In May 2004 we transferred yoghurt production from Basel to Bern. In Basel the diameter of the Duo cups was 73 mm and so was too large to fit in the 20 pack container. In Bern they already had machines which made a 70 mm diameter tub. This gave us the opportunity to fill multi-packs which would then also fit perfectly in the container. The new yoghurt and caffé late machines all have the same diameter plus the additional advantage that we can fit snap-on lids and these would still fit in the container.

The diameter of the tub has no effect on the level of efficiency. What is important however is the optimum tub design: an even, circular shape, sufficient headroom and the seal area must be of the corresponding size.

We can fill 35,000 units per hour in the case of stirred yoghurts and 30,000 per hour for solid yoghurts.

SwissPrimePack Ltd. is providing support so the project can be processed quickly and investing the necessary time to enable innovations to be developed. Another key factor was the mix of price, quality and delivery date. We were happy with our choice both from the purchasing as well as the production aspect.

The structure of a tub is tremendously important to ensure that it runs smoothly on a filling line. We have seen that the ideal answer is for the tub supplier to be provided with a cup-filling mechanism of the filling machine. The collaboration between the supplier and client teams determines whether a project succeeds or fails. We are very satisfied with our new tubs.

The idea has in fact already been around for some time. However, since up to now the direct printing on a tub has not been of the best quality, illustrations are almost a specification. Thanks to intensive development and research to create an improved print quality, SwissPrimePack Ltd. is now in a position to print photorealistic designs without any problems. We obviously wanted to take exploit this advantage. 18 different qualities were printed within a short space of time and so, with the exception of two subjects, the release was approved in the same way thanks to the new technology.

Thanks to the collaboration and continuing development between SwissPrimePack Ltd. and Emmi we can now guarantee optimum direct printing using photo-realistic images. We are very satisfied with the latest results.

Differentiation from the competition is all-important to ensure that you can assert your position in today’s market. That’s why innovations are more important than ever before; the basic idea for a product obviously comes from the manufacturer - on the packaging side however we rely on experts. The challenge to the packaging supplier in this context is to come up with creative ideas.

The trend in new packaging will take two different directions. On the one side there will be demand for premium products with a prestige value. Sophisticated and high quality packaging innovations can set a company apart from its competitors. The other trend is towards mass volume, low-priced products which of course also carries over to the packaging. This should be as basic and low cost as possible.

Another trend is in the area of convenience products – fast food consumption being the motto here. One of the topics on the agenda is the most convenient use e.g. with an integrated spoon so the product can be enjoyed wherever and whenever the customer wants.