Heilbronn – ILLIG, the thermoforming systems supplier has decades of experience developing packaging and helping packaging manufacturers. When progressing from the original product idea all the way to the right tool design and production system, there are numerous requirements that have to be met. ILLIG will give the customer with Pactivity insight into this process and offer their development services for thermoforming packaging – all from a single source.
From the first idea to the production line
Each project is treated independently, as no packaging is ever exactly the same. Development begins with the customer’s initial idea and ends with an outstanding final product that meets all requirements. This entails numerous steps in between and several answers that have to be found to technical challenges along the way. Packaging for fresh fruits and products is a good example of how multifaceted packaging can be. It has to ensure visibility of its contents, while also protecting them, and it must be suitable for transport, both to the market and throughout the logistics process. ILLIG packaging experts develop different variants for ventilation (hole vents or closure knobs with spacing for clamshell trays) and package closure (hinged lids, separate lids or without). Product, packaging material, volume and feasibility as well as decoration with IML-T – all have to be analyzed to determine the design possibilities, a tool layout and line concept, because thermoforming offers a wide variety of different methods to produce packaging. The thermoforming method depends primarily on the required properties of the packaging. The decisive factors include design, desired material, and required output. Once the initial criteria have been successfully determined in the packaging development stage, an extensive testing phase follows. First samples are produced. This is followed by a number of required product tests and finally ends with the customer approval. Only then can work begin on the production system. ILLIG has the necessary know-how in tool making and machine construction and is familiar with all the technical requirements – world-wide.