Slimmed-down slider lighter, cheaper and more effective, says company

By Rory Harrington

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Cost

Slimmed-down slider lighter, cheaper and more effective, says company
Material and cost savings combined with improved leak resistance and easier opening are benefits claimed by Zip-Pak for its new slider system launched at Pack Expo 2011 in Las Vegas this week.

The company said the Slider Select is its smallest and lightest slider option that offers material reduction potential of at least 50% compared to previous versions, as well as high manufacturing performance with throughput in excess of 150 closures per minute (CPM).

Leak resistance

The product also boasts “advanced leak resistance”​ that helps maintain package integrity and enhances shelf life and flavor retention.

“One of the biggest performance advantages of the new slider is that it offers high burst,”​ Zip-Pak sales manager David Pritchard told FoodProductionDaily.com. “It has a 17-pound (7.27 kg) opening force. This compares to opening forces on rival systems of between 10 and 15 pounds.”

The “extremely high leak resistance​” has been achieved by the development of a small plough in the slider that opens and closes the system but does not extend down through the profile, the sales manager explained.

This is in contrast to other slider systems which rely on an area of pre-activation and require a small opening or a protruding finger for the clip to work properly.

Cost benefits and ergonomic design

Zip-Pak said they have sought to reduce costs to make it as “cost neutral”​ compared to ‘press-to close’ (PTC) systems – which, the company said, are less sophisticated but which have traditionally been cheaper.

Brand owners looking to employ a re-closeable system for the first time have often opted for the press to close because of the price differential, said Pritchard.

“In the past, sliders have been between two to three times more expensive than PTC but the new system is as closer to close neutral than ever,”​ he added. “We have reduced the cost difference to around 5 to 10% which should bring it into reach for manufacturers.”

The slider’s ergonomic design also means it is easy to open, said Zip-Pak.

“We designed it so that everyone from small children to the elderly would be able to open it​,” said Pritchard.

The firm said it had developed the new slider after getting extensive customer feedback.

“We recognize that our customers are under constant pressure to reduce costs and enhance their eco-profiles through material savings and manufacturing efficiencies,”​ said company marketing manager Elizabeth Sheaffer.

Related topics Processing & Packaging

Related news

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars