Packaging Resource Center: The Latest in Tubes

Sponge-Top Tube

A manufacturer offers a laminate tube featuring a sponge-top applicator. The tube and applicator are designed to facilitate easy and direct application of product onto the user’s skin. This design functions as an alternative to applying product by hand. It is designed to help improve application accuracy and eliminate product waste. The tube can package topical creams and ointments. It is available in fill sizes from 1.8 to 4.5 fl. oz. A shrink band can be applied over the cap for added seal security. Alcan Packaging Cebal, Washington, NJ; 908/835-5315; www.alcanpackaging.com.

Airless-Pump Tube

A company offers a tube with a user-friendly airless pump. The flexible tube can accommodate offset printing, silk-screening, or hot stamping. It is available in diameters from 13 to 60 mm. Fill sizes range from 3 to 360 ml. The company offers more than 30 tube head styles. 3C Inc., Hawthorne, NJ; 973/427-2244; www.c3cinc.com.

Reclosable Tube

A reclosable tube is designed to be a cost-saving alternative to traditional rigid tubes. The Tear n’ Tuck re­closable tubes are designed for liquid, cream, and paste products that may require multiple applications. The easy-open tear top features a fold-and-tuck tip that enables the user to tightly reseal the tube after the initial dispensing of product. The user tears off the top where indicated, gently squeezes the tube to dispense the product, then folds the tip over and tucks the tube’s little flap into a premade slit. The fold-and-tuck closure system cuts off the product flow like a folded garden hose cuts off water to a sprinkler. A variety of tip designs, orifice dimensions, package sizes, and fills are offered. The tubes can be customized to accommodate measured doses or different product flow rates. Hot stamping is also offered. Unette, Wharton, NJ; 973/328-6800; www.unette.com.

Plastic Tubes

Polyethylene plastic tubes are available in a range of diameters and lengths. Matching dispensing caps with snip-tip, flip-top, disc-top, stand-up, and child-resistant features are also available. The tubes can be offset printed, silk-screened, or labeled. O. Berk, Union, NJ; 908/810-2267; www.oberk.com.

Ampule Swab

A company offers a polypropylene swab version of its plastic ampoule. A user activates the package with a gentle squeeze, rupturing the internal membrane. Another gentle squeeze then dispenses the contents onto the applicator tip. The user easily controls the rate and flow of the liquid as it is dispensed. The company also offers a variety of applicator tips for its swab product, including a cylindrical tip with a centered hole for enhanced product flow, tapered tips for precise topical applications, and a variety of brush applicator tips. James Alexander Corp., Blairstown, NJ; 908/362-9266; www.jamesalexander.com.

Tubes with Desiccants

A line of tubes featuring desiccant stoppers is designed to protect sensitive or delicate products from moisture and breakage. The tubes and stoppers are rigid containers made from a combination of rigid poly­propylene and softer polyethylene materials. Integrating a desiccant into the design of the tube stopper eliminates the need for desiccant-insertion equipment. Using the tubes and stoppers with an automated, high-speed filling line can further increase efficiency. The standard fill for the desiccant stoppers is silica gel, but the company can provide other desiccant fills upon request. Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging Inc., Belen, NM; 505/864-6691; www.s-cpp.com.