33 (0) 3.89.47.18.56
sophie.hery@kayplast.com
www.kaysersberg-plastics.com