Company: Kwik Lok Corporation

Website: www.kwiklok.com

Packaging Snapshot: Kwik Lok Corporation announced they will feature the “bakery closing line of the future” at the upcoming International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) held Sept. 8-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Key components of the new closing line are the world’s first sustainable closure, Eco-Lok, the next generation in bag closing machines, the 910A, along with a new tamper-evident solution that uses laser stitch technology to keep bakery items safe.

“We are very excited to bring new and innovative solutions to our bakery customers,” said Kwik Lok CEO, Don Carrell. “The new products that customers will see at IBIE represent Kwik Lok’s legacy in innovation. Our customers require the best, most forward-thinking solutions available so we have partnered across the industry to bring products to the show that meet the sustainability, safety and efficiency needs of today’s baker and bakery customer.

Eco-Lok, a bag closure made with sustainable materials, is the first big step in the company’s drive to reduce its environmental impact. The new Eco-Lok product, used as a closure on consumer food products such as bakery items, is formulated with a plant-based biopolymer called NuPlastiQ that requires up to 20 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions to produce than standard plastic bag closures. Eco-Lok maintains the qualities of existing Kwik Lok plastic closures – it is printable, reusable and metal detector compatible.

“Kwik Lok is proud to lead the way for a more sustainable future, maintaining safety and quality standards and preserving the environment for customers, employees and the planet,” said Don Carrell. “Our customers are demanding more sustainable packaging solutions and Eco-Lok is a high-quality product that reduces our carbon footprint and that of our customers.

Eco-Lok is one piece of an industrywide opportunity for responsible environmental stewardship. The proprietary technology from BioLogiQ used to make Eco-Lok converts plant-based carbohydrates, such as corn and potatoes, into the NuPlastiQ material that is manufactured into Eco-Lok bag closures. Using a 100 percent natural, renewably sourced plant-based resin that requires less fuel to manufacture than traditional plastics, NuPlastiQ helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and overall material use. Eco-Lok closures require the use of up to 20% fewer fossil fuels in manufacturing than Kwik Lok plastic bag closures.

“With the launch of Eco-Lok, Kwik Lok is unveiling the next phase of our pledge to provide the best possible closing systems while reducing our environmental impact,” Carrell said. “Kwik Lok is committed to protecting people and the planet with our evolving business practices.

The company’s recent Corporate Sustainability Report detailed Kwik Lok’s mission to unlock opportunity, improve well-being, protect resources and foster innovation.

Kwik Lok is known for its industry-leading family of bag closing machines. The new 910A Automatic Bag Closing Machine offers the same highly-reliable Kwik Lok technology and takes it to an all-new level. The 910A provides a host of improved safety and operational features making the 910A even easier to operate while taking up less line space. A next-generation solution for the high-speed line, the 910A can close up to 120 bags per minute.

Important new benefits of the new 910A closure machine reflect input from customers. They include a lighter, more compact design, easy to clean aluminum and stainless-steel construction along with user-friendly mechanical components that offer increased accessibility for maintenance. The 910A is serviceable with metric tools. In addition, the 910A provides Allen Bradley PLC and a bi-directional control panel with power indicator and machine controls.

New safety features of the 910A are an external status light for visual machine status, an emergency stop, manual breakoff knob and enclosed pick actuating components.

All 910A machines come ready to run closure labels for coding, tracking and promotional messages.

As food safety and security continue to be at the forefront of food supply concerns, more and more customers are looking for bag closure systems that include tamper-evident options.

To meet this customer need, Kwik Lok teamed up with Matthews Marking Systems, developing a new Laser Stitch Technology. The 909A provides a uniform “laser stitch” that indicates whether a bag has been opened. Importantly, bags do not tear when opened and can be easily re closed with a Kwik Lok closure.

The 909A works on high-speed lines of up to 55 bags per minute and requires minimal modifications to existing lines while taking only 10 inches of space. The 909A synchronizes with conveyors, requires no compressed air and may be operated on “by pass” mode to allow the line to run without the laser when needed. The 909A is engineered for easy install and operator use.

All 909A machines are made from easy-to-clean, durable aluminum and stainless-steel construction. Four line speed programs come pre installed and the 909A is serviceable with metric tools. The 909 comes with an emergency stop.