CONTRACT manufacturer Jalco Group has developed a unique multi-million dollar production process to produce form-fill-seal tubes totally in-house - a first for an Australian contract manufacturer.
The plastic containers, bottles and tubes production process involved Jalco purchasing multiple moulding machines with an initial capacity of 20 million units per annum and designed specifically for Jalco's in-line production needs.
Designed in Germany and manufactured in Thailand, the blow moulders allow an integrated filling and labelling, different from tube machines operating in the country today. The process is very flexible and can produce several label variations simultaneously.
The initial installation has already commenced commercial production.
The tube products at present can produce most configurations with virtually no size limitations on the process. The existing set-up is capable of approximately 600ml.
The moulding process is not dissimilar to conventional blow moulding with the system enabling Jalco to use various closure systems, with metering or dosage controlled by variation of closure orifice.
Materials are unrestricted as Jalco employs a one piece tube, polymer selection which is basically needs driven, even to the point of high barrier multi layer, particularly where oxygen impermeability is required.
The process is robust and exact enabling Jalco to achieve a high degree of reputability essential to achieving ongoing compliance with product specification.
The decoration process is mould labelled and Jalco's proprietary system enables it to decorate complex compound curves with branding simply a label change.
According to Jalco managing director John Tisdale, the purchase of three high-tech blow moulding machines is a response to the increasing demands of customers.
"This meant Jalco investing in an 'in-line' production process which can offer major cost efficiencies, time advantages, and, at the end of the day, higher quality labelling and a more durable product," he said.
"These machines have enabled us to achieve those goals, however we continue to keep abreast of the constantly changing technologies in this area. We expect signifciant business to eventuate as a result of the latest blow moulding purchases."