Flexible Packaging Association Gold Achievement Award 2014

Food and Beverage

Customized HQC Fitment Design Plays Key Role in Award Winning Package Design

Winning a Flexible Packaging Association Gold Award for Packaging Excellence was the Schwan’s Soft Serve Ice Cream pouch featuring HQC’s 28mm fitment.  HQC worked with Schwan’s on a custom modification which added a star shaped pattern to the internal orifice of the pouch fitment.  This star design very effectively simulates the dispensing pattern of a soft serve ice cream machine.  Given the seasonality of a product like this, timing was critical.  The star modification was actually completed in 3 short weeks.  The fitment is topped off with a white continuous thread closure.

The Flexible Packaging Association Achievement Awards were presented in March.   Every year, the best pouches, bags, and flexible packages of every kind are submitted by industry leaders for consideration.  This year’s competition had 81 packages in the hunt for victory.  When the dust settled, the judges recognized 22 packages with 26 awards in four categories: Packaging Excellence, Printing Achievement, Technical Innovation, and Sustainability & Environmental Achievement.

HQC was involved in this project from inception and helped keep the product launch on track.  Since the practical application of this pouch involves squeezing the contents out at relatively high forces, the fitment to film seal interface must be very robust.  Initial pouches were not meeting the customer’s burst strength requirements.  Subsequent testing and development work did not resolve the issue.  HQC took on the challenge of optimizing the fitment sealing process and, working in conjunction with the pouch converter, the Schwans spouted pouch production was able to proceed on time.

HQC goes beyond producing injection molded pouch fitments.   Value add activities such as dialing in the fitment sealing process using the in-house auto fitment insertion machine, producing fitment seal bars using proprietary designs,  trialing alternative resins, 3D printing of prototype fitments, and production of prototype pouch samples are just some of the services offered by HQC.

Give us a call at (630) 820-5550 to learn more about how HQC can assist with your spouted pouch project.  We go the extra mile to make sure your product launch is a success.