Uflex Pouch Has Sonically Sealed Spout
- Published: February 08, 2017
NOIDA, INDIA | Ghee or clarified butter is an important condiment of South Asian cuisine. Conventionally ghee has been marketed in poly-pouched pillow packs, cartons, or tin cans. Uflex Ltd. has recently launched its Profile Pouch for Liquids with Sonically Sealed Spout and offered it to Paras Dairy for packing its ghee.
The laminate of the pouch is a three ply structure comprising Isotropic PET/ Isotropic PET/ Co-ex Nylon Polyethylene (PE). Two transparent Isotropic polyester layers provide excellent mechanicals to the laminate that are required to withstand harsh supply chain conditions. Co-ex Nylon PE is considered to be one of the finest sealant layers imparting superior mechanical strength to the laminate in terms of elongation and impact resistance besides also preventing pin-holes and cracks in the final laminate structure. The Profile Pouch for Liquids with Sonically Sealed Spout conforms with the ASTM International Standards for Measuring the Damage Resistance of a Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite to a Drop-Weight Impact Event.
The three ply structure has been especially engineered to optimize the OTR and WVTR for extending the shelf life of the product packed. O2 is known to spoil the taste of ghee (clarified butter) therefore it is absolutely important to bar oxygen from entering the pouch. Since water is immiscible with ghee, a high barrier against water vapor is not really required for this type of product.
The designed OTR for the ghee pouch is less than 60 cm3/m2/day under 0% R.H. at 23degC; while the WVTR is less than 5 gm/m2/day under 90%R.H. at 37.8degC. The conventional poly-pouched pillow packs do not provide adequate barrier from oxygen thereby making the packed ghee vulnerable to drastic taste change.
The major differentiator in this pack lies in its dispensing mechanism. Conventionally, spouts are heat seal welded to the pouches often resulting in leakage and polymer degeneration, but in this case at Uflex, sound waves at a very high frequency are generated and passed between the spout surface and the laminate. These high frequency waves vibrate the molecules of both PE layer of the laminate and that of the spout surface enabling a strong leak-proof seal.
The laminate is reverse printed in high definition (HD) using the rotogravure technology eliminating any possibility of ink smearing/bleeding as encountered in the surface printed poly pouched pillow packs. This renders a high finish to the spout pouch with visually stimulating and outstanding aesthetics. A specially designed bottom gusset has been provisioned for allowing the pouch to stand up on the retail shelf tremendously enhancing its visibility in an already inundated supermarket.
To impart infallible brand protection, a 3D holographic stamp (unique to Uflex) is sandwiched between the two transparent Isotropic polyester layers making the pack counterfeit-proof and assuring the end-users of a product that upholds utmost standards of quality. The sandwiched holographic stamp is not susceptible to any rupture by scratching or rough handling in the supply chain. It is next to impossible to body-double or reproduce the 3D hologram created by Uflex owing to the technology involved.
Keeping in mind the pouch integrity and functional ease for the end-users, Uflex has fitted a Tamper Locked Spout to the pack. The cap is inter-locked with the shoulder of the spout and this lock is broken when the cap is opened for the first time, ensuring an absolutely tamper-proof pouch. The spout has been internally designed to ensure that the entire product is easily accessed by gently squeezing the pouch. This profile pouch has hourglass contours that further facilitate a firm and handy grip for easy handling and pouring the packed product.
