AIMCAL title
Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators
small AIMCAL logo
  Search

Product Competition Award Winners

On shelves crowded with products screaming for attention, these metallized packages and labels stand out and conquer the competition!

Packaging: Food & Beverage: Technical

Consumer Packaging Division of Graphic Packaging International (GPI)

Red Baron Fire Baked Pizza Singles

Red Baron Fire Baked Pizza Singles

The judges also named six category winners, which received either Marketing or Technical Awards. GPI also captured the Technical Award in the Food Packaging Category for a susceptor package it converts for Red Baron Fire Baked and Brick Oven Pizza Singles from Schwan’s Consumer Brands North America, Marshall, Minnesota. GPI converts the overprint varnish/ink/SBS/patterned adhesive/paper/adhesive/mPET to create a functional susceptor patch lamination that eliminates warping of the front panel when it’s exposed to repeated freeze/thaw cycles. The warping not only made the package look less attractive on shelf, but also caused uneven cooking in the microwave oven. The key to preventing warping lies with the paper/mPET lamination and the adhesive pattern that attaches it to the SBS. The innovation extends package shelf life six months, presents a more appealing package, and enables more even cooking. Toray Plastics (America), Inc., North Kingstown, Rhode Island, supplies the PET film, which is metallized by Rol-Vac, LP, Dayville, Connecticut.

Judges Comments

Members of the judging panel were impressed by the shelf-life extension and warpage and waste reduction achieved by the pattern adhesive that attaches the suspector to the SBS. Since the adhesive creates open channels between the SBS and susceptor, humidity vents to the interior of the carton instead of passing through the paperboard, thereby minimizing warpage. The judges also cited the increase in line speed and reduction in waste as major technical achievements.