Induction seal helps pill-to-liquid transition: dietary supplements were leaking out of the bottle before Life Force added an inner seal

Food & Drug Packaging, Sept, 2005

It always helps to have firsthand knowledge of a product before you buy it. Life Force International, a 22-year-old Chula Vista, Calif., manufacturer of dietary supplements, followed this concept twice with success recently. First, it switched from pills to predominantly liquid products after realizing customers are "sold" by the firsthand lift they feel after sipping quickly absorbed liquid samples at marketing presentations.

Next, Life Force itself "sampled" Enercon Industries' Super Seal induction cap sealers to end unsightly leakage that resulted from the packaging changeover to liquids. A try-it-before-you-buy-it loaner unit, configured with specially designed deep tunnel sealing heads, gave Life Force the firsthand satisfaction it needed to happily seal the deal with Enercon.

According to Life Force plant manager Charles Bates, it's not only the ingredients but the way the nutrients are delivered that makes a difference.

"We established that ingesting these supplements in liquid format, rather than a pill, allows the body to absorb the nutrients faster to provide a prompt benefit to the individual," Bates says.

Life Force's new enthusiasm was dampened, however, after discovering its own packaging needed rejuvenation.

"We were using a pressure seal, but found that during shipping these seals would sometimes leak. They would also absorb some of the liquid, which would discolor the seal," Bates says.

Knowing a fix was required, Life Force began an extensive search. One name that kept appearing was Enercon, whose Super Seal induction cap seals have provided tamper evidence, freshness and leak prevention for more than 5 billion containers worldwide.

Life Force invited Enercon to Chula Vista to discuss the application, High-density polyethylene container samples with plastic threaded caps were sent back to the Enercon factory in Menomonee Falls, Wis., to confirm which system best suited Life Force's operation and production line speed.

It was determined that its 28-millimeter and 38mm caps could be sealed by an air-cooled Enercon Super Seal 50. Operating inside a deep tunnel sealing head, the electromagnetic field is optimally directed around the cap to weld the inner seal to the container's lip. The all-in-one power supply and sealing system requires little floor space and virtually no maintenance, and is easily mounted on the conveyor.

What Enercon did next surprised Bates. "Their vice president of sales, Bill Zito, offered to send us a unit to try for 30 days," Bates says. "So we tried it and, sure enough, the Super Seal did a super job."

Within a year, Life Force International added a second Super Seal for an additional packaging line. Among Super Seal's features is a quick-change design to accommodate customized sealing heads for added flexibility if package configurations change.

IN A NUTSHELL

Goal: Cure leakage in liquid product

How: Switch to induction cap sealing

Results: No leaks or discoloration in rejuvenated container

For more information

Enercon Industries Corp.

262-255-6070; www.enerconind.com