TEACHING OLD MACHINES NEW TRICKS
– by Neil Kozarsky
THE NATION’S LEADING EXPERT ON JAPANESE PACKAGING AND MARKETING TECHNOLOGY REVEALS HOW THINKING “OUTSIDE OF THE BOX” CAN LITERALLY CREATE NEW PACKAGES OFF OF ESTABLISHED MACHINES
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When returning from a never ending loop through airports on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, I often empty my pockets and suitcases to find any number of unique packaging ideas and product concepts that were picked up along the way. In most cases a successful haul from Japan will produce an innovative packaging solution or technology for food, beverage or healthcare concerns that can be provided to my T.H.E.M. (Technical Help in Engineering and Marketing) clients. In many cases, these new designs and shapes can and do run on packaging lines consisting of machinery that is already available to the client, or in some cases, merely an adapted one already in place.
For example, the generic type of machinery to manufacture soluble films has been around for many decades. The general process is film casting and drying,which is used for everything from industrial tapes and photographic film to baked goods. These tried and true processes have been artfully adapted and changed over the years to accommodate the specific requirements of soluble film. Even the sophisticated machines that cut film and unitize stacks in canisters are modified versions of basic equipment that has been developed specifically for the configurations and shapes now used for oral delivery. In cases where production throughput and efficiencies become large, as they have for a number of the successfully introduced soluble film products, robotics and fully-automated lines can be produced to ensure keeping up with demand.
At other times, we’ve found it’s better to tap the know-how and experience of proven performers and “transfer” the equipment to reduce risk and fast-track results to market. In 1996, for example, we introduced Sanko stick packaging to North America and now it is used for sugar, sweetener, Lipton Tea to Go, 4C Tea On the Go, etc. From a packaging machinery standpoint, there simply was no one in the USA involved in this innovative form of single-serve packaging. Stick packaging was invented in Japan by Sanko Machinery Co., Ltd. about 30 years ago and virtually all of the applications were found in Asia or Europe. Our packaging and engineering teams assessed the vertical F/F/S machinery that was employed for these distinctive and cost-effective three-side seal pouches and concluded it was too risky to start from scratch or attempt to imitate the designs through modification of existing pouching equipment. Yet, the significant film efficiencies (up to 60 percent less material/impression) and positive consumer perceptions caught the attention of several major CPG companies and drove the new stick products to market.
At about the same time that T.H.E.M was introducing stick packs, I came across DITM (dissolve-in-the-mouth) strip technology during a Japan visit in the form of breath freshener giveaways. While I made a note of the technology, I filed the experience away until 2001 when Listerine received a very positive customer response after introducing its Pocket Paks. Easily dispensed from relatively simple plastic, injection-molded canisters, these micro-thin postage stamp-size strips offer “on the go” consumers a functional alternative to traditional mouthwash.
After significant internal discussion, consumer research, assessment of manufacturing and distribution feasibilities, our parent company Universal Synergetics, Inc., established Momentous Solutions and we introduced a line of vitamins for children and adults on DITM strips. Other entries using strips as a delivery vehicle include Theraflu and Triaminic l cough and cold medicines, and Chloraseptic for sore throat relief.
From a machinery standpoint, we quickly recognized the challenges tied to successfully utilizing this technology: ensuring we were able to put credible doses of actives on strips; making sure the taste of the products were appealing, particularly for children, and confirming we had proper stability in the film and that label claims are accurate for ingredients.
After the film solution is mixed in pharmaceutical standard process vessels, it is pump fed slurry to trough and then cast on Mylar supported web. Uniform film thickness is ensured across the 25 to 35 inches of web and active dosages are maximized via infrared oven lines of 100 to 150 feet. Before the film is released to packaging and after quality control sampling and monitoring, active constituent assay is confirmed.
When aging is complete, the master roll is slit to one-inch wide mini rolls and converted into canisters or single serve foil pouches using rotary or guillotine equipment. Labels are applied via two-sided labeling or wrap around, complete with hot stamp lot and date code traceability. From slitting and cutting the film is packaged in F/F/S canisters via Tiromat equipment before being blister carded via Alloyed equipment. The assembled pouched films/canisters are secondary packaged and automated/non-automated packed for final pack-out.
The Barbie/Arthur/Hot Wheels branded Health Strips are easily identified by consumers as vitamins on strips due to the success and market knowledge of Listerine Pocket Paks.
We believe there will be a slow but steady expansion of products available to consumers on strips because they solve an obvious problem; many consumers don’t like having to swallow pills.
From a machinery and production standpoint, the technologies continue to evolve and it’s likely a matter of time until more Nutritionals and even Pharma applications make their way onto/into strips.
Essentially, with the strips you have entire markets being born with an innovative “new” delivery format where little change was necessary machinery wise from equipment that was fabricating water-soluble dish detergent in Europe over 30 years ago. With the sticks having become mainstream in North America, several major companies and brands have reinforced leadership positions in the market by creating “new for you” experiences for American consumers with filling technologies and equipment that was invented during Richard Nixon’s first term in office.
Neil Kozarsky has visited Japan 89 times since 1992, as president and CEO of T.H.E.M and Momentous Solutions LLC.
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