Hartness and RKW join up to launch new multipack concept

Launched at Drinktec in Munich last week, the Grab Pack is a pre-formed web of printed shrinkable polyethylene film that is applied over bottles. Normally when containers are bundled together with film people have to tear the film in a messy fashion to grab a product and in doing so they weaken the hold of the film over the remaining items.

What Grab Pack claims to do is allow consumers to easily remove bottles from a pack without any mess and without damaging the integrity of the rest of the pack.

In the bottling process the pre-formed web is dropped over a selection of bottles and then the multipack is passed through a shrink tunnel to tightly draw the containers together.

Hartness claims the Grab Pack offers several supply chain advantages to bottlers. At a press conference at Drinktec the company said the product creates a very tight pack so requires up to 30 per cent less film than traditional options. Also bottlers can forget about corrugated trays as the Grab Pack easily holds bottles together by itself.

From a consumer perspective, Hartness claims the new multipack ensures quick and simple removal of bottles and convenient re-storage.

The company said marketers also benefit because distinctive bottle contours can be highlighted and the tight packing film also gives the opportunity to present big displays on the sides of the pack.

The Grab Pack will first be marketed in Europe. Scott Smith, VP for international sales and emerging business, said the European market is more developed and is waiting for the next big thing.

Smith said companies interested in the Grab Pack would have to make a small capital investment but the Smith said the new product only requires an add-on to end of line equipment. He said it should be a relatively small investment to a lot of people.