Getting Closure

To be able to ease product dispensing, use, and storage, tubes depend on their caps and closures. Gone are the days of the simple screw-on cap. If you want your products to stand out on the shelf (and in the shower) or you want to control dosing, you’ve got to consider finishing off your tube with the right closure.

Interestingly, technology providers are finding ways to deliver caps with heightened performance while streamlining their own manufacturing. User-friendly stock closures are now available with shortened lead times—and perhaps in greener versions—allowing product manufacturers to launch new tubes as quickly as possible.

The Divinity line of closures from Berry Plastics, will feature four sizes and multiple orifice sizes.

LEAD TIMES DROPPING
Berry Plastics (Evansville, IN) has streamlined its supply base and shortened lead times. The company is introducing a new line of self-manufactured closures that shaves 2–4 weeks off lead times and provides a new look for larger tubes.

Berry Plastics offers a full line of extruded and laminate tubes for the personal care, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and household chemical markets. In addition, Berry Plastics manufactures other plastic packaging including bottles, tubs, lids, films, and closures. Berry is using this diverse product portfolio to improve the service they provide to the marketplace.

For instance, Berry has launched a new closure line for tubes, called the Divinity line. This line of four closures, which is produced in Waterloo, Canada, went into production in November 2009 and will feature a 1⅜, 1½, 2, and 23⁄16 in. closures. Each closure will have multiple orifice sizes to accommodate products with varying viscosities.

By vertically integrating the production of these closures, Berry is now able to better control production and shorten lead times. Customers can now receive decorated tubes in just 6 weeks. Berry is also better able to shorten the lead time on custom color matches, helping customers get to market faster.

In addition to faster deliveries, Berry is also the only supplier that offers a 23⁄16 in. diameter tube closure. Designed to fit on the larger tubes that are becoming more prevalent in the marketplace, this closure provides customers with a flush-fit between the tube shoulder and the closure.

World Wide Packaging introduces the one-piece 50-mm tube.

ALL-IN-ONE TUBE
World Wide Packaging LLC (WWP; Florham Park, NJ), a provider of cosmetic packaging and filling solutions, is introducing a new 50-mm round one-piece tube.

The patent-pending 50-mm round tube offers more options and value-added features than a traditional two piece tube without the additional expense, reports Jeffrey Hayet, executive vice president, global sales, WWP. Because the cap is part of the tube, there are never any loose caps and no lead time spent waiting for caps. In addition, the cap is always correctly oriented to the print copy on the tube. There is also a snap-in feature for a bi-injection appearance.

World Wide Packaging has also launched a 13-mm round cosmetic flip-top closure for samples, testers, and over-the-counter products. Called the first closure of its kind, the convenient flip-top could increase the overall value of the product.

“We are most pleased to introduce the addition of the new 50mm round one-piece tube and the 13 mm round flip top closure to our large family of tubes and tube components,” says Hayet.

The 13-mm flip-top closure from World Wide Packaging can be used for samples.

World Wide Packaging provides the cosmetics and skin care industries with a complete range of packaging solutions, custom and stock molding, and turnkey operations. World Wide Packaging’s product line includes tube packaging options, jars, compacts, lotion bottles, and pumps.

ECO FINISH
Tube closures are also going green these days.
Alcan Packaging Beauty gave the finishing touch to two items in the new Bourjois Paris face care line with a flip-top cap from Alcan’s Slender range. Light weight is guaranteed by using 45% less material than a conventional service cap.

World Wide Packaging (Florham Park, NJ) offers its new 50-mm round one-piece tube with a postconsumer-recycled (PCR) body and cap. The lightweight tube is made with 70% less resin than the standard package. ■