The Flexible Packaging Blog

Reviews, trends, and tips covering all things flexible packaging to protect your products and your bottom line.

Blog Feature

Food Packaging

By: Nathan Dube
August 20th, 2020

So, you need to package your food items and you are considering freezing your products. You are aware of the fact that there are multiple types of frozen food packaging, but, you recently heard about IQF or "individually quick frozen" packaging. You want to know what it is, how it works and if it is right for your food packaging applications. Well, fortunately for you, Industrial Packaging has been working with frozen food packaging applications for many years, and, we have all the information about IQF you would possibly want! In the wide world of food packaging, there are many options for preserving foods for extended periods. Everything from traditional and age-old processes such as canning, jarring, and pickling, to salting fish and meats. The preservation of food for storage over extended periods is a classic example of human ingenuity. In the modern world, freezing is perhaps the most popular way to preserve food. When it comes to veggies, not only does freezing preserve the nutritional value of the food, but the flavor is often enhanced by the process (IE: peas and sweet corn). Frozen food gives consumers the ability to keep their chosen goodies for very long periods. When we talk about the cutting edge of technology in frozen food applications, there is perhaps no other greater version of the process than IQF. For those of you who do not know the definition of IQF or "individually quick frozen" here is the meaning to bring you up to speed. IQF is a food freezing tactic that prevents big ice crystals from forming inside of vegetable cells. With IQF, it should be noted that every single piece of produce (literally every pea, corn kernel, etc) is individually frozen to perfection. With IQF, there are no food particles. The result is a final product that is not frozen solid into a brick of ice. Now, there are many different ways to freeze vegetables. Some of these include but are not limited to plate freezing, blast cooling, tunnel freezing, fluid-bed freezing, cryogenics, and dehydro-freezing. As for which method is right for you, well, that depends on the quality you want from your freezing method, depending on factors such as financial limitations and storage dynamics, IQF may or may not be a good choice for your products. This article will take a look at the applications and uses for IQF and help you to decide if it is, in fact, the right form of food freezing for your food packaging needs.

Blog Feature

Packaging Design | Shipping Protection | Warehousing

By: Nathan Dube
August 18th, 2020

Shipping protection is perhaps one of the most essential variables to consider when fulfilling orders for your customers. Just think how you feel when you order something, and the packaging is damaged. As the internet has made our world a digitally connected global village, you can now have customers anywhere on earth (and pretty soon, perhaps Mars as well). Packages that travel long distances often have journeys that are fraught with problems. Anything from mishandling at warehouses, being dropped on accident by delivery drivers, or moving through geographical areas with extreme heat. The list of potential items that can cause damage to your package can seem nearly endless. So, when it comes to ensuring an excellent unboxing experience for your clients, you need to make sure that their packages arrive in as close to mint condition as possible as it is imperative to building brand loyalty and repeat business. To achieve the proper protections against shipping damages, you need to make sure your packaging process aligns with the best standards. First, getting on board with Amazon's guidelines for SIOC and user-friendly packaging is a good start. Next, use protective packaging materials such as air pillows, cardboard, packaging peanuts, and a whole galaxy of other potential protective packaging material options. Now you are probably thinking, "man, this is more complicated than I was hoping". That may be true, but it's critical to the success of your business. While the global village is making packaging protection during shipping more complicated, Industrial Packaging has decades of experience in this sector. We are here to help you navigate these issues. In this article, you'll gain a better understanding of all of the elements that go into preparing your packages with the appropriate protective packaging materials and protocols. This will help your customers be happy with the condition of their packages, which leads to repeat business.

Blog Feature

Packaging Materials | Environment | Food Packaging

By: Nathan Dube
August 12th, 2020

My guess is that you probably run some type of food packaging business. You have diligently been doing research on the various types of packaging that is appropriate for your food to be packaged in. Regardless of what you're packaging, clearly, you're here because you are either considering flexible pouches or paperboard boxes. OR, maybe you're trying to choose between the two. Industrial Packaging has been selling packaging supplies for decades. We have sold both boxes and pouches for the applications for which they are appropriate. You know that you can package your food products in either container. Both would be a viable option that would appropriately contain your items. But, you are hoping to dig deeper down and find out the subtle differences that make one or the other the BEST choice for your specific needs. Well, luckily for you, in this article, we are going to explain the differences as well as the pros and cons of each of these containers and help you to make the right choice for your packaging line!

Blog Feature

Equipment | Plant Performance | Investment

By: Nathan Dube
August 11th, 2020

So you have come here because you have decided to buy a stretch wrapper. You are not sure if you should buy a pneumatic model or an electric model. You do not want to buy any additional components that you do not need, so you are researching these two options to make the right choice. Industrial Packaging has been selling stretch wrappers for many years. We can educate you on which type of stretch wrapper makes the most sense for your business. In this article, we are going to compare pneumatic stretch wrappers to electric stretch wrappers and help you to choose the machine that is right for your business.

Blog Feature

Equipment | Technical Service and Support | Packaging Psychology

By: Jarrod Dizazzo, President
August 6th, 2020

When you think about downtime, I bet a few things come to mind. Lost productivity, your workforce standing around, scrap packaging materials or finished goods, and missing deadlines you have agreed to meet. And while all those are true, there are a few more negative side-effects that carry as much, if not more, weight when it comes to downtime. One of our top priorities is making sure our customers can avoid unexpected downtime on their packaging lines. At Industrial Packaging, we "eat our own dog food" and maintain regularly scheduled maintenance on our packaging machinery. By doing so, we can maintain the supply line for our customers, and we help them do the same in their facilities. We know what it takes to succeed, and we know how to combat unwanted downtime. In the article below, we will explore the real cost of downtime and explain how to prevent it.

Blog Feature

Equipment

By: Nathan Dube
August 4th, 2020

You have been researching sealers for a few months now and you have decided that you would like to purchase one. You have educated yourself on the cost and the expected ROI of purchasing a sealer. You have studied the differences between buying VS leasing your new sealer and have found the option that is right for your company. If you haven't already done these things, we'd recommend you doing so. You spoke with a repair technician and are working out all of the necessary details of a preventive maintenance program to make sure that your machinery will run well, minimizing downtime. You have your key performance indicators set up in regard to your sealer's operation and you have made it a point to ensure that your machine operators are trained on all safety protocols. This project has cost you a lot of time, effort, and money to get to this point. You are ready to actually buy a machine now. You have selected a vendor to purchase materials, service, and repair from and are 100% prepared to take the next step. But, you have one more question that needs answering. Should you buy an electric sealer or a pneumatic model? You are unsure about the difference between these machines and you need to be absolutely confident that you are making the right decision for your business. You need a machine that will get the job done quickly and efficiently, however, you also must ensure that you are getting a machine that does not have unwarranted additional costs. So, you are not exactly sure how to move forward. Well, we have some great news! You have found your way to this article and you are looking for an answer to your final question. And luckily for you, we have it! Industrial Packaging has been selling sealers for a very long time and we are a thought leader in our industry. As such, we are going to assist you in choosing the perfect machine for your needs. In this article, we will compare electric sealers to pneumatic sealers and help you in the last steps of choosing the best piece of equipment for your packaging line.