PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2011

PET products 46 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 09/11 www.petpla.net Revolution in PET-extrusion! Conical co-rotating MAS-extruder | perfect solution for A-PET, G-PET, PET Co-polymer … | prime pellet / melt quality (IV, b*, AA- content) | very low energy consumption | direct extrusion into sheet | stable melt pressure build up | small foot print paired with robust design | sizes available from 200 kg/h up to 1500 kg/h | suitable for food application M-A-S Maschinen- und Anlagenbau Schulz Gmbh A-4055 Pucking, Hobelweg 1 T: +43 7229 78 999, F: +43 7229 78 999 10 info@mas-austria.com www.mas-austria.com Combination testing system Mocon Inc, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has introduced a combination testing system for packages with one-way degassing valves. Named MultiCheck 400, the system measures oxygen (O 2 ) headspace, leak detection and seal strength, as well as one-way degassing valve performances, which is measured by the company’s new Valve Test Unit (VTU). MultiCheck 400 is based on two existing Mocon technologies: Lippke 4500 (leak detection/seal strength) and the hand-held Pac Check 302 O 2 headspace analyzer. Mocon says that its offer represents the first time that users of packages with degassing valves have had access to an accurate and repeatable way to test performance. The company also claims that combining four tests into one unit can save time and labour as well as cutting the number of samples required as a single package cycles through all of the analyses on just one unit. Applications include coffee, pet food, agricultural chemicals, resins, medical and others that require pressure relief. The VTU is also available as a standalone instrument, for operations that wish to conduct valve testing only. www.mocon.com Multi-function closure The plastics technology branch of KTW, Waidhofen/ Thaya, Austria, has developed the so-called “Simple Mix“ closure in its own innovations office. The closure was nominated for the German Packaging Prize 2010. The closure is composed of three parts with an integrated additive container; turning the cap enables metered dis- pensing of the contents which are added to the contents of the bottle. In addition, turning the top screw cap has the effect of lifting up an integrated insert section. This is achieved by a single turn of the upper screw cap which opens the insert section, releasing a “trapdoor“ in the insert section and dispensing the additive contained in it. This approach lends itself to situations where an addi- tive needs to be kept in an undiluted or dry state up to the point of use because, once mixed, it would quickly degrade with a subsequent loss of quality and effective- ness. Suitable applications that deserve a mention here are the dispensing of medications or food supplements, the addition of colourants or glitter effects to party drinks or the mixing of substances in powder form or dual-com- ponent paints. The system is resistant to external manipulation by virtue of the double tamper protection installed. The patented “Simple-Mix” cap is made up of three individual parts. The main component is a screw flange which forms the connection with the bottle or the alternative container. It is fitted with tamper-proof ring and incorpo- rates a central opening for use with the active ingredient reservoir. Above that there is a second, smaller, screw cap which is combined with the active ingredient con- tainer and is likewise fitted with a tamper-proof ring. All three components are suitable for automated assembly – including automatic filling of the reservoir. Despite its three-part construction, the “Simple Mix” cap is also suitable for sealing containers containing liquids. As mentioned initially, using it is of unrivalled simplicity by comparison to alternative products. A single turn of the small cap is sufficient to discharge the additive into the primary medium below. At the same time, the cap stays on the bottle so that the media can be mixed by means of agitation. When it comes to opening, the cap is turned further and lifted off together with the reser- voir insert section to free up the pouring profile. www.ktw-group.com