As featured in the May 2009 issue of PKN Packaging News, Cormack Packaging discussed their partnership with MWV Calmar in providing accurate, reliable and consistent pharmaceutical solutions to the Australian market including the profiled AccuPump range.

 As a global leader in dispensing systems, MWV Calmar offers a diverse range of products for a wide spectrum of markets, from food and beverage to pharmaceutical and personal care. With an extensive product range including trigger sprayers and lotion pumps, through to fragrance and pharmaceutical pumps, MWV Calmar (represented in Australia by exclusive distributor Cormack Packaging) continues to develop leading edge solutions for dispensing closures. A strategic vision to focus on innovative and specialised market solutions has seen MWV Calmar expand its pharmaceutical division, developing a comprehensive portfolio of high quality, FDA-compliant solutions to suit a broad customer segment.

MWV Calmar's dedicated European Design Center, headquartered in Hemer, Germany, has highlighted this burgeoning market opportunity and as a response to customer needs has continued its evolution of the company's Pure Path technologies alongside its medical range of products. The fit-for-purpose design centre has the technological capabilities to rapidly respond to customer briefs and provide customised design alternatives - utilising state of the art laboratories, CAD equipment and a fully equipped R&D functional workshop with pilot injection moulding capabilities.
s a global leader in dispensing systems, MWV Calmar offers a diverse range of products for a wide spectrum of markets, from food and beverage to pharmaceutical and personal care. With an extensive product range including trigger sprayers and lotion pumps, through to fragrance and pharmaceutical pumps, MWV Calmar (represented in Australia by exclusive distributor Cormack Packaging) continues to develop leading edge solutions for dispensing closures. A strategic vision to focus on innovative and specialised market solutions has seen MWV Calmar expand its pharmaceutical division, developing a comprehensive portfolio of high quality, FDA-compliant solutions to suit a broad customer segment.

Designed with both functional and aesthetic purpose, Pure Path technology allows fluid to be easily dispensed through the pump with no contact between the substance and the metal spring. Clear benefits include less risk of contamination or corrosion with the metal spring and the ability to increase the active constituents of the product if required.
Another key functional benefit from the product includes highly controlled atomisation to deliver a particle size that meets FDA requirements.
The delivery of less than 10 strokes to prime, providing a consistent rate of output for the duration of the package use - a clear consumer benefit - also allows the potency of the formulation to be increased due to the small variation per stroke of dispensing. This low deviation in output rate is necessary for products with an everyday usage application.
MWV Calmar has developed a total range of product solutions. From entry-level or ‘over the counter' specific products ranging from mist sprays for topical and external body applications, to more specialised offerings such as the high performance Accupump range of nasal sprays.
The entire product portfolio has been developed and manufactured to exacting standards in the company's class 10,000 facility. The range includes a broad variety of adaptors for nose, ear, throat and hair dispensing applications. It also provides screw on, push on and crimp on closure options to suit a variety of customer needs.

PKN Packaging News, May 2009 page 12

For more information on the AccuPump range featured or for more generalised product enquiries please contact us at www.cormack.com.au

Cormack Packaging have successfully completed their ISO 9001 compliance audit, raising existing certification levels from the 2000 standards to the current 2008 standards.

Ongoing commitment to the highest levels of quality standards throughout the Cormack Packaging organisation were echoed in the comments made by the auditing officer,

"The management and staff at Cormack are dedicated and committed to providing resources, tools, new technology and continual improvement programs to achieve quality and business objectives" he said.

Management and staff have embraced the total quality concept- a mutuality that has resulted in significant achievements for the organisation, reflected in the levels of certification. Implementation of tools such as 5S, Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma continue to provide framework to ensure the delivery of our customer's products of the highest quality, and that the business continues to grow through efficiency and productivity.

"It is especially pleasing to receive the auditor's positive assessment of our ISO systems and our upgraded certification to ISO 2008. Cormack's use the structure of the ISO and its robust auditing processes as an integral and supportive structure for our business operations and processes; this is a clear barometer of not only the value we place in our processes and our continuous improvement culture, but also an independent health check that we can use to develop further. "

"Our business has a very simple goal to be "The preferred supplier to our customers", you can only achieve this position with a dedicated focus on communication and unity of purpose. Our Cormack Values, Processes and ISO specifically support that unity of purpose by providing a robust structure for our daily activities and a platform that supports continuous improvement." Mathew Cormack, Managing Director said of the certification upgrade.

