Ampac and KHS Partner on Reclosable Flexible Packaging

CINCINNATI, Ohio—At PACK EXPO, Ampac, a global supplier in the retail, food, security and medical flexible packaging markets, and KHS, a worldwide systems provider of filling and packaging machines and equipment for the beverage and food industries, announcd the availability of Ampac’s E-Z ZIP® reclosable zipper technology on rollstock engineered for Horizontal Form Fill Seal (HFFS) pouch applications on KHS packaging machines. E-Z ZIP HFFS film is available in both 8-color rotogravure and 10-color flexographic printing.

The availability of Ampac’s E-Z ZIP technology on KHS HFFS film packaging machines broadens the market applications of the E-Z ZIP reclosable zipper beyond pre-made pouches and brings the technology to the packagers operating HFFS packaging lines. Packagers using HFFS equipment will find that E-Z ZIP HFFS film is an ideal solution for dried fruit and nuts, trail mix, granola, dried meat snacks, shredded cheese, confections, sugar substitutes, pet food and treats, granular home and garden products, and frozen foods.

E-Z ZIP features a unique pull-tab opening that allows the user to simply pull away a thin tear strip to access the reclosable zipper. A unique feature of E-Z ZIP is the zipper closure is accessed without having to tear off or damage the header of the stand-up pouch. For consumers, this creates a simple way to open packages without ragged tears, damaging the zipper or requiring scissors. For brand owners, it allows for packaging design and branding that can use the entire front of the package without loss of header branding graphics. The entire package stays intact when using the E-Z ZIP closure technology, maintaining a consistent brand look from the time of purchase until the product is consumed. In addition, the design inherently provides tamper evidence.

With an old-style zipper closure, filling issues can occur if the pouch zippers are not completely open. With E-Z ZIP, the zipper closure is completely on one side of the pouch, allowing product to fill through the unsealed pouch opening as if there were no zipper in place. This front placement of the zipper closure also eliminates the possibility that food or other material will be trapped in the zipper prior to sealing.

“This was a great collaboration between two innovative companies to bring the E-Z ZIP technology to the broader market,” says Sal Pellingra, Director of Innovation at Ampac. Rick Manning, Marketing Manager with KHS USA says, “KHS continually strives to offer the latest technology in HFFS packaging machines. Working with Ampac to offer their E-Z ZIP technology was a natural fit and provides growth opportunities for us and for the retailers and brand owners that use our machines.”