Dealing With Container Bloating in the AgChem Industry
The Problem:
A turf management specialist manufacturer formulated and marketed 48 liquid and six dry nutrient products to promote grass growth, heat-stress tolerance, and endurance on high-traffic lawns, golf courses, and other sports fields. The products contained organic components that can cause off-gassing. This off-gassing was causing the containers to bloat in warm temperatures or contract in cooler temperatures. Jugs were leaking and defects resulted in lost product and revenue. The company operated two packaging lines and the threaded screw caps were applied by hand-held pneumatic capping machinery.
While the manufacturer provided outstanding turf management products to U.S. and international markets with diverse climates, the company wanted to improve its packaging to keep pace with product quality. The director of operations recounted to us that packaging had become tedious. “We were tightening all the caps, using a hand-held pneumatic capper. If we didn’t get the cap tightened just right, it resulted in a phone call from an unhappy customer with a leaky or bloated jug. We knew it was time to call in the packaging experts to resolve this dilemma.”
The Solution:
PSI collaborated with not only the chemical manufacturer but their container cap provider. The proper solution in this case turned out to be an induction sealing system with a small hole allowing the container to vent. The vented Circumvent foam liner and a vented Airfoil heat-induction seal provided a tamper-evident and leak-proof seal that allowed the product to breathe without leaking. This three-component venting system enables the jugs to vent during transport and after the heat-induction seal is removed by the end user. The jugs now avoid leakage, bloating, and collapsing problems.
The Benefit:
No losses due to container failure and product integrity, safety and brand were preserved; no more phone calls to the director of operations and overall revenue enhancement!
This is just one example of how past generational solutions for bloating and paneling influenced by the formula had a direct negative impact on the overall fiscal and production capabilities, not just at sealing but with transportation, storage and customer use of the product. However, by putting in the right innovative solution at the right point in the distribution channel – namely a breathability solution at container fill – the entire distribution channel was enhanced both with quality and increased profit margins.