Quality at Cormack packaging is not only an investment in the latest technology including the recent implementation of the Vision Measuring System, but also in the capability development of people. Quality Assurance and Manufacturing staff are trained to understand and implement the robust quality assurance guidelines that Cormack has established in accordance with ISO guidelines. This provides Cormack customers with the confidence that they will receive the highest quality closure to exacting specifications every time. As a leading supplier of complex closure systems into the Pharmaceutical industry, comprehensive manufacturing guidelines have set a benchmark for the production of all closures at the Cormack Packaging manufacturing facility.

To view Cormack Packaging accreditation please visit our website www.cormack.com.au/Quality-Assurance/

Cormack Packaging continues to invest behind strengthening of our Quality Management Systems, delivering supreme integrity in the reliability of our products with the installation of the Vision Measuring System at the Condell Park manufacturing facility.

The Vision Measuring System, with coordinated measuring machine (CMM) capabilities is a world-class installation and a strong addition to the existing robust quality measurement system that Cormack Packaging prides itself on. Featuring a high resolution colour video system, programmable zoom lens and light rings, self aligning servo drive, InSpec metrology software with powerful machine vision tools and state of the art electronics- USB, DSP technology including onboard memory- the Vision Measuring System provides unparalleled product measurement capabilities.

Able to measure multi cavity parts with the highest of accuracy, the Vision Measuring System delivers repeatability by 2 micron, providing Cormack customers with reassurance of consistent product supply to exacting specifications. The Vision Measuring System will be an integral step in the New Product Development Process at Cormack Packaging as well as support our existing customer base in resolving dimensional issues.

The Quality Management team at Cormack Packaging are looking forward to providing customers with advanced high reliability measurement and reporting. Supporting enhanced product design delivering high speed and accuracy for customers within their manufacturing environments.

Innovation came to life for the 2008 Cormack Innovation Awards winner Damien Azzopardi as he commenced his 3 month internship with Cormack Packaging. Damien will be given the unique opportunity to work with the highly skilled in-house design and engineering teams to bring his winning design to life and presenting as a product concept to a number of Cormack's industry leading customers.

COMPRESSION MOLDED CLOSURES

Cormack Packaging is proud to announce access to Compression Molded closures for the beverage market.

So what is the difference between compression molded and injection molded technology and what benefits does it afford users?

• Injection Molding uses a screw to force molten plastic through a gate into a form
• Compression Molding uses semi molten plastic being forced into a shape under pressure

Benefits of Compression Molded closures:

Light-weight but stronger closure

• Unique double compression moulded process producing a light- weight closure
• Compression process minimises closure stress points for stronger caps

TE band offers:

• Low & consistent application forces
• Excellent flushing capabilities

Compression liner for excellent sealing vacuum retention = product stability

• Available in barrier, non-barrier and custom options

Low application torques

• Applied in-lbs: 25 in-lbs
• Removal in-lbs: 15 in-lbs
• Requires less or no steam/heat on filling and capping
• Also leaves liner lubricated with it's natural polymers (slip) which aids removal

More Information

• Band encourages smooth, consistent and low application forces
• High speed capping 800 bpm+
• Weight 2,2 grams
• Packing 950 cartons x 2500 pieces = 2.325 million

Sizes

• 33mm
• 38mm
• 43mm

To request samples of these remarkable closures or to discuss the opportunities this technology can offer your business please contact Cormack Packaging directly. 

The 2008 Cormack Innovation Awards held at Customs House, Sydney received a high quality field of finalists, showcasing the talents of third year industrial design students from local universities.

Judges were impressed with the identification of problems with existing packaging and the innovative solutions to address them, with this year’s entries among the best ever.

Cormack Packaging Managing Director, Mathew Cormack, said "innovation in packaging was very important across the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, household, chemical, automotive and hardware sectors."

Unusually, all three of this year’s placegetters were from the University of Technology, Sydney. However, other entries were received from students from University of NSW and RMIT, Melbourne.

In announcing the winners, Mr Cormack praised the standard of all entries, the strong participation of universities and the contribution of industry judges in the annual awards - aimed at encouraging innovation.

The winner from a “very close” top three designs was Damien Azzopardi of the University of Technology, Sydney with his “Powderade” measured powder dispenser. According to the judges the winning entry met all the requirements of the design brief for an integrated pack and closure device which delivers a measured portion.

The winning design provided a convenient approach to dosing powders which was ergonomic and manufacturable – clearly showing the assembly of components and how they work together. “Damien showed a good choice of target market, yet the package is versatile and also considered other markets. His design enables one handed operation, considers refilling different size drink containers - unlike the current package - and is refillable and recyclable.”

Second place was awarded to Thomas Hussey for his laundry liquid pump pack which was selected for its simplicity of use, outstanding shelf presence and the way the product identified an actual existing problem and addressed it better than existing designs.

