Schütz’s safer closure for plastics drums

INTEGRITY ASSURED

CLOSURES • SCHÜTZ HAS TAKEN STEPS TO ENSURE GREATER INTEGRITY OF PRODUCT SHIPPED IN ITS PLATICS DRUMS WITH A NEW BUNG CAP SYSTEM AND INNER LAYER

GERMANY’S SCHÜTZ HAS unveiled a new bung cap system for plastics drums – Automatic Lock – which consists of a plug and a tamper-proof sealing cap. “The outstanding feature of the system is that it cannot be opened without breaking the seal cap as the inner seal ring is firmly incorporated in the ring,” the company says. As a result, the filling product is fully protected against unwanted discharge or contamination. The seal cap is available for use with a variety of different bung sizes and can be supplied in either red or white, as required.

“The seal cap can be fitted automatically or manually,” Schütz states. “First, the seal cap is placed on the bung; it centres itself automatically due to the position of the snap latches. Light pressure on the positioned seal cap makes the locking ring snap into place behind the snap latches in the bung. The rigid construction ensures the lock remains securely in place once fitted.”

EASY TO USE Furthermore, the plastics tab connectors on the cap and the inner seal ring tear when the cap is opened. The ring is perforated, making it easy for the operator to lift off the cap. “The cap,” Schütz says, “is opened and lifted off in a single movement by pulling on the seal cap ring pull, allowing the bung to be unscrewed and the contents to be removed.”

“Automatic Lock is the only capping system that is suitable for use with automatic drum

THE NEW AUTOMATIC LOCK FROM SCHÜTZ PROVIDES filling systems and it offers numerous other advantages over conventional solutions,” the company asserts. “In contrast, standard plastics caps only close the bung opening without providing a seal of originality, meaning that tampering can remain undetected. With Automatic Lock the seal cap is held by the plug and not by the bung. The broken seal cannot be repaired and any tampering is instantly visible.”

Although there are steel caps available on the market that are also fitted with a seal function to prevent tampering, the new plastics system, Schütz says, offers the key advantages of being both “hygienic and non-corrosive”. Consequently, Automatic Lock is fully certified for use with the company’s Foodcert drums for food applications. “In addition, the new sealing system is exceptionally user-friendly: the integrated ring pull does not require an extra tool for opening, as is the case with steel sealing caps,” it says.

NEW INNER LAYERS In other news, Schütz reports that its F1 and S-DS1 plastics drums can now be supplied with an optional natural inside layer. “The inner layer consists of the same natural, high-quality HDPE material as the inner bottles of the Schütz Ecobulk intermediate bulk container (IBC),” it says, adding that this new feature is based on the company’s Security-Layer technology, “which allows several functional layers to be extruded simultaneously”.

This technological development, the company continues, increases the range of applications its plastics drums can be used for “to equal that” of its IBCs, giving customers greater flexibility when it comes to their choice of packaging. “Regardless of whether a product is packed in an Ecobulk or [plastics] drums, the same material means identical product compatibility,” it says. “As several factors influence the choice of packaging, the new layer simplifies matters: products that have been filled in IBCs can, in most cases, simply be transferred to drums.” HCB www.schuetz.net