Sencorp Inc., in partnership with an adhesive supplier, plans to introduce a sealing machine that can thermoform clamshell packaging that uses recycled PET.
The Hyannis, Mass., thermoforming equipment supplier has formed a partnership with Dymax Corp. of Torrington, Conn.
Dymax, a maker of ultraviolet-light-curing systems, in February introduced a UV sealant that can cure clamshell parts made of recycled PET and solve some difficulties in sealing the plastic shell, said Brian Urban, president and chief executive officer of Sencorp.
The UV curing system can be used with brittle recycled PET clamshells and avoids the damage that can be caused by using heat sealing or sonic welding, said A. Gregory Bachmann, vice president of global accounts for Dymax. The system is especially suited to sensitive electronics parts, he said.
Sencorp plans to introduce a sealing machine, under its Cerapak line, early next year. The in-line machine will cost around $200,000, Urban said. The machine also can be used with blister packaging.
The company also is developing a thermoforming machine that can form a radio-frequency identification tag into the blister, Urban said. The tag is applied mechanically to the blister package before it is heated in the thermoforming oven.
Pre-placement of the RFID tag will save both time and the use of adhesives after the package is made, he said.
The company expects RFID tags to become a necessity in the next few years, pushed by large retailers.
``We want to have something locked into place long before then,'' he said.
Urban and Bachmann both were interviewed during Pack Expo International 2004, held Nov. 7-11 in Chicago.
