Elopak Semi-Transparent Closure

By using semi-transparent plastic for the cap the user is able easily see it is opened as the cut removes the white carton board so a ‘black’ hole is visible.

12 Nov 2009 --- When Elopak was approached by customer, German juice manufacturer Albi GmbH & Co with a significant challenge for its catering juices, Elopak Feature Systems (FES) devised a simple yet effective solution. Working with supplier Bericap, the Elopak FES team developed a totally transparent cap for the 1 litre Diamond with Curve cartons for airline Lufthansa. This enables the airline staff to easily and accurately differentiate between opened and un-opened packs in order to adhere to strict regulations that do not permit opened liquid products across international borders. The new cap has also helped Lufthansa reduce food waste.

Elopak FES conducted testing to develop a configuration that cuts the carton under the cap when it is opened.  By using semi-transparent plastic for the cap the user is able easily see it is opened as the cut removes the white carton board so a ‘black’ hole is visible. This provides integrity, safety and stock control benefits to the catering and leisure trade, and for consumers who buy in bulk for multi-use purposes such as parties.

Hans Lippuner, Elopak’s Commercial Manager FES says, “Simplicity in design which adds key functional benefits enabled our customer Albi to extend its product portfolio and winning a major catering contract with Lufthansa. This solution which meets a very important and specific customer legal and safety requirement has attracted the attention of other customers who see the added value for aseptic products with minimal technical and cost investment.”

The new transparent cap from Elopak won a highly commended award in the Best Cap and Closure category at the recent Beverage Innovation 2009 awards.