New Alcoa products at Pack Expo

Alcoa will feature several new products at the forthcoming Pack Expo Las Vegas. The stand will feature two of the company's packaging and consumer business units, Alcoa Closure Systems International (Alcoa CSI) and Alcoa Consumer Products.

The company's Presto Products business has announced that it will co-exhibit at the trade show, to be held between 13 and 15 October, 2003.

Alcoa will be displaying its latest product range at booth 2823, under the slogan "We Make Your Packaging Work".

Alcoa CSI is recognised as a world leader in developing closure packaging solutions across a broad range of core markets including water, carbonated soft drinks, juice, isotonic/sports drinks and motor oil. However, with the introduction of several new products, Alcoa CSI is expanding into new markets including dairy, adult beverages, food, household and personal care.

"We don't make the package, but we make the package work better. We look at every package as an innovation opportunity, collaborating with the entire packaging supply chain and our vast resources to develop a package that really works for consumers. In the end, this creates value for all",​ stated John Grainda, marketing manager - carbonated soft drinks.

Alcoa CSI will feature several new closure products at Pack Expo including the 28mm Double-Lok XT/28mm Extra-Lok XT, 38mm Seal-MAX, 28mm & 33mm Alco-Lok, 33mm & 38mm Flip-Top and 43mm Wing-Lok LT closure with OxyBlock liner. Alcoa capping equipment to be unveiled at the show includes the Series 125 capper, and the SE-24 and SV-32 sorters.

The company says that the new 38mm Seal-MAX closure is designed with innovative materials and design to prevent leaking in dairy containers. The Alco-Lok closure is targeted to distilled spirits applications, providing tamper evidence and performance. Alcoa's Flip-Top is an all-new closure for the food industry that is the result of Alcoa's world-class Value Creation Process (VCP) that speeds product development and incorporates market research to identify consumer needs.

The 43mm Wing-Lok LT (Low Torque) closure with OxyBlock liner is designed for hot, cold fill and aseptic applications and is said to enhance product shelf life by preventing oxygen from seeping into the package. Finally, Alcoa's XT closures are specifically designed to maximise CO2 sealing performance under extreme temperature cycling conditions for soft drink bottlers.

Alcoa CSI will also introduce three new capping equipment designs at the show: the Series 125 Capper, the SV-32 Sorter and the SE-24 Sorter. The Series 125 is an affordable, rotary capper with the lowest overall cost of ownership in the industry. The 125 is designed for low-speed, small-scale capping operations in a variety of applications.

The SV-32 cap sorter is said to be an easy-to-operate, versatile sorter that accommodates both flat and sport caps. The SE-24 elevator sorter handles large volume, bulk cap handling requirements allowing bottlers to maximise productivity and efficiency - claims the company.

Alcoa Consumer Product's Presto Products business will introduce new Retort and Slider Zippers, as well as new WaveQuick Film. The retort zipper is an all-new polypropylene closure designed for high temperature processing, providing product protection similar to cans or jars. Slider zippers are convenient for consumers to use, and are easy to add to existing or new packaging equipment, allowing for easy changeover.

WaveQuick Film is designed to vent, cook and lock in nutrients in microwave-prepared foods. The film self-vents, so it cooks more quickly and evenly. Presto Products is also the maker of Fresh-Lock zippers, which have been a resource for the reclosable packaging industry for more than 20 years.

Alcoa Closure Systems International (CSI)​ operates in 27 locations and offices worldwide, employing nearly 3,000 persons.