Companies that build machinery to produce, trim and handle packages are a valuable resource to the package designer, says Brian Dowler of Graham Engineering, York, Pa. Their experience with a broad array of packages can benefit a dairy processor.Lessons that equipment vendors learned in one application, such as the production of bottles for non-food applications, often can be applied to produce innovative options for food packages as well, he says. Container light weighting is one example.

A U.S. dairy processor that had been blow-molding containers for drinkable yogurts decided to source them from a custom molder. But the drinks proved to be so popular, that the supply chain was stressed. The processor returned to in-house blow-molding of the 7-ounce and 32-ounce containers.

Serac introduces its PET bottle blow molding machines for dairy products.