Recent product launches for adhesive applications aim to help food and beverage packagers ensure the structural integrity of product packages while also lowering costs.

Henkel (www.henkel.com), a leader in adhesives used for package bonding and sealing, and Nordson Corporation (www.nordson.com), a leading producer of precision dispensing equipment for adhesives, recently established a global alliance on new technology development for the packaging market worldwide. One of the first offerings to result from this alliance is the Freedom™ System.

The system combines Nordson’s Freedom™ Series Hot Melt Dispensing equipment with Henkel’s Technomelt® Freedom™-certified adhesives to help customers control costs and simplify operations to increase productivity, reliability and sustainability. Customers using this system may gain in the form of six “Freedoms”: from raw materials supply risk, from downtime, from machine complexity, from material waste, from operator interaction, and to mount anywhere. This combination of adhesive and equipment is currently in selected field tests with a full commercial launch scheduled for the first quarter of 2013.

Adalis Corporation (www.adalispackaging.com), a subsidiary of H.B. Fuller Company (www.hbfuller.com) also aims to help packagers save money and resources. Adalis recently released High Modulus Sesame Tape, a new ultra-strong tape reinforcement technology intended to improve box life while helping to further cost savings and sustainability. The tape was inspired by Adalis’ aim to help customers reduce losses from damaged product and aid in the progression toward more eco-friendly corrugated packaging. When using High Modulus Sesame Tape, produce trays maintain their strength through the distribution chain due to reduced bottom sag, improved stacking longevity and up to 50% enhanced bulge resistance.

Another innovative development to help corrugated packaging maintain its integrity comes from Glue Dots International (GDI, www.gluedots.com). GDI’s QuikDot Pro is a pressure sensitive adhesive applicator designed to seamlessly seal paperboard and corrugate food and beverage carrier packaging. The product allows for instant repairs anytime, anywhere. The QuikDot Pro is designed with time savings and ease of use in mind. Highlights of the product include: an invisible bond that protects brand integrity; a clean, instant, secure bond; a refillable design; adhesive shape and pattern spacing engineered to provide optimal coverage while eliminating waste and small size, meaning the product can fit in the palm of the hand or in a pocket. The QuikDot Pro was engineered specifically for food and beverage packaging repair and provides a cost-effective repackaging alternative by instantly applying the right amount of adhesive every time, creating a high-quality, cold, instant bond that does not require heat, cure-time or dry-time.

Product innovation designed to increase package integrity while lowering costs is the theme of adhesives today. These innovations are just a taste of what’s out there to help packagers do just that, ensuring that their products (and the adhesives) have real staying power.