CASE STUDY: How V-Shapes® Uses AstroNova’s TrojanLabel® T2 Label Press to Meet Production Demands for New Single-Use Portion Packet Technology
The Challenge
V-Shapes®
is the creator of innovative unit-dose packaging sachets and the machinery to produce them. V-Shapes sachets are a brand-new way to safely, affordably, and sustainably pack products in unique single-dose packaging that can be opened in a single gesture using one hand, ranging from hand sanitizer to honey and more. The company, which specializes in developing innovative solutions for the world of packaging, strives to make life easier for consumers and improve their experience with the products they use through their packaging innovations. They invented and patented a new idea for single-portion packaging that could be opened with just one hand, making the packaging more user-friendly and more efficient than the traditional single-portion packets on the market.
With the constant activity of the Research & Development team, the company’s sales and production quickly increased. The rapid growth V-Shapes experienced was a testament to the market’s need for and satisfaction with the product. The patented opening system technology is the first way to extract up to 99% of a product without waste and spillage, making it ideal for a wide range of applications such as foods, cosmetics, medical and pharmaceutical products, and chemicals, for either liquid or semi-solid contents. Additionally, the compact shape of the packets makes storage more efficient, cutting logistics costs and reducing bulk.
The advantages for both the consumer and the client are vast, and V-Shapes sought a solution to meet their scalability and customization needs. V-Shapes wanted to offer clients the opportunity to decide the size, type of aperture, and graphic layout, to meet any need, from attracting new clients to increasing brand loyalty or just repackaging a product they already know and love. This would require a specific, highly technical piece of equipment like nothing they had yet seen on the market.
The Solution
V-Shapes partnered with AstroNova to integrate the TrojanLabel® T2 high-volume digital inkjet label press into its V-Shapes PRIME packaging machine. The PRIME applies a V-Shapes patented pre-cut on the 100% recyclable polypropylene semi-ridge lower layer, followed by exact product dosing then sealing and cutting to form customized filled sachets at up to 2,100 units per hour. The integration of the T2 delivers high-quality 1600 dpi printing in-line on sachets using designed-for-recycling materials developed by V-Shapes and partners that can be printed using digital inkjet technology. The compact footprint of the equipment makes it a convenient solution for relatively small spaces, requiring only a single operator. It delivers a robust return on investment for packaging converters/fillers and their brand owner clients.
Results
By placing the TrojanLabel T2 digital inkjet label press in line with the V-Shapes PRIME packaging line, manufacturing of V-Shapes sachets is even more productive, eliminating the need for a pre-print phase and delivering the fast turn times that today’s brands are looking for.
About V-Shapes
Founded in 2018, V-Shapes is the leading provider of products and services designed to produce and fill single-unit dose packaging that enables products to be dispensed using one hand. Located in Bologna, Italy, V-Shapes manufactures, sells, and services innovative vertically integrated systems for single-dose packaging that minimize waste, shorten time to market, offer a more sustainable packaging solution, and are a unique and safe means for consumers to dispense single-unit measures of liquid and powdered products. The company partners with packaging converters/fillers around the globe to offer these unique services to brands in a wide range of industries, from food and cosmetics to hand sanitizer and industrial products that are efficiently served up in single-unit doses, producing packaging on-demand in small or large quantities.
