Tetra Pak develops new leak-proof material
promises greater security against leakage.
This is due to the use of an improved plastic raw material on the inside of the packaging, which means that the seal is superior and the packaging more tightly sealed.
The properties of the plastic have been modified so that it is tougher and has a lower melting point for example. In terms of the environment, the new material is an improvement as the quantity of plastic on the inside of the material could be reduced by nine per cent. In addition, more plastic can be extracted from the same amount of raw material.
All Tetra Brik customers in Sweden and Iceland are changing over to the new material, with the switch to TB Wide for portion packages planned for implementation in 2005. Arla Foods in Jönköping was the first operation in Sweden to use TB Wide.
"The inside of the packaging material TB Wide consists of a new type of polymer," said Arla Foods key account manager Ingrid Leine Molde. "In combination with an improved seal the new packaging material results in more tightly sealed packaging."
Arla has converted all of its TB/8 machines with a large roller for the strip, which means that the operators do not need to replace the roller as often. The changeover to TB Wide also means that a separate, instead of a fix plastic strip, is applied on the inside of the packaging in connection with filling.
"A major advantage with separate strips is that we can more easily avoid damage to the packaging rollers which previously had fixed strips," said Jörgen Grauss, production manager at Arla Foods in Jönköping.
Arla has been satisfied with the changeover. "The project for introducing TB Wide and the separate strip has exceeded expectations", said Molde. "The venture has demanded a lot from us and we can feel pleased with our efforts. We are following up with all customers and conducting extra training where requested."
Now that the introduction of TB Wide has been implemented for the Tetra Brik system, there are plans for the Tetra Brik Aseptic and Tetra Top systems during next year.
