On Display--Metal Packaging
Mascara Cap
A supplier of anodized cosmetic components created a custom cap for Maybelline’s Define-A-Lash mascara. The cap was produced as an open-ended ferrule with teeth in order to fit a plastic insert on top. Precise color matching was done to match the bright green finish on the mascara bottle. According to the supplier, its proprietary anodizing process creates a diamond-hard finish that protects components from fading, chipping, scratching, and peeling. Anomatic Corp., Newark, OH.
Aerosol Packaging
Sophisticated options are offered for a supplier’s aerosol containers. In the area of decoration, the company offers pearlescent finishes, sparkly finishes, soft-touch over-varnishes, and special-effect finishes that make a package appear to change colors depending on the angle at which it is viewed. Aerosol containers are also available in a range of shapes. According to the supplier, steel, the metal of choice for aerosol packaging, can be expanded by up to 25%, accommodating a wide selection of container shapes. Depending on a brand’s marketing goals, a final package can feature soft, subtle contours or striking asymmetrical shaping. Containers can also be ergonomically shaped to be easy to grip. Crown Aerosol Packaging, Philadelphia.
Metallic PET
A shiny metallic finish is now offered for a supplier’s heavy-walled PET bottles. Metallic colors include Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Pewter, and Blue Steel. The new, reflective effect creates the high-end look of polished metal. According to the supplier, as an added bonus, the bottles retain the light weight of PET and do not have the dents and long lead times typically associated with metal bottles. In addition, the heavy-walled bottles are virtually nonsqueezable, further reinforcing their impression of being metal. The shiny metallic finish can be produced on any of the supplier’s stock bottles, including smooth rounds and elegant cylinders, offered in sizes of 3.3, 4, 6.7, and 8 oz. Specialty finish colors and custom shapes are also possible. Impressions Packaging, Peachtree City, GA.
Elegant Closures
The Prairie line of metal closures is designed to complement bottles and jars. The closures are in stock and ready to be delivered. They are offered in a variety of finishes including shiny and matte and in colors such as silver and gold. Various sizes are available. The company also provides matching jars and bottles in metal, glass, and plastic. Cospack America Corp., Edison, NJ.
Collars
A supplier produces aluminum collars in intricate shapes. Collars can be anodized in custom colors and screen-printed and embossed with artwork. According the supplier, collars require the full range of eyelet tooling, and these small components require greater degrees of sophistication to produce. Eyelematic Manufacturing Company, Inc., Watertown, CT.
Lipstick Container
Part of the Jardin Enchanté makeup collection, a Lise Watier lipstick case was made from metal. The case’s gunmetal color was achieved by anodizing. A new mechanism was developed so that the case could be manufactured in one piece. The brand’s name was hot-stamped on the case, and a silver medallion was added to the cap’s top. Axilone USA, New York City.
Aluminum Caps
A supplier offers 30 sizes of aluminum screw caps in diameters ranging from 18 to 100 mm. In addition to a traditional rolled edge, the company now offers straight edges on some of its most popular caps. Aluminum caps have good embossing potential, do not rust, and are a great fit for natural health and beauty products. A 1-mm expanded polyethylene liner can be added to provide an airtight seal. Elemental Container Inc., Union, NJ.
Daytona Cap
For Elizabeth Arden’s Daytona 500 fragrance, a supplier produced a complex cap shaped like a race car tire. The cap’s rubber tire is thermoplastic elastomer and is embossed with the Daytona 500 logo. The tire rim is made from red anodized aluminum. The cap’s inner is made from black polypropylene. Two versions of the cap were created, one to accommodate a pump, and the other for a splash bottle. The pump cap has a hole in the middle for the pump’s actuator to show through like a hub. The splash version is preassembled with a silver medallion in the center hole. According to the supplier, the metal cap was very difficult to produce because its shape is a reversed dome. Risdon International Inc., Watertown, CT.
Chop Box
The Chop Box compact, created from Zamac with an electroplated finish, provides a heavyweight, premium feel for beauty products. The component features interchangeable pans that can hold products for eyes, lips, and cheeks. A magnetic base allows users to easily interchange the pans. The component was produced by the supplier’s metal-fabricating division, HCT Metals, which was formed in 2006 to accommodate increased demand for limited-edition color cosmetic packaging. HCT Packaging Inc., Bridgewater, NJ.
Aluminum Shell
An aluminum half shell encases the glass bottle for Lacoste’s new Elegance fragrance. This shell is one of the largest parts currently produced by the supplier. The supplier also produced the bottle’s aluminum cap, which was debossed with the Lacoste crocodile logo. Both the shell and the cap feature a brushed silver finish. The company not only developed and manufactured the shell and the cap, but it also assembled the shell onto the bottle using a fully automated assembly line, applying the shell so that no gaps and no glue are visible between the shell and the glass. Seidel GmbH + Co., Marburg, Germany.
Tea Tin
A metal box reminiscent of a tea tin was supplied for a Kenzo Parfums promotional gift set. Launched during the last quarter of 2006 at Boots retail stores in the United Kingdom, the Tea Tin contained a bottle of Creamy Body Milk and a sample of FlowerbyKenzo eau de parfum. Each 71 × 125 mm tin featured a plug-style lid for easy opening and reclosing. The tin’s body and lid were printed with an off-white matte lacquer to reinforce the creamy nature of the FlowerbyKenzo Creamy Body Milk. The image of a red tissue paper flower was printed with a glossy finish. The supplier also offers a range of other decorative finishes for embossed, crackled, mirrored, color-changing, mesh, sparkling, soft-touch, and lenticular effects. In addition, the firm’s asymmetrical perforation technology has been used by beauty brands such as Jean Paul Gaultier Parfums. Crown Speciality Packaging, Philadelphia.
Testing Technology for Aluminum Bottles
A supplier of testing and quality-control technologies for the container and filling industries recently introduced a testing kit for aluminum bottles. Devices in the test package include a high-precision automated dimensional gauge that is designed for measuring the weight, pushup, and threaded and crown finishes on an aluminum bottle. Also included are a pressure tester for performing buckle and bottom roll-out tests; a dual-purpose tester that performs both fill-point volume measurements and top-load tests; and a thickness gauge for high-accuracy measurement of material distribution. Agr International, Butler, PA.