Coveris Rigid signs deal for first UK lightweight closure caps with Arla Foods

Coveris Rigid has developed and put into production what it claims to be the lightest 38mm tamper evident cap for the dairy and beverage market, signing a deal with Arla Foods to use the cap on its flavoured milk.

It has launched a range of products which includes; three and two start bore seal caps and caps with EPE or IHS liners to expand its closure offering. 

Coveris will install a machine to double capacity in October

Coveris Rigid claims the cap is significantly lighter than any other presently available caps, weighing 2.3g, and is significantly lighter than the industry standard at 3.3g.

Jamie Clark, business development manager, Coveris Rigid Mansfield UK, told FoodProductionDaily the first customers will be Coveris Turkey for the Mediterranean area, the UK and a project in Hungary.

The company is also installing another machine this year in October at its Mansfield site to double the output of caps it produces there. It has so far produced 180m caps for the year.

We already work with Arla Foods as they are a big customer of ours,” said Clark.

We signed a deal with them to use the lightweight caps on their flavoured milk products in the UK for strawberry, banana, and chocolate milk, with shipments going out next week.

The rationale for the development of such a product in what is already a busy market place is Coveris felt it could improve what is available. 

Currently the market sees caps between 2.6 and 3.2g in weight. Using our continuous compression technology to produce this cap, we have created a 2.3g cap with all of the features of the markets heavier weight caps

This material saving creates a real benefit for the customer in terms of sustainability as well as the cost implications brought by using a lower weight.”

Secure tamper evidence feature

As one of the largest compressions moulder of caps and closures in Europe, Coveris Rigid, Mansfield, has utilised the benefits of compression moulding to reduce the weight of its existing products, whilst maintaining product performance and efficiency.

Coveris claims the closure is at the forefront of modern industry standards: a safe and secure tamper evidence feature; draining holes on the band; a knurl pattern with grip characteristics, and coupled with compression moulding technology, there are no unsightly injection points on the cap to interfere with prints or embossed graphics.

It will offer the closure in either two or three start thread compatibility to suit the majority of preform necks currently available.

At the same time, it has the capability to produce the cap with or without a bore seal, meaning both TPE and EPE liners and I H S heat seal liners will be available.

The weight saving of the cap reduces the overall quantity of polymer purchased, processed and transported both to the company and from it as finished caps.

In 2011, Coveris launched a ‘tinted cap’ to the market, which supported recycling yields for the UK industry, and in 2014, it launched ‘the lightest dairy cap in the world’ at 1.2g, a saving of 0.8g over the cap which was first launched 10 years ago.