Third place was awarded to Bhaven Chauhan’s Quantum Control Cap, which included child proof and tamper evident packaging with a true dosing device to eliminate error when measuring and mixing powders with liquids such as antibiotic medicines, sports drinks or baby formula.

Highly commended awards were shared by James Morton of University of NSW for a children’s paracetamol doser, Christian Alonzo of UTS for a hair cream dispenser and Kristina Zlomislic also of UNSW for a crème bleach mixer/applicator bottle.

A special thank you to the judges for this year’s awards, Richard Eckart of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Utra Sharma of Selleys Yates and Helene Francois of Unilever Australasia.

The Winning University UTS

L-R Rowen Wagner (Lecturer), Thomas Hussey (2nd Place), Stephen Neil (lecturer), Damien Azzopardi (Winner),

Christian Alonzo (HC), Bhaven Chauhan (3rd Place), Cathy Lockhart (Lecturer)

Thanks to the Judges:

L-R  Mathew Cormack (MD), Richard Eckhart (Sigma Pharmaceuticals), Utra Sharma (Selleys Yates) and Ronald Cornelisse on behalf of Helene Francois (Unilever)

For more information on the Innovation Awards visit our website www.cormackia.com.au or call Rosa McLean on (02) 97078017

On September 23, 2008 Today Tonight featured a story on the potentially serious dangers for children, of common household oils including Baby oil, massage, hair and bath oils and essential oils.

 In Australia at least 3,000 reported ingestion accidents to young children occur every year. In the US, it is reported that 20 children die a year from ingesting small quantities of household oils, 5 deaths from baby oil.

Seven years ago, the US market moved to legislate that child resistant packaging was mandatory for oily liquids containing hydrocarbons. These include:

• Baby oils
• Bath oils
• Body oils
• Massage oils
• Sunscreens

In Australia, the largest supplier was quoted in this article as stating that they will, after 48 years change to child resistant caps on all their baby oil products in Australia and worldwide.

For the full story aired on Today Tonight click go to:

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/5035273/consumer/dangers-baby-oil

Cormack Packaging is Australia's largest supplier of Child Resistant Caps. We manufacture and supply:

• Multi piece caps from 20mm to 38mm with a push turn system
• Squeeze and Turn caps from 28mm to 38mm
• Squeeze and Turn caps with restrictor plugs

As well as our large range of standard caps, we also design custom closures for customers where volumes allow.

For more information on our caps contact Cormack Packaging on 1800 801 758 or email sales@cormack.com.au

Plastic Resin prices are not directly linked to either oil barrel or petrol pricing, but in broad terms they tend to be closely aligned.

We have seen two years of steadily increasing resin costs with little likelihood of prices easing.

Oil barrel pricing was predicted to never pass through the $100 per barrel mark, but it is now at $142.99 and increasing. There are so many drivers to the pricing unrelated to the actual source price of oil.

Summary drivers include, political uncertainty in the Arab region, Iran's desire to produce nuclear power, Nigeria's political unrest and theft, China and India's fast rise in consumerism and affluence with motor vehicles and the drop in USD has seen many traders treating oil as a future stock.

Reportedly OPEC are releasing supplies greater than demand, but this has not caused the traders to dump oil stocks, so prices are still climbing.

When this oil pricing is translated to its related product of plastic resins (ethylene), pricing is again driven by ethylene costs, global capacity to manufacture resins, global demand for plastic products (huge growth in China and India) and our lovely friends the spot buyers and traders.

Attached is a graph of typical resin prices in Asia. These may not be exact figures but reflect the buy price of several Cormack suppliers in China. Do not use this as an exact resin cost, but it does give a good reflection on plastic raw material prices for PP Resins in Asia over the last 2 years. Prices do vary based on grade of PP and volumes.

Yes, the Cormack Innovation Awards are on again and to celebrate our 7th year we have launched the Awards website.

The Cormack Innovation Award is regarded as one of the most practical industrial design awards in Australia. The competition criteria and judging is done by senior industry representatives working in FMCG, beverage, chemical cleaning and pharmaceutical companies, the same people that one day will be commissioning designs from these students in the commercial world.

The Awards are open to 3rd year Industrial Design Students currently studying in Australia.

As well as cash prizes, Cormack Packaging offers paid, project based work experience to the winning student, and the possibility of commercialisation of any design with industry interest. Finalists receive widespread publicity in local papers, industry publications and websites.

The awards culminate in the Presentation Night which is held in Sydney in October. The top 20 designs will be displayed and these students will have the opportunity to meet and discuss their designs with senior industry members, government representatives, past winners and other students.

For more information visit our new Cormack Innovation Awards website http://www.cormackia.com.au