Best Injection Molded (IML) Package
Gold Award 
TrustPack – Uncle Ben’s
Submitted by: IPL Inc.
Brand Owner: Mars Canada
Molder: IPL Inc.
Label Supplier: Inland Label
Mars Canada approached IPL looking for a container that is reusable, easy to manipulate, and that is easy to dose/portion for a Chinese New Year promotion. TrustPack fit their needs, along with the benefits of IML. Once the contents are consumed, the container can be reused. The handles on the side make handling very simple and easy. A window is integrated into the artwork with dosing indicators to make it as user-friendly as possible.



Best Part Design
Gold Award
KFC Go Cup
Submitted By: CBW Automation
Brand Owner: KFC
Molder: Berry Plastics
Label Supplier: Korsini-SAF
This innovative food service package features an in-mold label around a divided cup which fits into a car cup holder.  The package helped drive Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new snack menu last fall and was featured in Super Bowl commercials. The in-mold label features KFC’s everyday branding and logo, and can easily be changed for promotional or seasonal artwork. This design was a collaboration between Yum Brands and Berry Design Center. CBW says it has set a new standard in the food service packaging market, combining portability with great graphics.



Best Product Family
Silver Award
Skippy Singles
Submitted By: Inland Label
Brand Owner: Hormel Foods
Molder: Berry Plastics
Label Supplier: Inland Label
The clear film label substrate allows consumers to see through the re-sealable canister and view the six single-serve cups inside. It also features a clear front panel and small back panel so consumers can see when they need to purchase more.




Best Product Family
Gold Award
Film Seal Round
Submitted By: IPL Inc.
Brand Owner: Arla Foods
Molder: IPL Inc.
Label Supplier: Inland Label
Arla Foods Canada was looking to re-launch their Tre Stelle brand of fresh cheeses to give it more premium-looking packaging. IPL provided the Film Seal Round container to meet the customer’s objective. Arla went from white offset printed containers to IML decoration, with color-assorted lids to differentiate their products from one another. This enabled them to have a premium look and feel that benefits Tre Stelle as a whole.


Best Thin Wall Package
Gold Award
64 oz. IML TRIM Pail
Submitted By: StackTeck
Brand Owner: PT Fast Food Indonesia
Molder: Srithai Superware
Label Supplier: Korsini-SAF
IML has enabled high quality decoration of the TRIM (Thin Recess Injection Molding) part which has wall thicknesses about half that formerly considered possible with conventional thin-wall molding technology. The full-wrap label provides extensive coverage of the container over a large surface area, enabling a dual message presented on opposite sides of the container.





Best Prototype Package 
Gold Award
IPL SkinnyPack
Submitted By: IPL Inc.
Molder: IPL Inc.
Label Supplier: Precision Press
SkinnyPack is a thin, yet strong packaging technology that fuses a flexible, printable film to a sturdy, rigid frame. It offers remarkable IML graphics for greater shelf appeal. SkinnyPack uses less plastic, and is therefore lighter for improved eco-sustainability. The combination of the thin lightweight film and sturdy frame make it a perfect packaging technology to stand out from the shelves and attract the consumer’s attention.


Printed Electronics to be featured at FTA conference
According to recent studies, the printed electronics market is estimated to reach $40.2 billion by the year 2020, with a compound average growth rate of 33.8 percent each year. Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2014 Fall Conference & Tabletop Exhibit will address this topic in a session, “Printed Electronics: What Does it Mean to the Flexo Industry?” The conference, themed “Beyond the Concept: Innovation in Action,” will take place Oct. 20-22 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, in Minneapolis, MN.

As the term suggests, printed electronics is the fusion of two major industries – electronics and printing. To date, a vast amount of research has been carried out on varied materials and equipment related to printed electronics at the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics at Clemson University, a premier academic institutions for flexo research.

Conference goers will hear from Clemson’s lead researchers who will discuss the findings of recent printed electronics benchmarking studies and share their insights and exeperiences in applications for printed electronics in packaging.

In his presentation “The Viability & Challenges of Functional Printing for Real-World Packaging Applications,” Chip Tonkin, director of the Sonoco Institute, will provide an overview of the printed electronics industry with special emphasis on packaging applications and the role flexography plays in this up-and-coming industry.

Brad Gasque, research associate for the Sonoco Institute, will follow with a presentation on “Printed Electronics in the Flexographic Pressroom” which will look into some of the many challenges that flexographic printers face when producing circuitry for printed electronics. These issues include curing and sintering conductive inks, working with nano-particle inks, registration, imaging, printing hybrid processes (gravure and flexo) inline with multiple curing systems (water-based, solvent-based and UV inks) for multi-layer devices, and more.

Liam O’Hara, with the Department of Graphic Communications at Clemson, will conclude the session with his presentation titled “Printed Electronics Research at Clemson.” Attendees will gain an in-depth look at the experimental research and benchmarking studies for flexo print capabilities with conductive inks. Feature sizes, press speed, plate imaging techniques and more will be addressed – all based on recent research conducted at Clemson.

FTA’s 2014 Fall Conference is chaired by PJ Fronczkiewicz, Flint Group Flexographic Products and Bill Malm, Flexo Wash. Early bird rates offer a $100 savings and are valid through September 19. Consumer Product Companies (CPCs) that hold an active FTA membership are entitled to complimentary registrations. Printers/converters and design firms enjoy specially discounted rates of $350 per FTA member and can take advantage of a buy two, get the third free offer.

RadTech Europe announces food seminar
RadTech Europe (RTE) will host an international food seminar on “UV-Printing for Food Packaging,” to be held on September 24 at the Wöllhaf Conference and Banquet Center in Stuttgart Airport. The seminar will be held in English, and RadTech Europe members and non-members are both welcome to attend.

This seminar will focus on all aspects of UV/EB and UV-LED for food packaging: the technological developments in UV, EB and UV inkjet, the regulatory requirements, the vision of brand owners and real-life examples of converters applying the technology for their food packaging products. RadTech Europe says it has gathered a group of industry experts in materials, inks, printing, equipment and packaging, and regulatory affairs to present on these topics.

RTE’s aim is to serve the interests of the UV and EB curing industry by advancing the profile and use of radiation curing technology in Europe.