(Manteno, IL – August 2013) Resealable closure company Zip-Pak recently introduced Sensus, a high-performance sealing feature that provides both audial and tactile feedback to assure the consumer that their package has been firmly sealed. Sensus is the first in a family of resealable closures that Zip-Pak calls Sensory Feedback Fasteners; they feature performance characteristics that appeal to a consumer’s sense of sound, sight, smell or touch.
The Sensus re-closure profile is specifically designed to create a tactile bumping sensation and audible clicking noise when the zipper is opened or resealed. Made of Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Sensus can be applied to virtually any type of flexible packaging regardless of pouch size, and is especially well suited for form-fill-seal machine applications.
Sensus made its debut in Europe in a single profile resealable format. Entremont, a leading French dairy and cheese company, was the first to use Sensus closures on its shredded cheese brand marketed in flexible packaging. Zip-Pak is planning a global roll out of Sensus on a regional basis in the near future, with multiple SKUs to address both single and double profile zippers.
The word “sensus” in Latin means “sense”, “feeling” or “understanding” and is in many ways the perfect descriptor for Zip-Pak’s new closure. Zip-Pak developed Sensus in response to global focus group testing in which a recurring theme expressed by consumers was for clearer indications that a flexible package was firmly closed.
“A number of focus group participants expressed appreciation for a more physical feeling of closing; others showed preference to a sound cue,” explained Art Malcomson, director of sales and marketing for Zip-Pak. “With Sensus, we’re satisfying both sensory requirements as we definitively answer the question: ‘How do I know that it’s completely closed?’”
Many focus group participants were observed repeatedly opening and then reclosing a zipper to verify with absolute certainty that a package was firmly sealed. This was especially true on more robust flexible packaging constructions where the thickness of material layers may dampen the sensation of closing. To alleviate this issue, Zip-Pak engineers developed Sensus with greater tactile response and a more solid resealing motion. Malcomson comments, “Compared to other zipper closures, Sensus provides a deeper, truer feeling of closing that is immediately apparent to the consumer.”
In addition to cheese and food products, Sensus is ideal for a broad range of flexible packaged consumer products, including cereal, granola, salty snacks, detergents, and also pet treats and pet foods. Zip-Pak anticipates significant interest for Sensus in the pet market, as many domestic animals have heightened senses of hearing, and respond well to
audible prompts.
Zip-Pak offers end-to-end technical and operational support for anyone who may consider integrating the Sensus feature into a new or existing resealable flexible package. The company’s global field services team of highly experienced equipment and packaging experts readily travel to facilities worldwide to assist with zipper specification, applicator equipment selection, modification and integration, as well as operator training.
Fragrance zippers are another Zip-Pak Sensory Feedback Fastener currently in development. These closures are designed to emit a particular aroma upon initial and subsequent opening of a package, such as floral, lemon or even chocolate scent. “Imagine a citrus fragrance being emitted each time a flexible pouch containing laundry detergent pods is opened,” Malcomson offered. “Or better yet, a chocolate scent for a snack food.”
Sensus and Sensory Feedback Fasteners also align with what Zip-Pak views as a larger global trend toward more interactive consumer packaging. Malcomson concludes, “I think we’ll continue to see packaging form and function playing a greater and more deliberate role in how consumers select, use and interact with every day products. To that end, I’m confident that our new lineup of sensory closures will be well-received.”
Zip-Pak to Exhibit at FachPack 2013
Zip-Pak will be exhibiting at FachPack 2013, September 24-26, at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre, in Nuremberg, Germany. Representatives from Zip-Pak Europe will be available to demonstrate Sensus and other resealable solutions in Hall 7, Booth 7-109.
