Squeezy Straw Is New Technique for Producing Standup Pouches
- Published: January 27, 2016
NEW YORK. NY | The Barton Group of New York announces development of a new low-cost, standup pouch technology, designed for a wide range of liquid and semi-liquid products. Using specially configured horizontal thermoform/fill/seal machinery, a triangular prism is created which, after being filled and sealed, forms a unique, patented Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch.
“This is a totally new approach to standup pouch production and is adaptable for almost any application,” said Lew Barton, president. “The stability of the package is built into the design, creating a low center-of-gravity by sizing the wall—which becomes the extended base—according to the application. Once the user takes the first sip from the pouch using the integrated straw, the center-of-gravity drops even further, making the pouch more stable, and that stability enhancement continues with each sip.”
Virtually any horizontal thermoform/fill/seal machine equipped with die-cutting capability can be tooled to produce the Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch, Barton said. Advantages of this new design include:
LOW COST: A typical Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch, produced in an 8-oz. size, is estimated to cost about $.04 (four cents) each, Barton said. This figure includes the flexible packaging material, the print, and the royalty ($.005 for volumes of 50MM pouches a year). The pouch can be produced in any size (or shape). Prototypes were produced with the patented internal straw segment of the original Squeezy Straw design, which adds value and convenience, but is not essential for all applications.
“The internal straw segment does add cost to the package (it requires a larger pouch) and may not be needed in all applications,” Barton explained. “Omitting the internal straw would reduce costs about five percent.” Illustrations and details are available on the website www.squeezystraw.com.
HIGH VOLUME PRODUCTION: Virtually any thermoform/fill/seal machine equipped with die-cutting capability can be tooled to produce the Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch. The 8-oz. prototypes were produced on a Multivac machine. Mulitvac estimates capital equipment cost for producing this product at $500,000 to $1,000,000 depending on volume requirements, Barton said. Multivac estimates that one of its bigger machines would produce the 8-oz. pouch at a rate of 400 to 600 pouches a minute, depending on product viscosity.
ELIMINATION OF NEED FOR A STRAW OR A CUP: With the built-in external straw extension and an easy-open tear notch across the straw extension, consumption of the product directly from the pouch is easy and efficient, eliminating the need for other accessory items, further reducing cost.
EASY AND EFFICIENT EVACUATION OF CONTENTS: Because the Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch is made entirely of lightweight flexible packaging materials, the user can easily squeeze all of the contents out of the package. Also, as the package can be at least partially transparent, the user can see when the pouch is empty.
EASY AND EFFICIENT DISPOSAL OF EMPTY POUCH: Because the Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch is made entirely of lightweight flexible packaging materials, once emptied the pouch can collapse into a small, lightweight mass for disposal.
MULTIPLE MERCHANDISING TOOLS AVAILABLE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE POUCH: The Barton Group’s patents (issued and pending) have many features that provide for a variety of merchandising options including rack-hanging punched holes. Multiple compartments can allow for separate portions, different products, or even promotional inclusions, such as a small product or literature.
The manufacturing technique of perforating adjoining pouches allows for bundling (folding the pouches) and selling multiple SKUs in a bundle. The individual pouches in each bundle may be the same product or an assortment of products. “There are endless variations of merchandising techniques available with the Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch,” Barton explained. “However some of these options may be better suited for our 2015-award-winning Flat Pack Squeezy Straw Pouch than the new 2016 Stand Up Squeezy Straw Pouch.”
