Curwood to Feature Cheese Packaging Including UltraSeal Film, Eco-Tite Bags at Pack Expo

Curwood says leading equipment companies will be demonstrating the value and performance of Curwood UltraSeal film in their booths at Pack Expo.

Oct 4 2011 --- Curwood, part of the Bemis family of companies, will be showcasing packaging solutions for a variety of markets along with sister divisions Clysar and Milprint in booth C659 of the Pack Expo this coming week.

At the show, cheese processors will see Curwood UltraSeal film, a new material for shredded cheese applications that is specifically formulated to maximize the performance of ultrasonic sealing on high-speed vertical form-fill-seal gas-flush equipment.

UltraSeal is engineered for the unique requirements of natural shredded cheese, including advanced oxygen barrier, abuse resistance and reliable sealing through contamination, the company says. UltraSeal film also seals well through small pleats and wrinkles to eliminate leakers and improve package yield.

The high vibration used in the ultrasonic sealing process is able to shake away fines from the seal area, such as shredded, powdered or grated cheese, that might otherwise compromise a traditional heat seal.

Curwood says leading equipment companies will be demonstrating the value and performance of Curwood UltraSeal film in their booths at Pack Expo. HayssenSandiacre, part of the Barry-Wehmiller family of companies, will be demonstrating ultrasonic sealing in booth C500 with Curwood’s UltraSeal film. The benefits of the product line, including reduced leakers and superb machinability, can be observed at the HayssenSandiacre booth, Curwood says.

Aurizon Ultrasonics, a Kimberly, Wis.-based company, in booth C2306 also will be demonstrating Curwood’s plain and printed UltraSeal film. In this booth, Curwood UltraSeal will demonstrate the flexibility of the film technology in bonding different materials for different applications and end uses.

The Curwood booth will provide expert resources to further explore and evaluate the ultrasonic process as well as provide more detailed information about UltraSeal film itself.

Curwood also is featuring its Eco-Tite shrink bags at Pack Expo. Eco-Tite shrink bags are a highperformance, sustainable shrink bag option originally developed in Europe to meet stringent European regulations for chlorine-free products. The Bemis technology has now made its way to North America. Eco-Tite bags improve productivity, protection and aesthetics, in a clear, glossy retail presentation.

Eco-Tite bags have a heat resistant outer layer, which means bags resist sealing together when overlapped in the vacuum chamber. This durable outer layer also resists punctures and abrasions. A high-flow sealant layer delivers excellent caulking that seals better through wrinkles and folds for fewer leakers, reworks and waste, the company says. Eco-Tite bags have a wider sealing window, or heat seal range, which means bags can be sealed at lower voltages. This wider sealing window results in faster machine speeds, greater productivity, and less energy use, and subsequently, reduced waste and lower costs for processors, the company says.

Eco-Tite bags are thinner and stronger than conventional shrink bags, resulting in a 25 percent-33 percent source reduction, a greater product-to-package ratio and less waste in the landfill. An EVOH layer eliminates PVdC and provides superior oxygen barrier, another performance benefit of the technology, the company adds.

“Our wide portfolio of flexible packaging options includes highperformance Eco-Tite shrink bags that can help cheese processors increase productivity, reduce waste and minimize costs,” says Dave Engen, market manger for cheese, Curwood.