Sonoco Introduces Flexible Bag with CrossSeal™ Technology
Responding to consumer desire for easier-to-open packaging, Sonoco (Hartsville, S.C., USA) one of the largest global diversified packaging companies, announced Wednesday (March 16) its latest innovation: an easy-open quad-seal flexible bag with Cross-Seal™ technology.
Brand owners are increasingly adopting the quad-seal bag format for premium packaging to stand out at retail stores. This package format involves sealing along a side corner of the bag rather than via a traditional back seam, which results in four full panels for bright, clear graphics and messaging to help drive brand identity and product differentiation. The squared-off edges offer more bill-boarding space on the package, as well as improved blocking/facings on the shelf compared with rounded flexible bags.
"The challenge with producing a quad-seal bag is that you want a strong seal down the edge of the bag, but the top of the bag needs to remain easy for the consumer to open," said Rod Pettis, Sonoco director of flexible packaging technology. "Bags produced with Sonoco’s trademarked Cross-Seal technology are easier for consumers to use because they require less force and open more cleanly, while reducing the potential for corner tears and product spilling."
Sonoco’s first commercial application for the Cross-Seal technology is in the coffee packaging segment. For coffee manufacturers, Cross-Seal technology minimizes headaches through un-compromised production speeds, greater consistency regarding slip transfer, a wider sealing range, and less buildup on sealing jaws compared with pattern-applied heat seals.
Unlike other quad-seal coffee bags on the market, bags produced with Cross-Seal technology do not have to be in perfect registration. "With other quad-seal bag structures, variation in the sealing process can cause difficult or inconsistent opening for the consumer," added Pettis. "Sonoco’s Cross-Seal technology eliminates this risk."
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