Macpac thermoforming packaging responds to key Santa snow dome design challenge
Macpac thermoforming packaging business has shown its creativity with latest Santa snow dome special. Pic: Macpac
Christmas craftsmanship has been notably on display from thermoforming packaging specialists, Macpac, which has devised a suitably seasonal dome shaped design destined for Martin’s Chocolatier’s premium Snow Globe chocolate santa and snowball truffles series, writes Neill Barston.
The Stockport manufacturer has continued to work across a number of segments with its packaging systems, with the confectionery market proving particularly notable, as it has moved towards developing environmentally-friendly designs.
For its part, Martin’s Chocolatier provides luxury speciality chocolates from a wide range of internationally-renowned Artisan chocolatiers. It chooses products that are unrivalled in taste and texture, and that have been made with passion, skill, flair, and only the finest of ingredients. The latest chocolate snow globe is supplied in a special cardboard presentation box and features a winter wonderland scene.
As the business explained, as an online retailer, it required a unique snow globe type pack that was capable of holding a hollow chocolate Santa and snowball truffles in place, and could be easily inverted by the consumer to dust icing sprinkles over the chocolates.
Philip Ahn, of Martin’s Chocolatier, explained: “Our vision for this product was an eye-catching pack design that not only made the perfect festive centrepiece but that could actually be used like a traditional glass snow globe, while still maintaining the integrity of the chocolate contents.
“It was a big ask and we approached Macpac after several failed prototypes from another company who was unable to create a dome pack that met the necessary strength requirements or was able to function as a snow globe.”
According to Macpac, which is also notably active within the bakery market, the company revealed that its in-house design team developed a clear two-piece pack with robust domed lid that clips to a separate base. The 100% recyclable snow globe is produced from lightweight rPET (recycled PET) and incorporates a friction clip mechanism with added transparent self-adhesive security tabs.
Talking about the project, Neil Greenhalgh, Sales Engineer at Macpac said: “There were a number of design issues to overcome with this project. Part of the brief was for the forming to grip and hold the hollow chocolate mould tight enough that it could be turned upside down. Holding such a delicate item tight without damaging or crushing it was a challenge!
“This meant that the holding of the Santa in position by his feet was literally touch and go but the team pulled out all the stops to get a design that matched the brief and we are delighted with the end result,” he concluded.
“The team at Macpac are true geniuses, this type of pack and product has never been done before and they managed to pull it off. It helped the process by having design, tooling and manufacturing all under one roof too,” added Philip.
Macpac designs and manufactures a wide range of high performance thermoformed packaging for the food industry, including bespoke trays, box inserts, clam packs and flow wrap trays. The functional, high strength and 100% recyclable packs are produced from rPET with a minimum of 80% recycled content. Meeting the highest quality standards, the company boasts full British Retail Consortium Consumer Goods for Packaging Materials accreditation.
